Making it through the working week doesn’t just involve getting your work done. It’s also important to keep yourself looking and feeling fresh and healthy. Staying looking good is both a mental and physical task, so looking after your mind as well as your body is a must. The mental aspect is one that is often neglected as the pressures of work add up. While it might be a struggle at times, if you follow these tips, you will be able to keep yourself looking fresh and be better prepared mentally to get on with your work.

Wash Regularly
It may seem like advice you would give to a child but, when you’re busy, it is very easy to forget to wash or not have the energy to do it. Having a shower each morning or evening will make you feel fresher and more energized. Taking care of your hair by purchasing good quality shampoo and conditioner will also make you feel and look better. Apple cider vinegar shampoo and coconut/avocado oil conditioner packs are the perfect way to revive your scalp. They’re packed with ultra-rich natural ingredients and your hair will look smoother, stronger and flake-free. Don’t neglect your body and hair’s hygiene needs. It will show to others and you will feel worse within yourself.

Sleep Properly
Getting enough sleep is an absolute priority. We should be sleeping at least seven hours a day, any less than that will be detrimental to our ability to carry out tasks. The signs of lack of sleep are obvious in our physical appearances, too. How many times has someone said you look tired? You can take it as an insult, or you can step back and realize that perhaps you aren’t getting enough sleep. Set a time you want to go to sleep during the week and stick to it. Turn off your phone and other devices and allow yourself to relax. Getting a good amount of deep sleep will make you feel more productive, and those signs of lack of sleep can quickly disappear.

Take Up Yoga or Meditate
Finding time for ourselves without distractions is not easy when the pressures of work are monopolizing our headspace. However, you have to take time to relax and switch off. Yoga has the advantage of being physical exercise, as exercise can leave you feeling better. As well as keeping you physically fit, it will allow you to escape from a muddled headspace and, in the long-term, following a routine daily will improve your mental wellbeing. If the idea of physical activity doesn’t appeal to you, meditation is also an option, as it will give you some time each day to clear your mind and become more focused.

Eat Well
We’ve all arrived home from work late, looked in the refrigerator and decided we don’t have the energy to cook so ordering take out becomes the go-to option. The abundance of choices, and ease of using take out apps, has made this an easy choice. What you eat and when you eat will show in your appearance and in how you feel in yourself. Making healthy meals on the weekend that can be easily heated up or eaten straight from the refrigerator when you arrive home after work will stop you from taking the easy way out. Ensure you eat regularly, too. It’s easy to skip meals when work is busy, but always remember if you’re not eating properly, you’re not going to be as productive.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is wrapping up another season surveying for aquatic invasive species (AIS). FWP and partner AIS early detection crews surveyed more than 300 waters around the state, collecting over 2,200 early detection samples looking for new populations of invasive mussels, snails, clams and aquatic weeds.

AIS early detection crews conducted focused surveys for AIS at all fish hatcheries in the state, assessed Eurasian watermilfoil treatments in Noxon Reservoir and supported a state-wide crayfish survey project. AIS staff worked with a variety of partners on Eurasian watermilfoil eradication in Beaver Lake near Whitefish, fragrant water lily removal in Holland Lake and Asian clam eradication in Lake Elmo in Billings.

New populations of several AIS were identified in the state this year including several snail and plant species. New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) were identified at three new locations including Beavertail Pond east of Clinton, Mitchell Slough adjacent to the Bitterroot River near Victor and Big Sheep Creek near Dell. This is the first time New Zealand mudsnails have been detected in Montana’s natural water bodies west of the Continental Divide. The tiny mudsnails are often transported to new locations when snails cling to plants, muddy boots or fishing gear.

Invasive red-rim melania snails (Melanoides tuberculatus) were detected in the Gardner River and in a warm spring near Beaverhead Rock State Park. Melania snails were likely introduced through a dumped aquarium tank.

