"While the book begins with a tale of her first darkness experience—synchronous fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park—Henion is quick to point out that one doesn’t need to travel far to discover wonder in the dark..." www.montananaturalist.org/blog-post/bo...

Thank you, public lands! We hope you're out and about celebrating today somewhere on the trail, in the trees, at the shore, watching wildlife, on a scenic fall drive…there are so many ways to enjoy and explore our beautiful public lands! #nationalpubliclandsday

THANK YOU to Emily Brown at KPAX-TV for this feature on our voyage to the varves and Glacial Lake Missoula! And THANK YOU to all who joined us for this field day! "The different outcrops are the books. The varves are the pages." -- Geologist, Jim Sheldon. youtu.be/kpnCzpnKfZg?...

"Smoke and I have done more than 25 events in the past year, each one unique. But last night felt different— ...By the time we began, every one of the 70 seats at the Montana Natural History Center was filled, with more people still on the waitlist...." open.substack.com/pub/evamaggi...

Pics from a few fantastic lectures and conversations hosted at MNHC this month! Thank you to everyone who joined us for Hush of the Land, with Smoke Elser and Eva-Maria Maggi, & Hunting Dinosaurs with Jason Poole! Up next, Saving the Big Sky on Sept 24th: www.montananaturalist.org/event/saving...

Grab a sack lunch and come talk dinosaurs and fossils with Jason every Friday from 1-2PM for BROWN BAG & BONES! Starts September 12th. Learn more: www.montananaturalist.org/exhibits/ #fossils #montanadinosaurs #paleotalks

Tickets on sale now! Join us for a rewarding night at MNHC's Fall Banquet & Auction. Learn more at: www.montananaturalist.org/event/mnhcs-...

MNHC is currently accepting applications for Visiting Naturalist in the Schools Field Instructors! Learn more at: www.montananaturalist.org/employment-o...

Dinosaur alert! New fossils arrived today from Elevation Science Institute’s @elevationscience.bsky.social summer dig in Southern Montana! These jackets include fossils from giants like sauropods, fearsome predators like Allosaurus, and even some mystery #dinosaurs we are still exploring! #fossils

Pics from MNHC's STEEM Wilderness Stewardship week! Campers learn about packing mules, trail and wilderness maintenance, and plenty of time enjoying and exploring some of the best of our backyard and beyond.

Register TODAY for our Fall Master Naturalist Course! This immersive ONLINE certification course helps develop naturalist skills and a deeper understanding of the natural world through a blend of live online classes and in-person field weekend. Learn more: www.montananaturalist.org/event/fall-o...

Blue skies, bugs, Great Blue Herons, curious MNHC campers = one mighty fine Tuesday. #montana #summercamps #montananaturalhistory

We ❤️ connecting with our wild places through nature journaling! Whether in your backyard or backcountry, find some time today in nature with a paper & pen. Take in sights, sounds, & smells -- and try out this simple #writingprompt: Imagine you are a tree. What kinds of things would you think about?

Thank you to the Missoulian for this front page story on the Jocko River Trout Hatchery, and on kids and conservation! We love taking our campers to the hatchery; it's a perfect example of using hands-on experiences to connect with nature. Read the full feature at: missoulian.com/news/local/b...

“Are spiders deadly?” Teaching Naturalist Ryan takes a look at questions from the Wonder Wall! What do you wonder? Come down to the Center and share your questions to our Wonder Wall! #spiders #naturalhistory #wonderwall

Happy Field Notes FRIDAY! Today, Elena Ulev shares her reflections on the breathtaking landscape of the Upper Missouri Breaks, pondering the changes it has undergone. Listen/read full field note here: www.montananaturalist.org/blog-post/th...

Here is a picture of the missing fossil.

Sadly, one of our fossils went missing this afternoon. Please return. No questions asked. This specimen is an important part of our Montana's Ancient Past exhibit and has been enjoyed by, and educating, visitors to our museum for years.

We’ve had a lot of awesome shirts over the years — and this year is no exception! New camp shirts for kids and hats for adults available now at MNHC. Or shop online at: shop.montananaturalist.org

Last CHANCE for MNHC summer camps! Check out our openings for July and August at: www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/ MNHC camps are known for our quality experiences and top-notch naturalist counselors! We hope you can join us!

Welcome back to T-Rex Talks with Sue! Have you ever wondered why people call me Sue? #trextalks trextalkswithsue #dinosaurs

Join us for STEEM camp -- our next session is July 21-25. This year, MNHC is partnering with the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation’s Youth Wilderness Program. Learn more at: www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/

MNHC Teaching Naturalist, Kevin, talks about the #BaldEagle, a symbol the USA has celebrated for centuries. But did you we almost lost this incredible species? Learn more about its successful #conservation story; just one of the many things that makes this beautiful bird one of our favorites! 🦅

Nature Writing Retreat and Workshop in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains! Learn more and register today! Don't wait - registration closes next week: www.montananaturalist.org/event/bearto...

