BOZEMAN – The Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University recently received a three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services exceeding $250,000 for a unique project prioritizing paleontology education. The award is one of the 122 awards presented by IMLS.

The project, “Discover Science! A Paleontology Education Initiative,” will expand the museum’s paleontology education program to reach more Montana residents, enabling the museum to offer a range of educational resources through paleontology galleries and pop-up museum programs statewide.

“With robust research and fieldwork occurring, we want to be able to dig deep with teachers and students as well,” said Chelsea Hogan, the museum’s director of education and public programming. “Capturing a child's passion for dinosaurs at a young age could set them up for a lifetime of love for science. This opportunity to grow our paleontology outreach program will allow us to connect in person and virtually with more teachers and their classes than ever before.”

“Discover Science!” will immerse participants in the scientific process of exploring prehistoric environments reaching as far back as 80 million years.

“STEM inquiry, including paleontology research, is the forerunner of human progress,” said Stephanie Dickson, vice chair of the Museum of the Rockies board of trustees. “Museum of the Rockies’ IMLS-funded ‘Discover Science!’ program will significantly impact the scientific and environmental literacy of citizens of Montana.”

Over three years, the grant will help create and distribute classroom materials, including posters and fossil kits. It will also support teacher stipends, ensuring that educators can attend the museum’s specialized conferences that are designed to enhance professional development and foster a community of educators dedicated to science. The museum also plans to introduce a part-time museum educator position to enhance outreach.

For more information about these initiatives and other programs at the Museum of the Rockies, please visit museumoftherockies.org.

Montana State University graduate art student, and veteran, Nick Krause, works with various art materials in his studio. MSU photo by Marcus “Doc” Cravens

BOZEMAN — Following grueling training sessions in the Army, Nick Krause would return to his desk in the barracks and draw or paint under the glow of a headlamp. It gave him something to look forward to in times of boredom or strain. 

Art has played a central role in Krause’s life since childhood, when his godfather started taking him to museums. So, after completing active duty, Krause enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program in the School of Art in Montana State University’s  College of Arts and Architecture  to continue his passions of making and studying art. 

Transitioning back to school after being stationed near Tacoma, Washington, for four years was a bit of a challenge, he said, “but everything is easier after you’ve done that. I’d still rather write a 20-page paper than run 5 miles.” 

Krause is in his final year of the all-encompassing, three-year MFA program, which includes giving artist talks, presenting artwork in shows, studying art history, participating in discussions and teaching classes. 

“We have to do every bit of practice to prepare for whatever professional route we want to take,” he said. “It's basically training wheels for all this stuff that you need to do, and the teaching element is, well, they kind of just throw you right in there, but they make it not so overwhelming.” 

Krause has enjoyed leading freshman drawing classes and would like to continue teaching after next spring’s graduation ceremony. He’s been around art professors most of his life. 

His godfather and family friend, Henry Freedman, taught art history at Keene State College in New Hampshire, near Krause’s childhood home. Freedman cultivated Krause’s artistic passions and talents and inspired a love of museums. 

Whenever Krause visits a new city, he likes to explore local museums. Some of his favorites are in Italy or on the East Coast, where he spent most of his life. He completed his undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts School of Art and Design in Boston, with a focus on painting.

Then he had a desire to serve, to maybe make the world a better place, so he enlisted in the Army. He would pass the time with fellow members of the mortar infantry by making T-shirts or creating songs. When Krause was discharged from active duty, Freedman was living in Missoula and suggested Krause might enjoy continuing his art studies in Montana. A scholarship, a reprieve from city life and a program that provided time to make art with a teaching element made MSU the ideal spot for Krause. 

“I just love this place — the big sky, all the colors going up to Glacier National Park, just seeing the really beautiful landscapes and stuff like that,” he said. “I really felt free out here.” 

Since Krause enrolled in MSU’s art school, associate dean Jim Zimpel has noticed his consistent dedication, willingness to help others and inquisitiveness. 

“He isn't someone who needed a lot of prompting to do the exploration,” Zimpel said. “He’s always willing to try different things and when he gets excited about something, he’ll find the resources.” 

A main element of Krause’s artwork involves hunting down material. His most common medium is combining painting with collage. He frequently scours antique stores, looking for old art books or prints. Quality paper and printmaking excite him. 