Survey crews identified a new population of curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) in Big Elk Creek near Two Dot in the Musselshell River drainage this year. Curlyleaf pondweed is an invasive aquatic plant that can grow in high densities that obstruct boating and water flow for irrigation.

Surveys are still wrapping up for the year, but no evidence of invasive mussels has been found in the state so far this season. If no evidence of mussels is found In Tiber Reservoir, FWP will evaluate lifting the mandatory inspections requirements for boats exiting the lake. Final sampling results will be completed by the end of October.

These new detections are a reminder to ensure boats, trailers, fishing gear, waders and clothing are always clean and free of mud, plants and vegetation; all water is drained; and boats and gear are thoroughly dry before entering another waterbody. Aquarium pet owners should never dispose of aquarium water, plants or animals into natural waterways.

The public can report sightings of aquatic invasive species to FWP at CleanDrainDryMT.com or call 406-444-2440.

TOWNSEND – Waterfowl hunting opportunities will be limited on the Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management Area this year during both the youth and general waterfowl seasons due to ongoing extreme drought.  

Pond 2 at the WMA is dry, Pond 4 is expected to be completely dry in about a week, and water levels in Ponds 1 and 3 are also down significantly. There has not been any water going into Ponds 2 or 4 for more than two months, according to Adam Grove, wildlife biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Townsend. 

“There simply has not been enough waterflow in the Missouri River for most of the summer to provide adequate water to the canals that supply water to Ponds 2, 3 and 4 to keep the water levels up,” Grove said.  

Water from the ponds also drains below the surface into Canyon Ferry Reservoir when the reservoir’s water levels are lower than the ponds, which has been the case all summer. Canyon Ferry Reservoir did not come close to reaching full pool this year due to drought conditions, according to Grove.  

Waterfowl hunting opportunities on the WMA will likely be limited this fall. However, low water levels this season may provide some habitat benefits for next season by aerating the soil. If next year is a normal water year, it’s likely the ponds will see positive responses in aquatic vegetation and invertebrates, enhancing habitat for waterfowl.  

The digital revolution, globalization, and competition for talent have led to a relatively new trend in the construction of higher education systems - personalization. What needs to be done to make personalization not just a trend, but the reality of the modern university? We will find out the answers in this article.

Universities are increasingly seeking new ways to customize learning content and educational technologies, academic and career support to meet the group and individual educational needs of students, their cognitive styles, and career aspirations. Cheap writing services experts claim that today's generations of students are no longer prepared to receive standardized educational services designed for the average student. And in this context personalization has taken on a broader meaning and understanding than the long-known individualized and differentiated approaches to learning.

What is personalized learning?
Personalization is a key trend today that permeates all aspects of the student experience. Personalized learning involves, at a minimum, an individualized educational trajectory designed in conjunction with a mentor. And the trajectory changes dynamically during the course. In addition, the students themselves determine the individual learning rate. At the end of the educational module, they can think about where and how to apply the acquired knowledge and skills in practice, to do practical work for some time. Then return to learning again when the need for new knowledge arises.

Individual training is much more than just putting together a puzzle from a set of training courses by a student. Right now, this kind of personalized interaction is only possible at the graduate level. But that does not mean that personalized learning is unrealistic to begin at the undergraduate level. At the same time, the responsibility falls on the teacher to teach the student not only and not so much the fundamental knowledge, but also to teach how to learn, to convey the necessity of lifelong learning concept, to help develop emotional intelligence.

Peculiarities of the personalized approach and future trends
Personalized training modules become highly customized to the particular student. This approach takes into account the initial level, the time available for learning, the preferred type of learning - visual, verbal, individual or group, online or offline, with practical tasks in the chosen direction. Students will be able to choose a teacher, a team, an educational environment, and a location for the duration of the training with the support of artificial intelligence recommendations.

The main trend in the education of the future is individual lessons. It will not be possible to provide all students with a personal tutor. But everyone can be given a smartphone or computer.

