February 2019
Sip and Sketch: Drawing with Graphite
Spend an enjoyable evening learning how to develop your skills in graphite drawing. Artist Jenah Mead will demonstrate her drawing process, moving from a gesture and shapes to more confident lines, to values, to details. Choose your subject from a wide array of bird-related natural objects--bird specimens, eggs, and nests. Jenah will provide individual support in approaching texture and subjects. All materials, two glasses of wine, beer, or soda, and light refreshments are included in the program. So sit back,…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »Four-part Morning Program: Geology Rocks!
Learn to read the landscape by learning foundations in general and local geology. Geologist Bruce Baty provides lectures and hands-on activities to illustrate geologic principals during this fascinating series. You will practice recognizing different types of igneous rocks through study and sorting, get a primer on common mineral composition, discover how rock changes through metamorphism, and find out how landscape features are the key to understanding the past. The series provides an excellent introduction to geology and offers plenty of time…
Find out more »C & I 555: Mindfulness and Nature Journaling for Teachers
This course is a collaboration between the Montana Natural History Center and East West Mindfulness to explore the connection between present moment awareness and the natural world. The goal is for participants to see how this connection can lead to self regulation and a commitment to stewardship. Gain the confidence through experience to share mindfulness and nature journaling activities with your students. Learn techniques and access resources to establish and sustain your own mindfulness and nature journaling practices! Participants who register for two…
Find out more »Evening Lecture: New Thoughts on Glacial Lake Missoula Shorelines
Unusual Wave Activity in the Bitterroot Arm of Glacial Lake Missoula A lecture hosted by the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute: New Thoughts on Glacial Lake Missoula Shorelines. Did Glacial Lake Missoula have tidal waves? Recent Lidar images in the Bitterroot Valley suggest that earthquake activity in the Pleistocene may have caused large waves to crash on the shores of Glacial Lake Missoula. Jim Sears, geology professor at the University of Montana, will present the…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »March 2019
Saturday Kids’ Activity: Rockhounding
Learn about our local rocks and find a few treasures to take home! Are you interested in becoming a rockhound? At this drop-in activity you can see neat mineral and crystal samples, learn about our most common local rocks and check out some of the tools every rockhound needs. Either in sand or outside (depending on weather) you will be able to dig for your own rocks to start or add to your collection. Come by anytime between 2:00 and…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »C & I 555: Mindfulness and Nature Journaling for Teachers
This course is a collaboration between the Montana Natural History Center and East West Mindfulness to explore the connection between present moment awareness and the natural world. The goal is for participants to see how this connection can lead to self regulation and a commitment to stewardship. Gain the confidence through experience to share mindfulness and nature journaling activities with your students. Learn techniques and access resources to establish and sustain your own mindfulness and nature journaling practices! Participants who register for two…
Find out more »Hunting & Gathering Lecture Series: Stories from 60 Years of Shed Hunting
Join us for a further exploration of the tradition of hunting and gathering, from food and clothing to the naturalist’s habit of creating collections. Each of our six speakers will share their expertise, from identification and use of the object of the hunt to identifying the landscape or phenology clues that will help hunters and gatherers to find what they’re looking for. Our second speaker is Jim Phillips, Antler Man. Jim has lived his whole life in Three Forks, and started shed hunting…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »Naturalist Field Day: Beginning Fly Fishing: Approaching the Sport with a Naturalist Mindset
LOCATION: MEET AT MNHC TIME: 9:00 a.m. This class will set you up with all you need to enjoy a day of fly fishing on your own. Casting, trouble-shooting, knot tying, and finding fish - no problem! You will come away with the naturalist observation skills and fishing knowledge to provide the fullest experience of the sport. Instructors fly fisherwoman Erin Geiges and Christine Morris from the Montana Natural History Center will keep you moving through the day with hands-on…
Find out more »Evening Program: Naturalist Trivia Night! With the Clark Fork Coaltion
Join us for Naturalist Trivia Night with special guest hosts- the Clark Fork Coalition! You can bring a team or become part of one when you arrive. Naturalist Trivia Nights are a great way to learn about our local natural world. Come to show off your skills or acquire new knowledge about Montana’s Clark Fork Watershed. There are usually 4 rounds of questions, frequently on a common theme. Some rounds are verbal, others visual or even auditory (guess that sound!).…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »Saturday Kids’ Activity: Rockhounding
Learn about our local rocks and find a few treasures to take home! Are you interested in becoming a rockhound? At this drop-in activity you can see neat mineral and crystal samples, learn about our most common local rocks and check out some of the tools every rockhound needs. Either in sand or outside (depending on weather) you will be able to dig for your own rocks to start or add to your collection. Come by anytime between 2:00 and…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »April 2019
Evening Lecture: Deep Wild vs. Modern Tribalism with Jon Turk
Around 70,000 years ago, in the early pre-history of humankind, extreme and prolonged drought in East Africa reduced the population of Homo sapiens to near extinction. Our tool technology was primitive and we were too weak and slow to compete effectively on the harsh, dry savanna. In Deep Wild vs Modern Tribalism, Jon Turk draws from history and his own explorations in remote corners of the globe to understand how our intimate knowledge of the environment, combined with ceremony and mythology, gave us the cutting…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »C & I 555: Mindfulness and Nature Journaling for Teachers
