Montana Outdoor Science School

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United States
Bozeman, MT
Montana Outdoor Science School

Our mission is to promote an awareness, understanding and appreciation of the natural world through

Providing quality, place-based, hands-on outdoor science experiences for children in K-8. Serving especially rural and underserved communities throughout southwestern Montana.

06/06/2024

⭐️ Instructor spotlight - meet Anna Thomas!

🌳 Anna grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and spent much of her childhood outside exploring the native glades, forests, wetlands, and prairies. She has fond memories of attending summer camps as a child, which nurtured her curiosity about the natural world. As an undergraduate intern at Washington University’s Tyson Research Center in Missouri, she conducted field research on the effects of habitat fragmentation on pollinator diversity in Missouri prairie ecosystems. This opportunity led Anna to pursue a career educating the public about environmental science through hands-on, outdoor experiences.

✏️ Anna received her B.S. degree in Environmental Science from Murray State University in Kentucky. Throughout college, Anna worked at multiple summer camps teaching animal education, archery, boating, and other outdoor programs. Her passion for nature motivates her to help people discover their own connection to the environment. She is energized by seeing kids learn something for the first time and widen their worldview. Working as a substitute teacher has given Anna the ability to adapt her teaching style to match the needs of individual students.

🎾 Anna is so excited to join the MOSS team this summer to teach kids about their natural surroundings. Outside of work, she enjoys playing tennis, hiking, cooking vegetarian meals, and spending time with her two cats, Ladybird and Cosmo.

05/31/2024

🐏 Bighorn Sheep Lambs!

Bighorn sheep lambs are born precocial, which means they are relatively mature after birth, even though they only weigh between five and 10 pounds! The lambs can walk within a few hours of birth which helps them keep up with their herd.

Bighorn lambs are both adorable and talented climbers! Their nimble hooves provide excellent traction on rocky surfaces, allowing them to follow their mothers up and down cliffs and rugged slopes.

Bighorn sheep lambs are highly social animals and spend a lot of time interacting with other lambs in the herd. They engage in playful behaviors such as chasing, head-butting, and jumping, which helps them develop social bonds and coordination skills.

Let us know if you spot any bighorn sheep on the trails this summer!

05/30/2024

⭐️ Instructor spotlight - meet Annika Odt!

🐶 Hello! My name is Annika Odt. I am so excited to be teaching at MOSS again this summer! I was born and raised in Montana, and have a love for all things outdoors. I enjoy hiking with my pup, skiing, and making earrings in my free time! Currently, I am in school at Montana State University for Elementary Education. This summer will be my third year as an instructor at MOSS! In addition, I have been working at a local Elementary school here in Bozeman for the past four years! I look forward to meeting you all and having another wonderful summer!

05/24/2024

🐺 Welcome wolf pups!

A litter of wolf pups can range from one to a dozen, with the average litter consisting of 4-6 pups. They are born in underground dens. Dens are either dug by parents, or adapted from natural features like logs and rocks. Wolf litters remain in their dens for the first several weeks of their life.

👀 👂 Did you know wolves are born deaf and blind? They open their eyes for the first time between 10-14 days into their lives, and their ears start to work a few days after that.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Wolf pups are cared for by their parents, as well as by other members of the pack! Older wolves help feed, protect, and educate the pups, teaching them essential survival skills such as hunting and social behaviors.

As of January of this year, there are at least 124 wolves in 10 packs living in Yellowstone National Park! Taking a trip to the Lamar Valley? Send us a note if you are lucky enough to spot any wolves while you are visiting!

05/23/2024

⭐️ Instructor spotlight - meet Lucy O'Hagan!

⛺️ Lucy grew up in small-town Iowa, and spent summers road-tripping and camping with her family where she cultivated a love for the mountains and all things outside! She moved to Bozeman to follow that love for exploration, playing, and learning in the outdoors, and wanted to pursue her passion of helping students do the same.

😺 Lucy earned a bachelor's degree in English Education and Global Health from Montana State University. She has taught as a classroom English teacher, been an instructor for the ski education programs at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, and has instructed at a Farm School program at Gallatin Valley Botanical. She is also involved in the adaptive recreation programs at Eagle Mount.

🚲 Lucy is beyond thrilled to be joining the MOSS team again this summer, and is excited to help kiddos at MOSS cultivate a sense of wonder and curiosity for the outdoors through place-based and experiential education. When not working, Lucy can be found biking and backpacking with friends and family, playing cribbage, and baking pies!

05/17/2024

🦌 Pronghorn fawns are born in May and June and are often born in sets of twins!

🏃‍♂️These cute creatures are natural sprinters. Did you know pronghorn fawns can walk within 30 minutes of being born? They can also outrun a human within a few days of being born!