With the help of big data, machines are already tracking the amount of time spent on assignments, analyzing answers, and creating individual recommendations. Smart technology on a par with professional writers can provide 8 tips on how to format an admission essay. In the future, artificial intelligence will select educational content and teaching methods that are effective for you.

Gamification
Experts predict that in 15-20 years games and teamwork will be the main forms of education.

Gamification will change attitude to mistakes - they will become a part of the process, not a failure. The possibility to go through the mission all over again is an important principle in computer games. You can look for a solution as much as you want and find new options every time.

The game in the online education of the future will solve the problem of student motivation.

The level system
This system allows you to choose the level of immersion in a particular subject. Therefore, students can decide which subjects to study at the basic level, and which at a more in-depth.

Immersive learning
In the education of the future, there will be no outdated textbooks and monotonous lectures. Children will study school subjects using virtual and augmented reality technology. For example, by putting on a VR helmet, a child will be able to watch historical events and even participate in them!

Such learning is called immersive, it creates an "immersive effect" and allows you to experience that are impossible in the real world. Since the brain does not distinguish between real events and high-quality simulation, there is a high probability that VR and AR technologies will solve the problem of "live" communication in online education.

Project and research activities
Project and research activities allow students to put what they've learned into practice immediately and thus better understand and grasp new material.

Individual and group work
Working in groups and solving joint tasks allows you to develop the ability to interact as a team. As well as a culture of joint activity in the educational and extracurricular processes. Students will be able to write collaborative essays. Working as a team, it will be easier for them to understand the intricacies of writing this type of paper and excel at it. And if in doubt, check these 5 steps.

Interdisciplinarity
The educational process is designed so that the subject matter and educational content, in general, are not perceived by students as a multitude of disparate elements, but form a coherent picture.

Future competencies
With the development of technology, specialists will need new competencies. In the future, approximately 35% of the skills required for employment will change. These include programming, creative and critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and lifelong learning.

Changes in the labor market will also affect school education. It will move away from the industrial model and become more flexible.

Potential hunting regulation changes for 2022 and 2023 are available online for the public to review. The proposed changes are coming now during the normal biennial season setting year to help make Montana’s hunting regulations simpler and easier to understand.

To see the potential changes and make comment, click here.

Over the last several weeks, FWP biologists have worked on these potential changes with a sharp focus on the science behind the regulations. The potential changes focus primarily on deer and elk regulations; however, some regions have included regulations for other species as well. The potential changes include a reduction in the number of hunting districts and the simplification of license structures.

Public comment begins today and runs through Oct. 20.

FWP biologists and other staff will sort through the feedback they collect and develop proposals for all game species for the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Dec. 14. Following this meeting, a second 30-day public comment opportunity will begin on the commission-approved proposals for all hunting regulations for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. This public comment period will also include regional FWP Citizen Advisory Council meetings.

The commission will adopt final hunting regulations at their meeting in early February. 

If you have any questions, please contact your local FWP office.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Montana State University will present “Preserving Recreation, Parks and Trails in Gallatin County” for its next Friday Forum on Oct. 8. The event will be delivered online from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The Triangle area of Gallatin County, which is an area between Bozeman, Four Corners and Belgrade, is experiencing significant population growth. In 2016, Gallatin County, the city of Belgrade and the city of Bozeman created the Planning Coordination Committee to focus on issues with development and opportunities within the Triangle.

The Gallatin Valley Land Trust also plays a role in the development of this area, emphasizing planning and expanding the trail network. Chet Work, executive director of GVLT, will discuss the status of the Triangle Trails Plan, which was made available for public comment this year, and the plan’s next steps. It seeks to create a master plan for future trails within the Triangle area. The area has a patchwork of trails and pathways, mostly completed as part of subdivisions. The trails plan will identify key corridors, missing connections and opportunities to build a more complete trail network for this area.