This course is a collaboration between the Montana Natural History Center and East West Mindfulness to explore the connection between present moment awareness and the natural world. The goal is for participants to see how this connection can lead to self regulation and a commitment to stewardship. Gain the confidence through experience to share mindfulness and nature journaling activities with your students. Learn techniques and access resources to establish and sustain your own mindfulness and nature journaling practices! Participants who register for two…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »C & I 555: Mindfulness and Nature Journaling for Teachers
This course is a collaboration between the Montana Natural History Center and East West Mindfulness to explore the connection between present moment awareness and the natural world. The goal is for participants to see how this connection can lead to self regulation and a commitment to stewardship. Gain the confidence through experience to share mindfulness and nature journaling activities with your students. Learn techniques and access resources to establish and sustain your own mindfulness and nature journaling practices! Participants who register for two…
Find out more »Hunting & Gathering Lecture Series: The Entomology of Fly Fishing
Join us for a further exploration of the tradition of hunting and gathering, from food and clothing to the naturalist’s habit of creating collections. Each of our six speakers will share their expertise, from identification and use of the object of the hunt to identifying the landscape or phenology clues that will help hunters and gatherers to find what they’re looking for. Our third speaker is Dr. Diana Six, Professor of Entomology/Pathology at the University of Montana. Her primary research focuses on…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »May 2019
miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »C & I 555: Mindfulness and Nature Journaling for Teachers
This course is a collaboration between the Montana Natural History Center and East West Mindfulness to explore the connection between present moment awareness and the natural world. The goal is for participants to see how this connection can lead to self regulation and a commitment to stewardship. Gain the confidence through experience to share mindfulness and nature journaling activities with your students. Learn techniques and access resources to establish and sustain your own mindfulness and nature journaling practices! Participants who register for two…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »Saturday Kids’ Activity: Insect Investigations
Spring brings insect investigations! Drop-in anytime between 2:00 and 4:00 to learn about insect body plans and lifestyles. Models, puppets and best of all- collecting materials will be available for use. Find out how to identify an insect and where you might find one. Then borrow some bug-catchers and try your luck in our Nature Adventure Garden. Bring what you find back in for an identification before letting it go or use a field guide outside.
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »Naturalist Field Day: Birding by Ear
LOCATION: MEET AT MNHC TIME: 8:00 a.m. Enhance your birding game by learning to bird by ear. Practice this essential skill in a fun and informative class with naturalist and birder Cedar Mathers-Winn. This class will begin with a basic introduction to sound, the ways that birds produce and use sounds, and how these are related. You will learn to use spectrograms as a tool for learning to recognize and differentiate between similar sounds. In addition, you will learn some…
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »Saturday Kids’ Activity: Insect Investigations
Spring brings insect investigations! Drop-in anytime between 2:00 and 4:00 to learn about insect body plans and lifestyles. Models, puppets and best of all- collecting materials will be available for use. Find out how to identify an insect and where you might find one. Then borrow some bug-catchers and try your luck in our Nature Adventure Garden. Bring what you find back in for an identification before letting it go or use a field guide outside.
Find out more »miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
The miniNaturalist Pre-K Program engages young children in the exploration of the natural world through fun, hands-on activities and games. Emphasis is on observation, sensory skills, and imagination to cultivate a positive connection with nature at an age when children are just beginning to investigate the world around them. Each month features a new theme: January: Animals in Winter February: Diggin' Dinos and Fossils March: Wild River Animals April: Spring Birds May: Spring Surprises No programming June-August. September: Forest Friends…
Find out more »June 2019
Naturalist Field Day: Tour the Bison Range with a Naturalist
LOCATION: MEET AT MNHC TIME: 9:00 Get an intimate and personalized tour of the National Bison Range with retired ranger Pat Jamieson. Bring your camera because you are sure to see a variety of charismatic fauna, from bison to antelope to songbirds to raptors! On previous tours the group has spotted black bears and even a badger. You never know who will pop up, and Pat knows the best places to look. Blooming bitterroots line a short walk to a…
Find out more »September 2019
Hunting & Gathering Lecture Series: A Big Year of Birding and Beyond
Join us for a further exploration of the tradition of hunting and gathering, from food and clothing to the naturalist’s habit of creating collections. Each of our six speakers will share their expertise, from identification and use of the object of the hunt to identifying the landscape or phenology clues that will help hunters and gatherers to find what they’re looking for. The speakers for our fourth lecture are birders and authors Sneed B. Collard III and his son, Braden.…
Find out more »October 2019
Hunting & Gathering Lecture Series: Beavers in North America: Trapped, Valued, and Why They Matter
Join us for a further exploration of the tradition of hunting and gathering, from food and clothing to the naturalist’s habit of creating collections. Each of our six speakers will share their expertise, from identification and use of the object of the hunt to identifying the landscape or phenology clues that will help hunters and gatherers to find what they’re looking for. Our fifth speaker is Ben Goldfarb, environmental journalist, editor, and author. Ben has edited and worked for a…
Find out more »November 2019
Hunting & Gathering Lecture Series: Traditional Wilderness Skills: Brain Tan Buckskin
Join us for a further exploration of the tradition of hunting and gathering, from food and clothing to the naturalist’s habit of creating collections. Each of our six speakers will share their expertise, from identification and use of the object of the hunt to identifying the landscape or phenology clues that will help hunters and gatherers to find what they’re looking for. Our final speaker is Joshua Lisbon, Education & Outreach Manager at the MPG Ranch. Joshua has been tanning deer,…
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