A local tradition! The Bozeman Kiwanis Club will provide 75 children’s sandboxes, built by club members, and given to families free of charge, sand included! We love sandboxes! They get our children outside, while socializing and developing creative and constructive skill sets.

The sandboxes will be distributed on the south side of the 100 Acre Park off Oak Street, west of 19th, in the parking lot near the sledding hill. Distribution will be on two Saturdays, June 1st and 8th, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday, June 6th, 2019 from 5-7 p.m. The sandboxes are available on a first come, first served basis, until all are distributed. It is very important to bring a vehicle that can accommodate the 5’by 5’ wooden boxes and over 1,000 pounds of sand. It is highly recommended that you protect your vehicle with a tarp or drop cloth for transporting, as the sand is loose. Pick-up trucks or trailer are the best way to transport the boxes and sand. Most cars will not accommodate the box and sand.

Sandboxes can be reserved for pickup. On the above days. Please email Heidi Pfeil at heidipfeil@yahoo.com with your name, phone number, the day you are coming. The Sandbox Project is one of many the Bozeman Kiwanis Club provides to give back to the community through various outreach programs. The sandboxes are made possible by the club with support from community donations. Other services the Bozeman Kiwanis provides to the community include: Local support is also provided for Eagle Mount Camp Braveheart, Big Sky Cancer Kids Spaghetti Feed, Hope for the Holidays, Kids in Crisis Backpacks, Fix-Up Festival, playground equipment, building park pavilions, Thrive, and others, including, Eliminate, which through Kiwanis International has made great strides to eliminate maternal neonatal tetanus.

Hunter and bowhunter education courses have been scheduled in several locations throughout southwestern Montana. Registration has opened for many of those courses.

Students can find the course closest to them and register online at fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter.

Students may be required to pick up materials and complete the course manual before the first day of class. Dates, locations and specific instructions for each class, as well as contact information for the instructors, are available in the event description online.

A student must be at least 10 years old to register for Montana Hunter Education courses. Students ages 10-11 can take the course and hunt as an apprentice but will not be fully certified until the year they turn 12. There is no maximum age limit. Students must attend all classroom sessions, the field course and pass a final exam. Anyone age 18 or older can complete an online course but must still attend a field course to become certified.

To purchase a Montana hunting license, any person born after Jan. 1, 1985, must provide proof of having successfully completed a hunter and/or bowhunter education course issued by Montana, any other state or any Canadian province.

Hunter and bowhunter education courses are led by volunteer instructors who are passionate about preserving Montana’s hunting tradition, teaching firearm safety and other outdoor skills. Instructors are needed in communities across southwest Montana. If you are interested in mentoring new hunters, please contact Morgan Jacobsen, Region 3 information and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, at 406-994-6931 or visit fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter for more information.

Hunter Education courses in Region 3 (first day of class):

• Butte: April 22
• Bozeman: May 6
• Helena: May 6
• Dillon: May 7
• Big Sky: May 17
• Clyde Park: May 20
• West Yellowstone: June 6
• Logan: July 22

Apple trees from the Montana Heritage Orchard Program will be available for purchase this spring beginning in mid-May at nurseries across Montana. The Montana-grown fruit trees have been grafted from some of Montana’s oldest trees and most rugged orchard locations, according to Katrina Mendrey, orchard program manager with Montana State University’s Western Agricultural Research Center. 

“These trees are a great way for apple enthusiasts to have a little piece of Montana’s homestead history,” said Mendrey, who administers the program. “They were chosen for their ability to survive Montana’s rugged climate with little care.” 

Trees available in 2019 include Transcendent Crabapple and McIntosh from Wild Horse Island in the Flathead; an unknown apple similar to the once-lost Gideon Sweet from Crow Creek Ranch near Pryor; an Alexander apple; and a large green apple of unknown variety from Ray Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley. All the apples were grafted and grown in Montana, Mendrey said.

A Transcendent Crabapple. MSU photo by Kelly Gorham.

Six nurseries in Montana will carry the trees, including Good Earth Works Co. & Nursery in Billings; K&S Greenhouse in Corvallis; Delaney’s in Polson; Gardenwerks in Helena; Tizer Gardens in Jefferson City; and Cashman Nursery in Bozeman. Trees will also be for sale at a pop-up market to be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27, at Missoula’s Tower Garden located at 3340 S. Seventh St. W.

The purchase of the trees helps administer the Montana Heritage Orchard Program, which provides heritage orchards across Montana with resources to preserve apple genetics, document Montana's fruit growing history and propagate heirloom and lost apple cultivars for backyard and commercial production. 

For more information about the trees, participating orchards and where to find them, visit www.mtapples.org/grow.

A Montana State University professor has been named to a prominent national committee that is working to chart a path for the nursing profession through 2030.