He’ll usually start with the concept of beauty as defined in Greek or Roman art and expressed in basic geometric forms. He’ll then take images he’s collected or painted and start laying them out, using his natural and developed sense of composition.  

“Then these things just develop spatial relationships, and then they sort of become their own narrative,” he said. “The characters form. All the elements kind of come together. I just let them form themselves.” 

Sometimes Krause’s creations will even surprise him, like a collage of characters that end up resembling his old platoon. Others present a bit of satire or reflect Krause’s own experiences. 

“Nick’s work is interesting as it gives viewers a chance to try to decode his process and also because it leans heavily on imagery that feels familiar in an art historical sense,” Zimpel said. 

Krause’s process is reflected in his workspace, a bright, rectangular room in a nondescript building that houses MSU’s Melvin Graduate Studios. Papers and books are stacked and piled on a long table in the corner. A bench and chairs surround and sometimes hold current projects. A small guitar can offer a mental break when a project isn’t quite coming together. 

And the west wall holds framed, finished pieces, all with “FIN” inscribed in the bottom right corner, a tribute to Freedman, Krause’s godfather and mentor. 

“He didn’t have a son, but he said if he did, he would have named him Finnean,” Krause said. “So, I just shortened it. It's kind of a tribute to him and the end of a French movie, so it's kind of like, The End.” The project is finished. 

BOZEMAN — As part of a health promotion class in the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University, Levi Specht assists employees and volunteers at Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry in Kalispell. 

Since 2022, students at MSU’s Kalispell nursing campus have helped out at the organization, which provides veterans and other members of the community access to food, medical equipment and other essentials, like clothing, blankets and furniture. 

Specht spends much of his time in the nonprofit’s durable medical equipment area, helping individuals find what they need, showing them how to use it and making sure items like wheelchairs, canes and walkers fit the customers properly. Patrons can rent the equipment for free for 120 days or purchase items at a reduced rate. 

“Most of the time when people come in, they are hesitant,” Specht said. “We make sure that we have what they need and help fit them into the equipment.” 

Ill-fitting medical equipment can lead to accidents and injuries, according to Kaki Mendius, campus director at the MSU nursing college’s Kalispell location. She also leads Specht’s health promotion course, which students take during their first year in the nursing college. Each student is assigned to a local organization to assist with promoting good health habits. 

“If we can promote health before people are in the hospital, we can prevent people from making hospital visits,” Mendius said. 

Since partnering with the food pantry, MSU nursing students have run information campaigns at the organization by putting together a guide on how to properly fit medical equipment. They’ve also accrued and dispensed information on how to properly use various items and correct techniques for caregivers to lift patients. 

At the organization’s food bank, students research and develop healthy recipes for customers using available food items. For example, the food bank once received 300 pounds of parsnips, and nobody really knew what to do with them, according to Linda Erickson, director of programs at Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry. 

MSU students found parsnip recipes, taught customers about their health benefits and held tastings at the food pantry, she said. Other times students have found recipes for people who have trouble chewing but still want to enjoy the taste of their favorite foods.  

Two to four students are assigned to the Northwest Montana Veterans Food Pantry each semester. Additionally, Specht and 12 of his classmates volunteered at the organization’s Stand Down event last month in Libby, which is designed to feed, clothe and provide medical services to veterans, including those struggling with housing insecurity. 

More than 500 veterans participated in the two-day event, according to Erickson. MSU students helped set up the event and distributed food and blankets. There were also mental health professionals and a mobile medical unit on site that provided health screenings and flu shots. Students had the opportunity to shadow health care professionals as they worked with veterans and learn more about careers focused on veterans’ health. 

“I feel they learn a lot, and they help us a lot,” Erickson said, adding that the students’ help is greatly appreciated. 

Specht said he appreciates working with and getting to know veterans from multiple generations. He said he is a small piece in the puzzle of addressing veterans’ needs, but dispersing resources and informing veterans of their resources is rewarding work. 

“I really like for our Bobcat nursing students to have the opportunity to interact with veterans.” Mendius said. “Being exposed to and learning about different populations and their health care needs ultimately makes students better nurses, more compassionate and more informed.” 

BOZEMAN – Montana’s general hunting season has reached the midpoint this week with steady hunter numbers and mixed success rates as recorded at game check stations in southwestern Montana.

