Montana Natural History Center Events

Tuesday March 24 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Montana Natural History Center

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program

The miniNaturalist pre-K program encourages curiosity for the natural world.Dates: Every Tuesday, September – MayTime: 10:00-11:00 amLocation: Montana Natural History Center, 120 Hickory Street. The miniNaturalist program encourages curiosity for the natural world throu......More

Montana Natural History Center

Tuesday March 24 10:00am - 11:30am MDT

Virtual Zoom Classroom

Online Field Notes Writing Workshop, 6-Part Class - Spring 2026

Location: Virtual Classroom on ZoomDates: Tuesdays, March 24, 31, and April 7, 14, 21, & 28Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m. Explore various forms of nature writing, then research and write your own Field Note during this online, workshop-based six-part class! Instructors:Allison De Jong, writer, naturalist, and editor of Montana Naturalist magazine and Field Notes on Montana Public RadioDrew Lefebvre, naturalist, writer, and owner of Turnstone Nature Education REGISTER HEREIn this six-part class, you’ll work with Field Notes editor Allison De Jong, naturalist Drew Lefebvre, and your fellow participants to research, write, and workshop your very own Field Note. We’ll read and discuss a variety of nature writing brainstorm ideas practice writing prompts discuss tone, style, and research methods and provide feedback for each other’s Field Notes. And you’ll have the opportunity to record your Field Note with Montana Public Radio sometime later this year, if interested. Many of the Field Notes aired since 2021 were written in previous workshops! (You can read and listen to them here.) This class will be a delightful combination of natural history and creativity. You’ll get to explore a natural history topic of your choice, practice different writing techniques, get and give feedback on your and others’ writing in a small, supportive workshop setting, and finish the class with a lovely natural history essay that’s ready to be shared with the Montana Public Radio listening area (if you wish!). Cost: $235 MNHC members, $255 non-members. You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out. Optional class material: While all of the Field Notes we read in class are available online, you may want to purchase our Field Notes from the Montana Natural History Center book, a collection of 134 Field Notes as well as original artwork from dozens of naturalists from the program’s first 25 years. We promise it makes for excellent reading! You can purchase the book online here, or purchase in person at MNHC. REGISTER FOR THE FIELD NOTES WORKSHOP HERE. What participants are saying about this workshop: “The course was very engaging. The encouragement, group support, community formed, and great instruction was profoundly rewarding. The reading and writing prompts were inspiring. There was a great integration of emotion, creativity, naturalist’s knowledge, scientific knowledge and shared experiences.”~Cynthia Swidler, Spring 2020 “I loved this class. Learning to write field notes was way different than what I expected. Allison and Drew both really brought to life the importance of sharing personal experience and scientific information in story form. I learned so much about the writing process, how to refine pieces for reading aloud, and how to give a voice to the voiceless. I have much more confidence about writing field notes now, and many ideas!!”~Marnie Craig, Spring 2020 “A complete and successful experience! Involving, stimulating. Great to experience the writing and expression abilities of the other writers. I was often amazed how the leaders and the other writers could analyze, dissect, and interpret our reading assignments and any topic of discussion. I loved the class. A learning and writing experience for sure, thank you!”~Terry Habeger, Spring 2020 “Thank you, thank you, thank you. This class was extremely grounding in a period of big transition in my life, and it really bolstered my self-confidence to sit with a group of strangers every week and feel seen and heard. Knowing that I have the capacity to sit down and write words that make people feel excited to go outside is an incredible gift, and I am very grateful for this class for it.”~Zola Kell, Fall 2021 “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the classroom community. Would recommend taking this class for anyone interested in creative science/nature writing, either for fun or as a career.”~Kayla Heinze, Spring 2023 “It was all so rewarding! I loved crafting a piece that felt digestible to get me back into a writing routine. I loved our 10-minute writes. The [workshopping] session was really helpful as well as the detailed suggestions and feedback from both Allison and Drew. I loved the poetry and writing pieces we read and discussed in class. It was a great class!”~Victoria Yee, Fall 2024 FAQsWhat’s the refund policy?The course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. See our full refund/cancellation policy here.

Virtual Zoom Classroom

Wednesday March 25 11:30am - 1:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Drop-In Nature Journaling

Date: Last Wednesday of the MonthTime: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Location: Montana Natural History CenterCost: Free with admission/membership! Fellow naturalists! Are you looking for community, accountability, inspiration, and more in the new year? We’re excited to offer mo......More

Montana Natural History Center

Thursday March 26 7:00pm - 9:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Naturalist Trivia Night with co-host Montana Native Plant Society!

Date: Thursday, March 26Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Location: Montana Natural History CenterCost: Free and open to the public, but please register Show off your skills or come to learn something new—trivia nights are fun for any background level. Join a team when you arrive o......More

Montana Natural History Center

Friday March 27 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Brown Bag & Bones with Paleontologist Jason Poole

Bring your lunch and curiosity and see what Jason’s uncovering as he preps the fossils unearthed last summer! Location: MNHC’s Naturalist Classroom / Fossil Prep LabDate: FridaysTime: 1:00-2:00 p.m.Cost: FREE with admission/membership. In partnership with Elevation Scie......More

Montana Natural History Center

Saturday March 28 7:00am - 6:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Naturalist Field Day: Snow Geese Migration at Freezout Lake