Peter Buerhaus, professor in the College of Nursing and director of the MSU Center for Interdisciplinary Health Workforce Studies, is one of 15 individuals appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on the Future of Nursing 2020-2030.

The committee has been tasked by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to extend the vision for the nursing profession to help the U.S. create a culture of health, reduce health disparities and improve the health and well-being of the U.S. population in the 21st century. The committee will examine lessons learned from a previous Institute of Medicine report that made recommendations about the nursing profession, as well as the current state of science and technology, to inform its assessment of the capacity of the profession to meet the anticipated health and social care demands from 2020 to 2030.

“It is an exciting and humbling opportunity to serve on the committee,” Buerhaus said. “The National Academy of Medicine focuses on bringing the highest level of science and evidence to address important societal issues and influence public policy. I am looking forward to working with national experts from many different disciplines and professions to enhance the nursing profession’s capacity to improve human health.”

In 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation partnered with the Institute of Medicine – now called the National Academy of Medicine – to produce “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,” a report which set a vision for nursing in 2020. The committee examined how nurses’ roles, responsibilities and education should change to meet the needs of an aging, increasingly diverse population and to respond to a complex, evolving health care system.

The report’s recommendations focus on the intersection between the health needs of patients throughout their lives and the readiness of the nursing workforce. The recommendations were written to support efforts to improve health care for all Americans by enhancing nurses’ contributions to the delivery of care.

In a press release announcing the Committee on the Future of Nursing, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said a variety of current and emerging issues will influence nursing and merit consideration in setting national priorities for the next 10 years. Those issues include ongoing health care reform, the integration of new technologies, patient-centered care, and respect for the profession and its expertise.

The nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce, and nurses play a vital role in the health care system, according to Sarah Shannon, dean of the MSU College of Nursing. However, a number of barriers have prevented nurses from being able to respond effectively to rapidly changing health care settings and an evolving health care system, she said, and these barriers need to be overcome to ensure that nurses are well positioned to lead change and advance health for the citizens of Montana and across the U.S. and globally.

She added that Buerhaus is extraordinarily well qualified to address those challenges and to provide important contributions to the Committee on the Future of Nursing.

“The 2010 Future of Nursing report changed the landscape of nursing education and practice. This next report will do no less,” Shannon said. “Few sectors of our economy are changing as rapidly – or are challenged as profoundly by external pressures – as health care. Dr. Buerhaus is the leading national expert on the health care workforce. We are grateful for his representation on this visionary committee.” 

In addition to his appointment to the Committee on the Future of Nursing, in April Buerhaus was inducted into the Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars. The society honors individuals who completed their graduate, postdoctoral, professional or performance training at Johns Hopkins but are not currently affiliated with that university, and who have achieved marked professional or scholarly distinction in their fields.

“This honor goes beyond recognizing Dr. Buerhaus’ contributions to the profession of nursing,” Shannon said. “Adding to his other national awards, this most recent appointment recognizes Dr. Buerhaus’ extensive contributions as a health care economist. Montana State University and the College of Nursing are lucky to count Peter Buerhaus as a colleague.”

A nurse and a health care economist, Buerhaus is known for his studies and publications focused on the nursing and physician workforces in the U.S. Before coming to MSU, he was the Valere Potter Distinguished Professor of Nursing and professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University and assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health. In 2003, Buerhaus was elected into the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine.

Buerhaus maintains an active research program involving studies on the economics of the nursing workforce, forecasting nurse and physician supply, developing and testing measures of hospital quality of care, determining public and provider opinions on issues involving the delivery of health care and assessing the quantity and quality of health care provided by nurse practitioners and physicians. 

What?!?! 24 years of Camp Equinox?!?! How is that possible?

Camp Equinox, Bozeman’s oldest and biggest theatre day camp got their start back in 1996 at Headwaters Academy. From 50 campers that first year, Camp Equinox has grown to 300 kids over two sessions, now held at Bozeman Summit School.

“We really believe in creating community first, and nurturing campers to become amazing young people. Theatre and comedy are just terrific ways to do it,” says Co-Camp Director Soren Kisiel.

Kisiel and his wife Katie Goodman do everything together. They built the camp, ran what is now the Verge Theatre (under the previous name The Equinox Theatre) for over 12 years, co-write and direct the nationally touring professional satire company Broad Comedy which last year ran Off-Broadway.

You may have seen them in Spontaneous Combusibles, the improv comedy troupe that has performed at Sweetpea for 23 years running, that they founded. They met in a play at college, and have never stopped working to teach and create new theatre since. They were even nominated for a MacArthur Genius Award for their unique work in theatre.