Wildlife biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks use check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success, as well as the species, sex and age class of the animals harvested. This supplements data collected through hunter harvest phone surveys each year.

On Nov. 4 and 5, biologists operated four check stations in the region and met with 995 hunters. Those hunters collectively harvested five white-tailed deer, 26 mule deer and 36 elk, among other species. Most areas had relatively mild weather over the weekend.

The Alder check station saw 235 hunters and a success rate of 11.4 percent. The long-term averages for the third weekend at this check station are 234 hunters and a success rate of 14 percent.

The Cameron check station saw 377 hunters, 5.3 percent of whom were successful. The long-term averages for the third weekend at this check station are 344 hunters and a success rate of 8.4 percent.

The Divide check station saw 165 hunters, 11.5 percent of whom were successful. The long-term averages for the third weekend at this check station are 214 hunters and a success rate of 6.9 percent.

The Mill Creek check station saw 218 hunters and a success rate of 2.2 percent. The long-term averages for the third weekend at this check station are 197 hunters and a success rate of 4.2 percent.

These figures do not account for different hunting season regulations over the years, which have varied from liberal to restrictive for elk and mule deer, depending on population status.

Be bear aware

FWP reminds hunters that bears will remain active throughout the general season, and hunters should be prepared for bear encounters. Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year.

People who hunt in places that have or may have grizzly bears—which includes areas of Montana west of Billings—should take special precautions:

• Carry bear spray and practice to be prepared to use it immediately.
• Look for bear sign and be cautious around creeks and areas with limited visibility.
• Hunt with a group of people. Making localized noise can help alert bears to your presence.
• Be aware that elk calls and cover scents can attract bears.
• Bring the equipment and people needed to help field dress game and remove the meat from the kill site as soon as possible.
• If you need to leave part of the meat in the field during retrieval, hang it at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 150 yards from the gut pile. Leave it where it can be observed from a distance of at least 200 yards.
• Upon your return, observe the meat with binoculars. If it has been disturbed or if a bear is in the area, leave and call FWP.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/bear-aware.

BOZEMAN — Calendars featuring drawings by artist Don Greytak are available from the Montana 4-H Foundation as a fundraiser to support 4-H youth programs.

The Montana 4-H Greytak 2024 calendar features the artist’s pencil drawings of agricultural life in Montana and has been a traditional fundraiser for more than 30 years.

Calendars cost $15. They are sold by 4-H members and are usually available at Montana State University Extension offices across the state. They can also be purchased directly from the Montana 4-H Foundation online.

Proceeds from the calendar sales benefit Montana 4-H clubs and their members. Montana 4-H is the youth development program of MSU Extension and serves nearly 20,000 individuals each year.

Since 2010, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday sits “Small Business Saturday”, a day dedicated to helping small businesses and their communities. Small Business Saturday will take place all day on November 25th in downtown Bozeman.
 
It’s a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and the community by helping boost the local economy. Downtown Bozeman and over 250 small businesses are proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we encourage everyone to “Shop Small” in downtown Bozeman and across the country on November 25th.

 
According to the Small Business Administration, Montana is home to 123,419 small businesses, employing 65% of the private workforce. While many businesses continue to recover from challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, our local businesses are relying on shoppers more than ever to “Shop Small” and shop local.

 
Why Shop Small?
 
• In 2021, 51 million shoppers participated in Small Business Saturday. (National Retail Federation)
• Nearly 6 in 10 (59% holiday shoppers plan to participate in Small Business Saturday 2022—more than Black Friday (56%). (Bankrate)
• 33.2 million small businesses currently operate in the U.S. (Small Business Administration)
• Small businesses generated 12.9 million net new jobs over the past 25 years, accounting for two out of every three jobs added to the economy. (SBA)
 
How to Shop Small?
 
• In addition to heading downtown on Saturday, November 25th, consider leaving a positive online review for your favorite downtown business!
• Shout it from the top of a mountain (or the M!). Word of mouth is an excellent way to alert friends and family about great places in downtown Bozeman – and while you’re at it, carpool and bring them with you on Saturday, November 25th.
• Order takeout directly from our fabulous downtown restaurants! Third party apps take a significant cut from a restaurant or café; instead, order directly from the website or over the phone.
• Visit your favorite retailer’s website to order online directly. Tons of downtown businesses have the option to order online and pick-up in person, saving you tons of time!
 