Work will also discuss trail access through Peets Hill. GVLT is leading an effort to purchase land on the southern end of Peets Hill to keep the trail system intact. Garrett McAllister, senior planner with Gallatin County, and Addi Jadin, parks and recreation manager for the city of Bozeman, will participate on the panel and describe local government initiatives to preserve and enhance parks, recreation and trails.

Participants must register in advance and no later than 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 8. For more information or to register, visit montana.edu/olli/register or call 406-994-6550. Upon registration confirmation, participants will receive an email with the Zoom link and instructions to join the program.

Friday Forums are offered on the second Friday of each month, September through May, by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MSU. OLLI at MSU is a program of Academic Technology and Outreach at MSU. ATO works across the university to support and advance its land-grant mission through unique and innovative opportunities for outreach and engagement.

As the Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Company grew from a small Great Falls establishment to one selling craft beer in 10 states, the company faced a challenge common among Montana manufacturers: how to scale up its operations without getting bogged down by debt and old habits.

That’s why the brewery’s namesake owner, who shares a moniker with the legendary mountain man, turned to the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center at Montana State University to help navigate decisions that can make or break a small business.

“We were really at a point where we needed to learn to be efficient,” said Johnson, who earned his bachelor’s in business marketing from MSU in 2004 and acquired the brewery in 2018. “Working with MMEC gave me a chance to sit down and look at the big picture.”

Meeting with Doug Roberts, MMEC’s business adviser for the Great Falls area and northeast Montana, Johnson learned of several opportunities to reduce waste while increasing output, meaning greater profits as the brewery expanded to meet growing demand for its beer, which Johnson said is made with locally sourced barley malt, honey and other ingredients.

Roberts did a thorough audit of the brewery, drawing from his extensive manufacturing experience and the principles of lean manufacturing to recommend improvements. He also connected Johnson with the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte, which assessed the facility’s energy usage. MMEC tapped a grant through MSU Extension's Pollution Prevention Program funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cover most of the cost of the consultations.

“This is really the essence of MMEC, helping Montana companies grow and be more successful,” said Roberts, who worked in a variety of manufacturing industries for 30 years before joining MMEC.

For Johnson, the consultation “has led to a tremendous increase in efficiency,” he said. “And in manufacturing, if you’re not efficient you can go out of business really quick.”

One of Roberts’ recommendations led to a change in how the brewery’s filters are changed, resulting in better filtration of the beer and increasing the yield by multiple barrels per batch. Investment in a new packaging line is paying for itself because the increased volume more than pays the interest on the loan he took out to acquire it, Johnson said. With improvements in things like LED lights, the brewery’s energy use has dropped, reducing utility bills even as production volume has climbed more than 50%. And with Roberts’ encouragement, Johnson negotiated better bulk pricing for the specialty malts that flavor beers like Golden Bobcat Pale Ale, which the brewery released in 2018 to help celebrate MSU’s 125th anniversary.

According to Roberts, any Montana enterprise that’s in the business of making something stands to benefit from working with MMEC, which is housed in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering. “When they call me, sometimes these businesses are on the verge of failing, or sometimes they’re on the cusp of growing from two employees to 20,” he said. “My approach is to develop a relationship so they know they have a partner. They may not even have a specific problem, but they have someone to talk to and can find out what resources are available.”

According to Johnson, “Doug was really good to work with, really thoughtful.”

As one of six MMEC business advisers covering different areas of the state, Roberts said he enjoys helping a wide range of manufacturers, whether in Great Falls, Scobey, Glasgow or anywhere in between.

“We work with people who have put everything they have into their businesses,” Roberts said. “It’s extremely rewarding to use our experience to help people succeed.”

Thanks to the Montana Space Grant Consortium, Montana State University students can take part in NASA internships without leaving the state, and this summer, senior Sam Riebling became the first technology education student to join the cohort.