Living in New York, they know the ins and outs of the professional theatre and comedy improv world. They know what it takes to be a creative person in this day and age, and they have found that expressing themselves through comedy is powerful. But they also know how to put process over product when it matters. While the professional theatre scene can be quite cut throat at times, it’s important, they say, to remember why you got into the creative arts to begin with.

“The community that is built creating theatre is one of the most enlivening and empowering things in my life,” Goodman says. “I get so much joy out of creating a character and connecting with other actors to bring a show to life. It’s magical. I learned this when I was a kid doing theatre and now we want to create a safe place where kids support each other and feel really proud of both the creative work they are capable of doing, but also of the friendships and culture that they are a part of. Loving theatre is one thing, but loving your buddies and helping them be their best is really what matters.”

Empowering kids to feel self-confident is what matters most to the Camp Equinox staff. And it’s what matters, it seems, to parents of campers too, who keep sending their kids back year after year.

“Our son dropped a little gem on us at dinner one night last summer,” said one parent who wished to remain anonymous so as not to embarrass her pre-teen. “We asked how his day was and he said that he had forgotten how great it was at Camp Equinox where he could totally be himself versus how stressful school was where you had to be cool all the time. The ‘aha’ moment was the realization that it just might be better to be your real self than to be “cool.” This was the best news a parent of a pre-teen could hear.”

Camp Equinox offers two separate month-long sessions for kids going into grades 1 - 8. Camp runs from 8:30 – 3:30 (except Fridays which end at noon). A fiesta of learning includes acting, musical theatre, comedy improvisation, Shakespeare, dance, puppetry, play writing, hip-hop, costume and set design, and much, much more.

The Camp Scholarship program offers varying scholarship amounts to families in need. These are financial need-based awards. Camp Equinox has never turned anyone away with a financial need based on national income guidelines. Please call for a scholarship application.

Camp Equinox culminates in a giant final performance at the end of camp for family and friends. They are also featured in the Sweetpea Festival and Farmer’s Markets every year performing a smattering of their favorite musical numbers.

For more information or to receive a brochure, please call 406-522-7623 or go to the website at www.campequinox.com where you can get more information as well as download and printout a registration form.

PO Box 7014, Bozeman, MT 59717
Phone (406) 522-7623

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host an informational public meeting on a proposal to remove smallmouth bass from Gallatin Valley ponds.
 
The meeting will be held on April 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the River Rock Community Center, 101 River Rock Rd., in Belgrade.
 
FWP proposes using rotenone to remove smallmouth bass, which were illegally introduced to the ponds. Rotenone is a natural substance used to remove fish that are incompatible with the management goals of a fishery or that pose threats to other aquatic resources. Once the bass are removed, FWP would restock the ponds with rainbow trout.

 
FWP is concerned that further illegal introductions from this source will result in smallmouth bass populations in other parts of the Upper Missouri River system. Smallmouth bass would likely cause irreparable harm to wild trout populations, which are economically important to the state.
 
FWP has conducted an environmental assessment for the project, which can be viewed online at http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/environmentalAssessments/speciesRemovalAndRelocation/pn_0079.html.
 
Public comments on the project can be submitted online at the above web address or by mail: FWP, c/o Smallmouth Bass Removal, 1400 S. 19th Ave., Bozeman, MT 59718. They can also be emailed to FWPRG3EA@mt.gov.
 
For more information, please contact the FWP’s Region 3 headquarters at 406-994-4042.
 

A 17-year-old male was attacked by a bear south of Ennis on Sunday. He fortunately survived the attack with relatively minor injuries.
 
The teen and his family were visiting their cabin in Wolf Creek, about 30 miles south of Ennis, on the east side of the Madison Valley. He was out looking for shed antlers in the area.
 
According to the teen, he was walking down a hill around 2 p.m. when he heard a “thump” behind him. He turned around to see a bear charging at him. The teen was carrying bear spray, but he was unable to deploy it immediately because of the bear’s rapid approach. The bear pushed him up against a tree and held him there momentarily. When the bear let go, the teen fell over and attempted to crawl between two trees and protect his head and vitals. The bear then pinned him face-down on the ground. The teen, who was wearing a hoodie and a backpack, said he was able to reach over his shoulder and spray the bear with bear spray, and the bear left.

 
The young man began walking out and made radio contact with his family. He was treated for his injuries at Madison Valley Medical Center and later released.
 
FWP was notified of the attack at 3:45 p.m. Based on the teen’s description of the bear’s behavior, the bear was mostly likely a grizzly bear. FWP has notified people who live in the area of the attack. The area has very limited public access and does not get many visitors.
 
The bear’s behavior in this incident appears to be typical of surprise close encounters. FWP will continue to monitor the area, which is well within occupied bear habitat. The investigation is ongoing, but no further management action is being taken at this time.
 
