The Nature Conservancy in Montana

05/27/2026

Public lands belong to everyone—not private interests.

88% of Montana’s voters oppose selling off national public lands from across the Western U.S., the highest percentage of any of the states surveyed.

When these lands are sold, access disappears. Opportunities to hike, hunt and explore are lost forever. Let’s protect the places we all share. Tell Congress, Keep Public Lands in Public Hands: https://nature.ly/4fKQvSM

05/21/2026

How do we maintain and improve working lands for the benefit of livestock, people and wildlife—and how do we do that together? That question guides Laura Nowlin and her team at Winnett ACES to find innovative solutions, such as the grassbank the organization is developing in partnership with TNC.

Read Laura's story➡️ https://nature.ly/3PtNQlT

05/20/2026

In southwest Montana, The Nature Conservancy is partnering with ranchers to implement regenerative grazing tools such as virtual fencing—an innovative technology that uses GPS-equipped collars to manage cattle and reduce the need for physical fences that can impede migrating wildlife. Virtual fencing could help restore native rangelands, rebuild degraded soils, restore streambanks and reduce conflicts with predators like bears. New technologies like virtual fencing may help protect Montana’s wildlife, restore ecosystems and help keep ranchers in business.

Watch the full video here: https://nature.ly/4uXMFKp

Learn more about the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership: https://nature.ly/4uXMte9

Discover how TNC is working with communities in southwest Montana’s High Divide Headwaters region: https://nature.ly/42LqBH6.

05/07/2026

We are hiring!

The Nature Conservancy in Montana is looking for a Director of Development to lead major fundraising efforts and support conservation across Montana’s iconic landscapes.

What you will do:
🌿 Lead fundraising strategy and impact: guide a $4M+ development program and secure transformational gifts for conservation across Montana
🤝 Build meaningful donor relationships: cultivate long‑term partnerships with major donors, trustees, and community leaders
🏔 Serve on the leadership team: collaborate closely with the State Director and Board to align philanthropy with conservation priorities

📍 Preferred location: Bozeman (with flexibility in Missoula or Helena)

See full description and apply here: https://careers.tnc.org/us/en/job/JR102700/Montana-Director-of-Development

05/06/2026

Did you know there are sand dunes in Montana? You’ll only find them in a couple of spots, including at TNC’s Centennial Sandhills Preserve in the far southwest corner of the state!

They’re home to some rare, fascinating plants and animals that need the sparse plant cover and shifting sands to thrive, such as:
💠 Fendler’s cat’s-eye: This fuzzy plant, here sharing space with an also rare pale evening-primrose, flowers from May to July.

💠 In Montana, this variety of painted milk-vetch lives only in the Centennial Valley. It’s balloon-shaped seed pods stand out among the sandhills.

💠 Tiger beetles, like this one in the Centennial Sandhills, get their name from the striped patterns on their bodies and their extraordinary bursts of speed when chasing down prey—some species can travel well over a foot per second!

Learn more about Montana’s amazing Centennial Sandhills and how TNC is protecting the rare species that call them home: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/centennial-sandhills-preserve/?en_txn1=s_fbo.reg_wescan.x.x

📸Credits:
Fendler's Cat's-eye by Lily Morris
Painted Milkvetch by Erika Nunlist/TNC
Tiger Beetle by Erika Nunlist/TNC

05/04/2026

May the forest be with you🌲

Restoring Montana’s forests takes science and collaboration. By working across boundaries with landowners, communities, and state, federal and local partners, we’re improving forest health, strengthening resilience to wildfire and protecting vital habitat and migration corridors for extraordinary wildlife.

Explore this work in our state: https://nature.ly/49v8Dft

📸Steven Gnam

04/30/2026

Fire is a shared challenge, and living better with it requires shared solutions. In fire-adapted landscapes, communities are increasingly working together to be better prepared for wildfire. See what this looks like in the Greater Yellowstone area, where neighbors are helping neighbors, with support from people like our friends at the Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network.

Link in comments!

04/28/2026

Once public lands are sold, they’re gone for good.

New surveys show Montana voters strongly support conservation and protecting national parks, forests and other public lands that belong to all Americans—not private interests. Montanans are clear: these lands must be protected for current and future generations.

Read more from Montana Free Press:

As midterm primaries approach, two new surveys show voter desire for conservation doesn’t always sway elected officials.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day from Matador Ranch!

Every spring, sharp-tailed grouse perform elaborate mating dances on the prairie at TNC’s Matador Ranch. They’re more active from just before dawn until mid-morning. Watch them on the livestream and learn more about the Ranch here: https://nature.ly/4cZR8WN

You might also spot TNC scientists on camera, monitoring birds to help conserve sharp-tailed grouse across Montana!

04/16/2026

Dive into the magical world of wetlands in An Invitation to Wonder, now on PBS💧✨

Follow a scientist and his filmmaker grandson as they seek to uncover the life, secrets and importance of wetlands. This new film offers a hopeful look at the future of wetlands and reminds us how important it is to study, restore and protect them for future generations.

Watch on PBS this Friday! Find your local airtime in the comments or watch online: waubesafilm.com