When we all shop small, it will be HUGE!
 
For more information, please visit www.downtownbozeman.org/SBS.

BOZEMAN — As a graduate student at Montana State University, Chidimma Ifeh has helped smallholder women farmers in Senegal develop Indigenous fermented beverages. She also previously collaborated with rural West African farmers to address post-harvest crop losses through actions such as developing biscuits made with high-quality cassava flour.

This summer, Ifeh continued to build on her efforts related to food product development and economic stability through a grant-funded project to research how Indigenous cocoa farmers in her home country of Nigeria have passed down wisdom from one generation to another. She is using the results of her interviews with farmers to create educational resources to share with the global food science community.

With the help of a $14,500 Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Research Grant, Ifeh traveled to Nigeria in June to interview cocoa farmers and chocolatiers. The award from the American Heritage Chocolate Society hosted by Mars Wrigley supports innovation in the areas of chocolate history research, cocoa science, scholarship and education. 

As part of her work, Ifeh interviewed four cocoa farmers in southwestern Nigeria’s Ondo State to learn about so-called “bean-to-bar” practices and innovations that have made the process of turning cocoa beans into chocolate more efficient. She also interviewed two chocolatiers in southwestern Nigeria and two in Montana to learn more about chocolate production, including where the chocolatiers source their cocoa beans.

Ifeh said one of her main goals was to learn how Indigenous wisdom might have interacted with modern science to shape the evolution of the cocoa industry in Nigeria, and she was especially interested in innovations that have made the industry more sustainable.

“I’m enjoying this work,” she said. “It’s bringing chocolate to life.”

With her field research concluded, Ifeh is now working with a team to write three instructional case studies about cocoa bean-to-bar practices.The online resource will be shared with food science faculty through a USDA-funded Higher Education Challenge grant, for which MSU is one of the collaborating awardees under the leadership of Wan-Yuan Kuo. Ifeh is also creating a short video about cocoa farming and the chocolate industry in Nigeria, and she will share her results at the Heritage Chocolate Society annual meeting and submit a poster for inclusion in an upcoming Institute of Food Technologists’ conference.

“The Indigenous storytelling in this project, to share how (corporations) and farmers can work synergistically to care for the land, will inspire food professionals to pursue a healthier value chain and foster trust between Indigenous communities, corporate and consumers for reciprocal sustainable development,” Ifeh wrote in her grant application.   

Ifeh also noted in her application that the work is important because Indigenous people make up a disproportionate percentage of the world’s extreme poor, yet their lands retain a majority of the world’s remaining biodiversity.

“Such disproportionality underlines the urgent need to include Indigenous voices in the agricultural value chain, so decisions are made not just for consumers but for the greater society and ecosystems,” Ifeh wrote.

Ifeh has a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria. She came to MSU in the fall of 2022 as a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable food systems in the College of Education, Health and Human Development. She said she was drawn to the university for its high regard as a research institution and to the work of Kuo, associate professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology, who is Ifeh’s adviser. Kuo directs the MSU Food Product Development Lab, of which Ifeh is a member.

Last fall, Ifeh decided to pursue a doctorate at MSU through its individual interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, which will allow her to combine the study of sustainable food systems, statistics and computer science.

As an MSU student, Ifeh has received recognition for her work in food product development and for communicating about her research in an engaging way.

She led a team that placed third in the Institute of Food Technologists' Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition with a presentation about “Frutta-Sorgho: An Instantly Nutritious Blend of Indigenous Knowledge and Western Technology Co-Developed with Senegal Women Farmers.” She also placed first earlier this year in both the College of Education, Health and Human Development’s and the university-wide 3-Minute Thesis competition, where graduate students distill their highly technical thesis projects into engaging, 180-second presentations as a way to promote effective research communication.

Also this year, Ifeh co-founded a team that was named a semifinalist in MSU’s $75K Venture Competition for its venture, “Agri-Productive Farmers Foundation.” Hosted by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the MSU Blackstone LaunchPad, the competition enables students, faculty, staff and alumni of MSU and the University of Montana to pitch their business ventures to a panel of judges that provides feedback and distributes $75,000 among the winners.