MNHC’s award-winning Wings Over Water Program (WOW) starts next week and we’re so excited! WOW runs in partnership with the UM's Montana Osprey Project. In this video Erick Greene gives an introduction into why Osprey and Montana are at the center of this STEM program.

On this Collections Conversation, Alyssa shares details about one of our museum’s fan-favorites! Learn more about how this special mountain lion display came together with students at Alberton School. A special thank you to volunteer Larry DePute and UM who worked with the students on this project!

Meet Hope - MNHC's Museum Youth Programs Coordinator! You can learn more about Hope and the entire MNHC crew at: www.montananaturalist.org/about-us/

We'd like to meet this bird 😍🪶 A planet protecting bird, designed by one of our museum's young visitors.

Join us for STEEM CAMP this summer! Learn more at: www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/

Tomorrow - June 18th - at MNHC! Hope to see you there!

Happy Pride, Missoula!

TUNE IN today's Pea Green boat with Vicki Chaney on @mtpublicradio.bsky.social at 4:00PM to hear MNHC Teaching Naturalist, Kevin Neihaus, talk Montana's wildlife wonders! Delight and discovery for the young and the young at heart! www.mtpr.org/show/pea-gre...

Happy Friday the 13th from illustrator and naturalist, @rosemarymosco.com and the Northern Shrike! rosemarymosco.com/comics/bird-...

Book review of Grizzly Confidential by Mary Ann Reuter - "I felt as though I was riding in the jeep beside him as my own mindset about bears shifted from fear to empathy..." Full review: www.montananaturalist.org/blog-post/bo...

Learning and exploring never stops at MNHC! Enjoy a few pics from goings-on this spring at the Montana Natural History Center! For more information on MNHC programs, courses, and events, check out: www.montananaturalist.org

Thanks to KPAX this feature on our Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden! www.kpax.com/neighborhood... “We’re growing only native Montana plants. These are plants that are adapted to our ecosystem. They've been growing here for thousands of years..."

Master Naturalists in the field with MNHC educator, Christine, working on plant identification – and soaking in the wonderful spring sunshine! ☀️🌱

We're wrapping up VNS (Visiting Naturalist in the Schools) field trip season! This culminating event is a celebration of all of the naturalist skills and knowledge that our students learned throughout the school year. THANK YOU to everyone that supported the program this year! <3

On today’s Collections Conversations Alyssa shares a little about what’s going on inside taxidermy! #collectionsconverstaions #taxidermy

Join MNHC & Chandra Brown, founder of Freeflow Institute for unique writing workshop and evening steeped in the elements of the Summer Solstice: movement, emergence, and energy. Learn more and register at: www.montananaturalist.org/event/spring... #writingworkshop #naturewriting #summersolstice

Thank you to the talented Nancy Seiler for sharing the stages of her gorgeous 2025 phenology wheel! Are you interested in creating one of your own? Drop-by the MNHC tomorrow for our Drop-in Nature Journaling from 11:30AM-1:00PM. Free with admission or membership! #phenologywheel #naturejournaling

It's not too late to register for MNHC summer camps! Learn more at: www.montananaturalist.org/summer-camps/ and we hope to see you this summer! #summercamps #naturecamps #naturelearning

Sue is back with another T-Rex Talk! Today, Sue answers a Wonder Wall question — “what did dinosaurs eat?” #trextalkswithsue #dinosaurs

Looking for a great Mother’s Day gift? Look no further! Come and get your Maiasaura: Good Mother Dinosaur shirt at MNHC or order online from our gift shop! They look good on everyone! shop.montananaturalist.org

WOW! We're at 85% of our goal for #MissoulaGives! THANK YOU! But we still need your help - your donation could be the one that helps us cross the finish line! Please give today and double your impact with a match from a generous donor. Gift now: www.missoulagives.org/organization...

This #MissoulaGives we are asking our supporters to help the Montana Natural History Center raise $10,000 to support the dedicated and talented educators at MNHC who, each year, connect thousands of people in our community with nature! Learn more at: www.missoulagives.org/organization...

WHOOOOO's that? Our VNS instructors are out and about getting ready for spring field trips, and they caught a glimpse this curious cutie. Fun facts: Great Horned Owls typically have clutch sizes of 1-4 eggs, incubate for just over a month, and remain nestlings for about 42 days! #owls #nestlings

Thnx to the Missoulian for this feature on Kallie Moore's keynote frm the NAI workshop! "But for Moore the value of the coal deposit goes well beyond the local historical significance. It’s also the #Missoula valley’s only known #paleontological archive..." missoulian.com/outdoors/art...

Our Visiting Naturalist in the Schools (VNS) program is talking birds and beaks this month! Check it out!

Happy Earth Day MNHC community! Sharing the 2025 poster from EarthDay.org by artist Alexis Rockman to mark Earth Day's 55th anniversary. It captures a solar panel rising above a celebratory crowd of people, combining "the beauty of nature with the promise of a cleaner, greener future for all."