January 27, February 3 and 10

3-week class, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Winter Ecology Walks

Lifelong Learning Center, (Missoula)

https://mcps.asapconnected.com/?org=3561

Wintertime in the Montana woods is a quiet and magical place. In this class you will visit three different natural areas in Missoula and stroll one mile with a Master Naturalist to observe birds, mammals, trees and lichens and discuss their adaptations to the cold conditions. Expect to see bald eagles, red squirrels, wolf lichen and the beautiful Bitterroot River, to name just a few. If we’re lucky we may see an owl or porcupine! 

February 8, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Poets in the ‘Root

Hosted by Bitterroot Bird Alliance and Blue Heron Nature Tours

Teller Wildlife Refuge, Corvallis

www.tellerwildlife.org

Back by popular demand and now available each season of the year, Poets in the ‘Root combines poetry with natural history. Participants read a nature poem that they choose ahead of time then they have 5 minutes to talk about a natural element in the poem. For example, someone may choose to read a Mary Oliver poem about Canada geese. They would then share some natural history facts about geese. You can attend just to listen too!

Wine, tea, coffee and a variety of snacks will be available.

April 1, 8, 15, 2025

Registration opens the end of February

Attracting Pollinators To Your Yard

MOLLI (University of Montana Osher Lifelong Learning Institute)

https://www.campusce.net/umtmolli/course/course.aspx?catId=9

Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are in serious decline in Montana and all over the world. Without pollinators, humans and ecosystems would not survive. But there's hope! Providing habitat for pollinators can be successful even on a small urban scale and in this course you will learn how to do that. We will discuss the evolution and anatomy of flowering plants and mechanisms of pollination, specific species of pollinators that live in western Montana and what to provide for them including specific plants and other features to attract them.

April 10th and 12th

Registration begins on Feb. 3

Birdwatching for Beginners

Lifelong Learning Center

https://mcps.asapconnected.com/?org=3561#CourseID=215306

Have you ever wanted to know how to identify birds of western Montana by sight and by song? Learn to identify over 25 species of birds commonly found in our grassland, forest and river habitats. The first class is in the classroom getting down the basics and the second is in the field bird watching.

Saturdays, April 5-May 17, (no class April 12th)

Montana Master Naturalist Course

O’Hara Commons and Sustainability Center

www.theoharacommons.org

Hamilton, MT

Join us for 6 Saturdays in the Bitterroot Valley to engage in experiential, field-based education and get certified as a Montana Master Naturalist. Adults will learn how to identify species, interpret behaviors, and understand ecological relationships. This hands-on education strengthens both a sense of place and the confidence, curiosity, and attention needed to respect and conserve a variety of ecosystems in Montana. 

April 20, 8:00 a.m.-noon

Adopt a Highway Cleanup

Hwy. 93 between Miller Cr. Rd and Hayes Cr. Rd.

Blue Heron Nature Tours has adopted a 2-mile stretch of Highway 93 that has a massive amount of trash. We will meet at the Walmart parking lot (by the Garden Center) at 8:00 a.m. and divide into groups. Please bring your own gloves and trashbags and safety vests will be provided. Snacks provided too!

Please email Elena at info@blueheronnaturetours.com to sign up.

May 14, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Spring Plant Discovery

Montana Folk School

www.montanafolkschool.org

This is the best month of the year to see the native plants of Missoula in their full glory. We will walk 1 mile at a botanical hotspot and admire a huge variety of blooming flowers, shrubs and trees. You will learn a simple way to identify them and how they can be used for food, medicine, cordage and more.

May 29-31

Registration opens the end of March

Wings Over the Big Sky- Montana’s Premier Bird Festival

Missoula hosts this year!

Five Valleys Audubon

fvaububon.org

The 25th Annual Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival is coming to Montana at the Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown. Co-sponsored by Montana Audubon and the Last Chance Audubon Society, the festival welcomes bird lovers, wildlife enthusiasts, and conservationists from across Montana and the region. Many field trips, guided by local experts, are planned for participants to enjoy and learn about the birdlife found in diverse natural habitats in and around Missoula.

*Blue Heron Nature Tours will be leading a field trip to Council Grove State Park on Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

June 15th, 1-3:00 p.m.

Birding Along the Bitterroot River

Montana Folk School

www.montanafolkschool.org

May and June are the best months for birding in Montana because the migratory birds have arrived and are singing their hearts out looking for a mate. From wrens and warblers to waterfowl and raptors, we will see a minimum of 25 species of birds on our stroll along the Bitterroot River in Missoula. Elena will give you tips on how to identify them by looking at their silhouettes, field marks and the sounds that they make so that birding doesn't feel so overwhelming. You will leave this class feeling more in tune visually and aurally with our environment and will hopefully foster a love for bird watching.

July 7-11, 2025

Montana Master Naturalist Course

Glacier National Park

Glacier Institute

www.glacierinstitute.org

The core focus of this fun and intensive 5-day course will be developing skills to read and understand the gorgeous and unique ecology of Glacier National Park.  Learn how to identify trees, wildflowers and lichens, catch butterflies, observe and identify birds, hike through ancient forests and explore geology in the classroom and various outdoor locations all while staying in cabins within the park. All of the meals are provided too!