In addition, last summer Ifeh completed an internship funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and offered through the Montana Pollution Prevention program, which partners with the Food Product Development Lab to match MSU students with Montana businesses to develop industry-tailored solutions that reduce energy and water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The 11-week internship includes one week of training with the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center. Ifeh was paired with Bozeman-based Front Porch Chocolate.

Ifeh credits her adviser and other faculty and staff at MSU with helping her to identify opportunities and feel empowered to go after them.

“Lots of grad students think grant writing is for professors,” she said. “I would like students to know that they can – with good mentorship – write grants and get awarded, too.”

Ifeh said her own mentors, such as Kuo, helped push her out of her comfort zone to pursue opportunities that have broadened her outlook. She said her other mentors include Mary Miles, associate dean of research in the College of Education, Health and Human Development; Elizabeth Bird, project development and grants specialist in the College of Education, Health and Human Development; Jim Kamman, consultant to the food and consumer products industries; Alison Harmon, vice president for research and economic development; Nika Stoop, assistant director of the Center for Faculty Excellence; Gilbert Kalonde, program leader in curriculum and instruction; and Tricia Seifert, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Development.

“A lot of these competitions I never would have done without their support,” Ifeh said.

For her part, Kuo described Ifeh as a go-getter.

“She is always up for new challenges and wants to learn but also sticks with her committed tasks with persistence and exemplary work ethic,” Kuo said. “With her remarkable initiative and public speaking talent, she is also very humble and mature.”

In the future, Ifeh hopes to continue to look for ways that technology can help the food industry.

“It’s not just about food production or food product development, but it’s leveraging the modern (artificial intelligence) technology to unlock the nutritional potential of indigenous foods, to support food security,” Ifeh said.

Kuo noted that Ifeh has the potential to make great impacts with her work.

“What she studies can be a game changer, bridging modern technology with Indigenous wisdom and sharing the outcomes with students globally, especially from Indigenous cultures,” Kuo said.

Ifeh said that a long-term career goal would be to work as a researcher in food product development, ideally in a position that finds ways for researchers and industry members to collaborate.

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is accepting applications for the Trail Stewardship Grant Program from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.

TSP grants can fund the development, renovation, and maintenance of motorized and nonmotorized recreational trails and trailside facilities. This state-funded program will award approximately $2 million during the 2024 funding cycle.

Applicants may request up to $100,000 with a 10 percent required match. Grant applicants may include tribal, state, county, municipal or federal agencies, school districts, and nonprofit recreational organizations and clubs. An organization can submit only one grant application per grant cycle.

A webinar training and a question-and-answer session will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 2:30 p.m. This session is highly recommended for new and returning applicants. The training will provide helpful information on program requirements and tips on writing a competitive application and using the grant management software. The training will be held via Zoom. For login information, visit fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs/trail-stewardship

For more information about the program, visit the TSP webpage at fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs/tr

BIG SKY, MT— Excitement is building in Big Sky, Montana, as the biggest on-mountain infrastructure project in Big Sky history, the Lone Peak Tram, will open on December 19, 2023.



To celebrate this momentous occasion, Big Sky Resort will offer the first public tram cabin with 45 guest spots to be auctioned off, with all proceeds to benefit three non-profit organizations in the community: Big Sky Community Organization (BSCO), Gallatin River Task Force, and Morningstar Learning Center. 



"Opening the tram is a transformational moment in Big Sky’s history,” said Troy Nedved, the resort’s general manager. “What makes this event even more special is that the funds raised through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be donated to three vital organizations in the Big Sky community.”   



The auction, currently open for bidding, offers ski enthusiasts the opportunity to secure their place in Big Sky and ski history. Interested guests can vie for a chance to be one of the first passengers in the inaugural public tram ride, which includes a professional photographer to capture every moment of the journey, a champagne toast at the summit of Lone Mountain, and a special memento to commemorate this historic occasion.  



Hosted jointly by all three nonprofits, the auction will close on November 15 at midnight, and winners will be notified upon closing of the auction. Proceeds will be split evenly among BSCO, Gallatin River Task Force, and Morningstar Learning Center. 

Don't miss the incredible opportunity to be a part of Big Sky's history while supporting community organizations that are stewards of Big Sky’s recreation and trails, healthy rivers, and early childhood education. 



For more information about the auction and to place your bids, please visit: First Tram: A Big Sky Community Fundraiser.