Date: Saturday, March 28Time: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.Location: Meet at the Montana Natural History Center, where we will get on the bus to drive to Freezout Lake.Cost: $100 MNHC members/$110 non-members REGISTER HERERegistration closes March 14. Birds by the hundreds of thousands and humans by the handful congregate at Freezout Lake to celebrate early spring. It’s a wildlife viewing spectacle that for a few days rivals any natural wonder in the world. Tundra swans, snow geese, and 200 other migrating species start in mid-March as they head to northern destinations for feeding and breeding. The snow geese usually reach Freezout in late March, where they rest up from a nearly 1,000-mile flight from California. Spend an inspiring day watching thousands of migrating snow geese, and other birds, at Freezout Lake. Your leaders and drivers will be MNHC teaching naturalist Ryan Mahar, naturalist Kelly Dix, and potentially guides from Freezout FWP depending on their availability. Cost: $100 MNHC members, $110 non-members. You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out.Details: Activity Level: some walking on uneven ground (less than 1 mile), off and on the bus, limited bathrooms, lunch on the bus, potentially cold and windy weather, long time sitting on the bus (6-7 hours) Bus leaves from the MNHC parking lot at 7:00 a.m. (120 Hickory St. near McCormick Park) and will return about 6:00 p.m.Mid-morning we’ll arrive at Freezout Lake for an orientation and spend time observing and learning about as many migrating birds as we can!Participants should bring lunch they can eat on the bus, binoculars, and spotting scopes if they have them, plenty of warm clothes/layers, nature journaling supplies, and camera.MNHC will provide additional binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes.FAQ What’s the refund policy? The course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. See our full refund/cancellation policy here. Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? Nope! We will have a list of all the attendees.

Montana Natural History Center

Saturday March 28 11:00am - 1:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Saturday Kids' Activity: Beavers

Date: Saturday, March 28Time: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.Location: Montana Natural History CenterCost: Free with membership/cost of admission Join us for exciting and educational Saturdays filled with delightful activities designed to captivate young minds and inspire a love f......More

Montana Natural History Center

Tuesday March 31 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Montana Natural History Center

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program

Montana Natural History Center

Tuesday March 31 7:00pm - 9:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Sip & Felt with Claudia Paillao

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.Location: MNHCCost: $45 MNHC members/$50 non-members.Add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out! REGISTER HEREOne of our most popular artists is back with a spring Sip & Felt class! Spend an evening with Claudia Paillao of Patagonian Hands and craft a small, beautiful Montana bird from wool – a perfect decoration for your home or a unique gift for someone you love. Claudia will instruct you on how to use a special barbed needle and local wool in the needle felting process. Needle felting is the process of using a barbed needle to activate the fibers in the wool, causing them to compress as you rapidly poke the wool. First you’ll create the shape of the bird, then finish your piece by layering on colored wool. Claudia will show you how to add just the right details to make your wool creation look like the real thing! Join us for an evening of creating, relaxing, and enjoying a beverage (or two). No experience is necessary! Note: The bird pictured is an example. The actual species is TBA. Included: Barbed needle you get to keep for future projectsWoolHandmade creation you bring homeBeverages – wine, beer, cocoa, tea, or fizzy waterInstructor: Claudia Paillao is the owner of Patagonian Hands. She is from Coyhaique, Patagonia, Chile, and has been living in Missoula, Montana, with her husband Karl since July 2012. She used to be a school teacher in Chile and has become a self-taught fiber artist and jewelry artisan since she moved to the northern hemisphere. Claudia creates animals, mostly birds, using only sheep wool that she gets in Hall, MT, and some from her family in Chile. She doesn’t use any glues or stitches to keep sculptures together, but the compression she gets through barbed needles that push the fibers every time she pokes the wool. This process is known as needle felting. FAQsWhat’s the refund policy? The course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. See our full refund/cancellation policy here. Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? Nope! We will have a list of all the attendees.

Montana Natural History Center

Friday April 3 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Brown Bag & Bones with Paleontologist Jason Poole

Montana Natural History Center

Tuesday April 7 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Montana Natural History Center

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program

Montana Natural History Center

Wednesday April 8 2:00pm - 4:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Master Naturalist Club

Date: Monthly, on the second Wednesday of the monthTime: 2:00-4:00 p.m.Location: Various – contact club host Share outdoor explorations and learning experiences with other curious naturalists at our monthly Master Naturalist Club! We will connect with experts and hone o......More

Montana Natural History Center

Wednesday April 8 6:00pm - 8:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

State of the Bear + Turkey Talk!

Date: Wednesday, April 8thTime: 6:00-8:00 p.m.Location: Montana Natural History CenterCost: Free, and open to the public Join Hellgate Hunters and Anglers (HHA), and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Region 2 Wildlife Manager Liz Bradley for an update about our area’......More

Montana Natural History Center

Friday April 10 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Brown Bag & Bones with Paleontologist Jason Poole

Montana Natural History Center

Saturday April 11 11:00am - 1:00pm MDT

Montana Natural History Center

Saturday Kids' Activity: Ospreys!

Date: Saturday, April 11Time: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.Location: Montana Natural History CenterCost: Free with membership/cost of admission Join us for exciting and educational Saturdays filled with delightful activities designed to captivate young minds and inspire a love f......More

Montana Natural History Center

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miniNaturalist Pre-K Program

Online Field Notes Writing Workshop, 6-Part Class - Spring 2026

Drop-In Nature Journaling

Naturalist Trivia Night with co-host Montana Native Plant Society!

Brown Bag & Bones with Paleontologist Jason Poole

Naturalist Field Day: Snow Geese Migration at Freezout Lake

Saturday Kids' Activity: Beavers

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program

Sip & Felt with Claudia Paillao

Brown Bag & Bones with Paleontologist Jason Poole

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program

Master Naturalist Club

State of the Bear + Turkey Talk!

Brown Bag & Bones with Paleontologist Jason Poole

Saturday Kids' Activity: Ospreys!

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