September 5th and 7th

Birdwatching for Beginners

Lifelong Learning Center

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

**This class will also be offered twice in the spring of 2025

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.

September 8th

Wild Medicine and Fall Foraging

Montana Folk School

www.montanafolkschool.org

As summer winds down, the forest provides a variety of edible and medicinal plants ready for animals and humans to utilize. In this field class, we will saunter around the floodplain below Macauley Butte and you will learn easy ways to identify more than 25 species of flowers, shrubs, trees and lichens and which ones can be used for food and medicine. Elena will bring  sun tea made from forest herbs that will be shared at the end of the class. 

October 1, 8, 15 and 22

Fall Ecology Walks

Missoula Lifelong Learning Center

https://mcps.asapconnected.com/?org=3561#CourseID=301817

In this 4-week course you will learn about the natural history of Montana by exploring 4 different natural areas in Missoula with a Montana Master Naturalist and Certified Interpretive Guide. We will stroll 1-2 miles and observe birds, mammals, mushrooms, plants and lichens and talk about how they fit into our diverse landscape. Expect to see birds devouring chokecherries and serviceberries, golden aspens, red squirrels, horsehair lichen and the beautiful Bitterroot River, to name just a few. If we’re lucky we may see wood ducks or a moose too! 

The class meets at a different natural area in Missoula each week. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

Tuesdays, 4:00-6:00 p.m. at various locations (Kelly Island, Maclay Flat, Council Grove, Blue Mountain)

October 26th

Poets in the ‘Root

Hosted by Bitterroot Bird Alliance and Blue Heron Nature Tours

Explore the Arts, 701 Main St., Hamilton

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

October 30th and November 2nd

Waterfowl Identification 101

Lifelong Learning Center

Registration will be available around October 1st

Have you ever visited Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Stevensville to birdwatch? Every fall and spring  thousands of waterfowl including ducks, grebes, swans, coots and white pelicans pass through for migration, resting on several large ponds.  In this 2-part class we will start with a classroom session to learn how to identify approximately 30 species of waterfowl by examining their shape, color and behavior. Then we will visit the refuge to practice our skills. 

December 14

Make a Bird Seed Wreath

Montana Natural History Center

www.montananaturalist.org

Do you enjoy watching birds such as black-capped chickadees and downy woodpeckers visit your yard? In this class we will discuss what bird species you will expect to see in your yard during the winter then we will make a beautiful bird seed wreath to hang outside or give away for a lovely holiday gift. All of the materials will be provided for this class.

January-February 2025

Specific dates TBA (6 week class)

Introduction to Winter Bird Watching

MOLLI (University of Montana Osher Lifelong Learning Center)

Many birds migrate south for the winter, but many interesting ones remain in Montana, making it an enjoyable time of year to birdwatch. Some species that we may see include Clark's nutcrackers, red crossbills, rough-legged hawks and owls. This course will be a combination of interactive classroom presentations to learn the basics of birding by sight and by sound followed by time in the field. You will leave this course with a greater understanding of how to watch and listen for birds and how to entice them to your yard.

March 2025

Specific dates TBA (3 week class)

Attracting Pollinators To Your Yard

MOLLI (University of Montana Osher Lifelong Learning Center)

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.

May/June 2025

Exact Dates TBD

Montana Master Naturalist Course

O’Hara Commons and Sustainability Center

Hamilton, MT

The Montana Master Naturalist Program’s mission is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities. In this 40-hour course, we will spend time in the classroom and outdoors in the Bitterroot Valley learning how to identify plants and animals including wildflowers, birds, butterflies, lichens, trees and much more. You will also learn how to creatively record your nature observations in a journal.

July 2025

Exact Dates TBD

Montana Master Naturalist Course

Glacier National Park

Glacier Field Institute

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 locations all while staying in cabins within the park.