Montana Natural History Center

09/02/2026

That’s a wrap on summer camps! THANK YOU campers and counselors for filling this summer with such wonderful memories, new discoveries, and Montana adventures!

09/01/2026

Missoula's Community Media Resource captured our Bloom with Robin Wall Kimmerer on August 2nd. What a joyful day! THANK YOU to Robin, Plant Baby Plant, IndigiPalooza MT, Tim Ryan, and the incredible community that showed up to Raise a Garden and Raise a Ruckus! 💚🌿

Montana Natural History Center and best selling author Robin Wall K...

08/31/2026

Hello September! Our fall schedule means miniNaturalists are back, along with Drop-In Nature Journaling! Kick off this September with a bug hunting program at the Fort Missoula Native Plant garden, or join us for an art class or lively discussion with the editors of Wild Work: Adventures of Women Field Biologists! There’s a little something for everyone this month at MNHC!

Friday, September 4th, 5-7PM
Adult Bug Hunting & Happy Hour
with Ryan Mahar
Cost: $15 MNHC members/$20 non-members

Wednesday, September 9th, 7-9PM
Botanical Imprints: Create Clay Vessels
with artist Donna Flanery
Cost: $40 MNHC members/$45 non-members

Monday, September 14th, 6-8PM
Nature Writing “Hush Hour(s)”
Every second Monday of the month
Cost: FREE, but please register

Tuesday, September 15th, 9-11AM
Birding Extravaganza at the Fort Garden and River
with Master Naturalist Elena Ulev
Cost: $20 MNHC member/$25 non-members
(1 child free with ticketed adult)

Tuesday, September 15th, 6-7:30PM
Wild Work: Adventures of Women Field Biologists
with Sophie Osborn, Susie Adams, and Lindsay Carlson
Cost: FREE, but please register

Wednesday, September 30th, 11AM-1:30PM
Drop-In Nature Journaling
Every last Wednesday of the month
Cost: Free with admission/membership

We also have our weekly and monthly free programs including the Scavengers Photography Club, our Virtual Book Club, Master Naturalist Club, volunteering at the Native Plant Garden at Fort Missoula and MORE!

The museum is open for visitors all from 10AM-4PM Tuesdays-Saturdays!

For details and registration see our website — or link below.

08/28/2026

Happy Field Notes Friday!
Today, Marian McKenna shares “Lunch with a Dragonfly”

Marian writes:
"It is not every day that you share a lunch moment with a beautiful insect. It was an unseasonably warm spring day in western Montana. I was between the horse barn and the chicken coop on a bright morning in the Blackfoot Valley. I was sweating, which I think was the primary attraction for the dragonfly who landed on my wrist.

"I froze in place, wanting to get a good look at this iridescent winged marvel. She had a live fly in her grasp and proceeded to devour the hapless creature from her perch on my wrist. I could feel her six legs balancing her perch and prey. It was fascinating as well as horrifying. The dragonfly was a winged terminator—ferocious and efficient. That fly went down her gullet to the very last leg. Meal finished, my voracious visitor took a bit more salt from my wrist and sped off to hunt again. A sheer delight that lasted but seconds.

"This moment with the dragonfly piqued my curiosity. Do they actually have gullets? Do they come in male and female? When I was first learning the names of these delightful insects, I was sure that all dragonflies were males and damselflies were females. Time to find answers."

CONTINUED…

Listen and learn more in Marian's full Field Note (see LINK in comments).

Every week since 1991, Field Notes has inquired about Montana’s natural history. Field Notes are written by naturalists, students, and listeners about the puzzle-tree bark, eagle talons, woolly aphids, and giant puffballs of Western, Central and Southwestern Montana and aired on Montana Public Radio.

Our next online Field Notes Writing Workshop begins November 3rd. See our website for more details.

08/28/2026

🤩 One of our fantastic volunteers Rhonda Callison seen here recording a radio ad for MNHC’s Fall Banquet & Auction! A big thanks to Missoula Broadcasting Company and Trail 103.3 for making our afternoon extra fun!

Do you have your tickets yet? Don’t wait - space is limited! Early bird tickets on sale now! Join us October 16th from 5-9PM at the University Center Ballroom for a rewarding night of fun, food, friends, amazing auction items, and a few surprises! We hope you can make it and GET WILD for nature education in western Montana!

See website or link in bio for more information and tickets.

Extra shoutout to Hana for supporting MNHC and our mission to connect people with nature!

08/28/2026

WELCOME BACK STUDENTS! School is back in session for so many students in our region. To celebrate, here are a few ways MNHC engages with students in our community:

1. miniNaturalists! Our weekly pre-K miniNaturalist program encourages curiosity for the natural world through exploration and play.
2. Visiting Naturalist in the Schools Program. Our VNS program brings year-round nature education into 4th and 5th grade classrooms throughout western Montana.
3. Pea Green Boat on Montana Public Radio! Fridays you can hear MNHC Teaching Naturalist Kevin talk all-things Montana’s wild wonders with host Vicki Chaney.
4. Mentoring high schoolers through the Advanced Problems in Science (APS). This year includes a research project on birds, and Field Notes writing mentorship.
5. Plus, we’re working with a high school teacher to assist in a Master Naturalist program for her AP bio students.
6. College Internships! We offer internship opportunities from everything from social media and collections management, to garden support at our native plant gardens and oh so much more.

HERE’S TO NATURE EDUCATION and to students and educators everywhere!

Wishing all students, educators, parents, guardians, and all the incredible people who are part of the village that helps bring learning to our kids, keeps them safe, supported, curious, and courageous, an absolutely wonderful year!

08/26/2026

TONIGHT!

Join MNHC, Hellgate Hunters and Anglers and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks for an update about our area’s elk populations. Learn about local elk trends straight from the Montana FWP biologists. This is a great time to get your questions answered before hunting season.

Light refreshments provided.

Date: Wednesday, August 26th
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: Free, and open to the public. No registration required.

08/24/2026

With September around the corner, we're so excited to welcome minis back!!

Our miniNaturalist program encourages curiosity for the natural world through exploration and play. We sing songs, read books, play games, and develop skills with art and science tools. Each program begins with songs, movement, and stories. We then provide materials for learner directed discovery in our garden. We look for bugs and birds, color on rocks, build with branches, experiment with science tools and play with a variety of art materials.

Please bring clothes for outdoor play! We have some snow clothes to borrow.

Best for ages 2-4, though any age is welcome!

Our miniNaturalist Pre-K Program Dates: Every Tuesday, September – May
Time: 10:00-11:00 am
Location: Montana Natural History Center, 120 Hickory Street.
No registration required.

08/20/2026

Who's this? HINT: Late summer is a great time for finding these creatures on your porch or in your bushes....

08/18/2026

You're Invited to GET WILD at MNHC's annual Fall Banquet & Auction!

Friday, October 16, 2026
University Center Ballroom, U of M Campus
5:00-9:00 p.m.

Join the Montana Natural History Center for an evening of food, drinks, music, and fun to support and celebrate MNHC's 35 years of building community through nature education!

Your attendance and generosity matter, and help sustain MNHC's mission of connecting people with nature for years to come.

This year's auction is brimming with fantastic items and experiences that inspire art, curiosity, and adventure in our beautiful Montana and beyond! Plus, it's one great party. TICKETS ON SALE NOW (linked below).