Connecting community and nature through education
Connecting community and nature through education
By Virginia Vickers Braun “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day,” said Winnie the Pooh in the 2018 movie Christopher Robbin. “Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.” I’ve been doing nothing for almost a year now and actually enjoying it. I’m happily holed up with …
By Tashayne Lum As strange as it may be to say this: 2020 was one of the best years of our lives due to COVID while living in Montana. Living in Montana has been more than a blessing. Before we were all quarantined back in March, I worked non-stop heavy hours and spent very little …
By Sherry Ritter I love winter but sometimes its short days and overcast skies depress me. On days with fresh snow, I’m lured outside by the chance to track wildlife. My mind always quiets as I focus downward to look for tracks and interpret their stories. I’m fortunate to live close to so many trails …
By Shandi Bradley The pandemic of 2020 helped me to see the true value of one of Montana’s finest treasures, the great outdoors. My husband and I run a cow/calf operation on his family’s ranch north of Cut Bank, MT. We spend many hours outdoors, whether it be working cattle, cutting hay or fencing. I …
By Marla Ann Duenwald Landt My knees are at a crisp angle and my feet rest on the bench of the picnic table above Belt Creek as I sip my tea. Breakfast cooked over a camp stove is just the start I need. Graying initials carved in the wood tell of others who shared this …
By Laura Marsh As my Subaru Outback bumps and jolts over the washboards and potholes and rocks in the winding dirt road to Kading Campground, my mind also bumps and jolts from one old memory to the next. We must have made this drive hundreds of times growing up, in our old red tank of …
By Westin Lutey The pickup rolls to a stop in the Montana mountain parking lot. I get out and stretch my legs. It’s early and the sun is still peaking over the rim of the mountains. As I walk down the trail, a grouse takes off and makes a ppplllfffllllfff sound right in front of …
By Kristina Smith I have always been in love with being outdoors since the earliest memories I can recall. With that said, I think my take on the pandemic will be different than most. I imagine those who have routinely enjoyed indoor activities such as swimming at the pool, working out at the gym, even …
By Lucas Haddick My name is Lucas Haddick, and I am 7 years old. I look forward to camping every year, especially in West Yellowstone and Glacier. Hebgen lake was a short drive from where we were staying. I collected shotgun shells on the beach and there were a lot of them. We went there …
By Katie Kotynski While we snowshoed and played games, the governor closed schools and casinos while prohibiting visitation at prisons and senior-care facilities. Missoula, Billings, Butte and Helena shuttered bars and restaurants, except take out. We learned the term “social distancing.” And so it went. Tucked away at Tripper’s cabin, eight gals from the Girls …