Pronghorn fawns have a distinctive coat with a reddish-brown color and white patches on their face and neck. This coloration provides camouflage in their grassland habitat, helping them evade predators.

Let us know if you spot any pronghorn fawns on your weekend adventures!

05/16/2024

⭐️ Instructor Spotlight - Welcome Maya Leib-Perry!

🌵 Born in Northern Arizona, Maya became very familiar with the mesas, sagebrush and layers of rock formations that define the Southwest.

⛰️ From there, Maya spent a few years in Oregon for college, studying Biology in the old growth forests and rocky coastlines. But it was too far from the mountains for her, so she moved back to the Southwest and lived in Colorado for three years.

✏️ While there she taught environmental education about the surrounding San Juan mountains for elementary, middle and high school students. In between teaching were adventures hiking, biking, skiing and camping. Maya recently moved to Bozeman in September and is looking forward to all the adventures she will have while working with kids in the outdoors and exploring a brand new home!

We are excited to have you at MOSS, Maya!

05/10/2024

👶 May is baby month! Lot's of animals in and around the Gallatin Valley are born in the spring so it is a great time to see lots of cute critters out and about!

Starting off strong with bison calves. These furry friends have a rusty read coat that will darken to brown as they get older. Baby bison weigh between 30-60 pounds when they are born. They've got a lot of growing to do, as adult bison weigh between 1000-2000 pounds! Luckily for them, baby bison grow 1-2 pounds per day for the first several months of their lives.

Bison calves are naturally curious and playful. They often engage in mock fights with each other, playfully head-butting and chasing one another around. These playful activities help them develop the strength and coordination they need to keep up with the herd.

📸 Taking a trip to Yellowstone this month? Tag us in your bison photos, and make sure to stay at least 25 yards from bison in the park (especially if they are with their babies!)

05/09/2024

Claire grew up in the piedmont region of north Georgia. Surrounded by lush forests, rolling hills and lots of rivers and streams, she discovered her love of nature at a young age looking for salamanders, turtles, and frogs in nearby creeks. Claire earned her bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina in Geography. While in school, Claire was involved with the Carolina Mountaineering and Whitewater Rafting Club, where she was the Educational Officer leading multiple backpacking trips and outdoor education workshops for fellow students.

Growing up Claire spent a lot of time hiking and backpacking through the mountains of Western North Carolina, and after graduating college she spent several months living on a start up farm in that region. On the farm, Claire developed a passion for permaculture and wild foraging. Claire has also spent time working as an educator with the Dunwoody Nature Center in Georgia, it was here that she also furthered her education by receiving her Master Naturalist Certification.

Claire came to Montana in December of 2023 to work as a children's ski instructor with Big Sky Resort, where she has now spent two winters. She is excited to spend her first summer in Montana and can be found exploring new hiking trails with iNaturalist on the ready to identify everything she finds along the way!

05/07/2024

👩‍🔬 We had so much fun at our Homeschool Science fair last week! This semester at homeschool science our curriculum focused on the extreme phenology of Montana.

☀️❄️ In a place where the seasons are so extreme, the native organisms have evolved unique physical and behavioral adaptations in order to be better suited for the current climate.

🌱🐻 Towards the second half of the semester each student picked one of Montana's native plants or animals and researched its annual lifecycle and ultimately created a final project poster to present at this year's science fair.

⭐️ We were so impressed with the work that our group put in this year, and w are already looking forward for next year!

05/06/2024

Come work with us!

We are still hiring after camp care instructors for the summer 2024 seasons. After camp care instructors work from 2:30-6:00pm, and must be at least 16 years of age.

Individuals will be responsible for implementing and maintaining safe and fun post camp activities. The position requires creativity, flexibility and commitment to the organization.

We are excited to bring on another awesome team member for the summer!

Click the link below to apply today!
https://www.outdoorscience.org/employment

05/04/2024

Thank you for all of the ways you showed your support for MOSS during Give Big! From joining this year’s outdoor block party to chatting with our staff at Cafe M, we enjoyed these opportunities to visit with you! A total of 272 nonprofit organizations participated in Gallatin Valley’s 24-hour giving event, and we are grateful that so many of you chose to support MOSS with a generous donation. Thank you!

For 30 years, MOSS has been inspiring curiosity, awareness and understanding of nature and science through quality educational experiences. Your support enables people of all ages to establish meaningful connections with nature that last a lifetime. Thank you for making such an important difference for members of our community and beyond!

Address

2104 Industrial Drive, Unit B
Bozeman, MT
59715

Website

http://www.outdoorscience.org/, https://linktr.ee/Montanaoutdoorscienceschool

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