Riebling, originally from Colorado, hadn’t intended to pursue the BOREALIS internship, but after taking courses from Montana Space Grant Consortium flight director Mike Walach, she found herself drawn to the program, which is open to all majors. While most interns come from the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, Reibling became one of the first from MSU’s College of Agriculture and the very first from the Department of Agricultural and Technology Education.

BOREALIS, which stands for the Balloon Outreach, Research, Exploration and Landscape Imaging System, runs fully student-designed and -led flights of specialized balloons to near-space altitudes, around 100,000 feet above Earth’s surface. It’s as close as researchers can get to space without using a rocket. 

“You have about 99% of Earth’s atmosphere beneath you and you’re in a spacelike environment,” Walach said. “You have the darkness, the cold, the heat, the radiation. Plus we can see the darkness of space and the curvature of the Earth from that altitude.”

Riebling, who hopes to become a technology education teacher after she graduates in spring 2022, was one of 10 students selected for the BOREALIS summer internship.

“It can look intimidating, but everybody comes in as a novice,” Walach said. “It’s an experience that can benefit everyone.”

Riebling’s internship focused on outreach and education and included planning community events and working with program partners to plan launches. But she also spent time watching and learning about the technical aspects of the balloon flights. BOREALIS uses three types of balloons, each of which expand to be around 50 feet in diameter once they reach a high altitude, where air pressure is very low. The first type, like a large party balloon, is made of strong latex and filled with helium. The second type, called zero-pressure balloons, are also filled with helium but have a hole on the bottom. They do not pop at higher altitudes because they are not under pressure, coming to float when they reach neutral buoyancy. The third type, solar balloons, are covered with charcoal powder so that sunlight heats the air inside and allows them to float.

Riebling practiced going through every stage of a launch and flight with all three types of balloons, a process that requires calibrating GPS systems and checking the balloon’s payload to ensure data is being transmitted to receivers on the ground. Everything must happen in exactly the right order, she said, or the entire flight is wasted. After coordinating with local air traffic control, the balloon is ready to launch.

“The whole process started with little responsibilities and I slowly gained more as I learned more,” she said. “Every launch I would shadow our lead, which ended up being a great benefit because on one of our last launches I was responsible for all of those steps.”

There are generally seven balloon launches each summer, said Walach. For the final launch of Riebling’s internship, the student usually overseeing those technical elements couldn’t be present. It gave Riebling a chance to put into practice everything she’d been learning.

The BOREALIS program is focused on the technical aspects of balloon flight and designing the systems that carry it out. Researchers from all over the country can then reach out to utilize those systems for their own projects. The flight that Riebling oversaw carried a payload from researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico measuring and detecting neutrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere. That payload will ultimately reach the moon in a NASA-directed flight.

Later in her internship, Riebling had the opportunity to blend her technical experience with her passion for education and her degree program in the College of Agriculture. She served as one of the instructors for the MSU Explore: Earth, Space and Science Camp in July, a weeklong camp designed to provide an immersive experience in science to underrepresented students from Montana’s rural towns and reservations.

“We led a workshop that was aviation themed and taught the students about the science of flight,” Riebling said. “By the end of the week they were building and testing gliders, making changes based on how well they flew and learning the elements of some flight engineering. It was really neat.” 

While she had been uncertain at first about joining BOREALIS, Riebling said the experience has made her into a better educator and a better student. She hopes to be able to make careers and research in STEM fields as approachable to her future students as the BOREALIS program made them for her.

“I also want to take the things I learned and put them toward tech ed outreach,” she said. “I think we need to focus on getting kids in our program and letting them know that this is an option for their careers.”

NASA funds space grant consortiums in all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., designed to allow all students access to space-related internships and programming regardless of location. To learn more about the Montana Space Grant Consortium visit https://spacegrant.montana.edu/.

“This program allows us to look at a wide range of things,” said Walach. “We have two faculty mentors, but we’re really just there to guide and support. The students are the real driving force for these projects. This program really gives them a lot of things they can utilize both in the classroom and in their futures.”