FWP reminds everyone to be cautious when in the field as bears are active during the spring, summer and fall months. Some recommended tips for avoiding negative encounters with bears include:
 
    •    Be prepared and aware of your surroundings.
    •    Carry and know how to use bear spray.
    •    Travel in groups whenever possible.
    •    Stay away from animal carcasses.
    •    Follow U.S. Forest Service food storage regulations.
    •    If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Back away slowly and leave the area.

For more information on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/beBearAware/.

Elk numbers in Yellowstone National Park’s northern herd are fewer compared to last year, however the population remains above the 10-year average and other recent counts. Low calf survival will likely impact the population over the next two years, according to a population survey conducted last month.

The Northern Yellowstone Cooperative Wildlife Working Group conducted its annual late winter classification of the northern Yellowstone elk population on March 17-19, 2019. The survey was conducted from a helicopter by staff from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, which is part of the Working Group. Typically, an annual trend count is conducted by fixed-wing aircraft to count the total number of elk, and a separate helicopter survey is conducted to classify elk by age and sex in order to estimate calf and yearling bull survival and ratios of mature bulls in the population. This year the surveys were combined, and elk were counted and classified by helicopter.

All observed elk were counted across the survey area, and when possible staff also classified elk by age and sex. This survey was conducted consistently with the 2016 classification survey in order to assess population changes over the past three years. Survey conditions were favorable across the region, however winter conditions were severe, and many elk were observed to be in poor condition.

Staff counted 5,800 elk, including 1,361 elk (23.5 percent) inside Yellowstone National Park and 4,149 elk (71.5 percent) north of the park. The total count of 5,800 elk was 23 percent lower than the 7,579 elk observed during the 2018 trend count, and 23 percent lower than the 7,510 total elk counted during the 2016 classification survey, but higher than the 10-year average count of 5,399 elk. The long-term average of observed elk numbers since surveys began in 1976 is 10,634 elk, with a peak high count of 19,045 elk in 1994 and a low count of 3,915 elk observed in 2013.

Of the 5,800 elk counted, staff classified 5,510 elk by age and sex, resulting in ratios of 15.2 calves, 5.2 yearling bulls and 12.6 brow-tined bulls per 100 cows. Calf and yearling bull ratios were lower than recent surveys and long-term averages. Brow-tined bull ratios were higher than recent surveys, but below long-term average. Staff observed 16 percent fewer cows, 46 percent fewer calves and 42 percent fewer yearling bulls as compared to the 2016 classification survey. Brow-tined bull numbers increased by 21.3 percent from 432 observed in 2016 to 524 observed in 2019.

This is the second consecutive year with calf ratios below the threshold of 20 calves per 100 cows considered necessary to maintain a stable population. It is likely that additional winter mortalities will occur into spring, further reducing overall numbers and recruitment. Below-average yearling bull and calf recruitment is likely to result in lower numbers of brow-tined bulls being recruited into the population over the next two years.

 
Though overall elk numbers are down this year as compared to 2018, it is not unusual to observe fluctuations in numbers of elk counted due to survey quality, elk movements and sightability of elk, which vary with conditions. Trends in elk populations are best assessed by considering multiple years of survey data together. The trend for this population has been increasing since 2013; this is the first year since 2013 that elk numbers have fallen from the previous year. The Working Group will continue to monitor trends of the northern Yellowstone elk population and evaluate the relative contribution of various components of mortality, including predation, environmental factors and hunting.

The Working Group was formed in 1974 to cooperatively preserve and protect the long-term integrity of the northern Yellowstone winter range for wildlife species by increasing our scientific knowledge of the species and their habitats, promoting prudent land management activities, and encouraging an interagency approach to answering questions and solving problems. The Working Group is comprised of resource managers and biologists from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks; National Park Service (Yellowstone National Park); U.S. Forest Service (Custer Gallatin National Forest); and U.S. Geological Survey-Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman.

Join Bozeman Business and Professional Women, community leaders, and all those dedicated to economic fairness and gender wage equity at the Bozeman City Commission Meeting on Monday, April 1st, as we commemorate our Equal Pay for Equal Work Resolution in recognition of National Equal Pay Day!  Tuesday, April 2, 2019, is Equal Pay Day, the date that symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.  Women need to work an extra 3 months a year to earn what men earn in 1 year.

What:  Bozeman City Commission MeetingWhen:  Monday, April 1st, 6:00PMWhere:  Bozeman City Commission’s Chambers, 121 N. RouseWhy:  To advance economic fairness for women, families and our community by closing the gender wage gap.

The Equal Pay for Equal Work Resolution (attached) encourages the City Commission to:1) recognize Equal Pay Day each year,2) lead by example by expanding their own wage data collection so as to facilitate analysis of wages by gender to assess whether gender-based compensation disparities (wage gaps) exist within City occupations, as was accomplished by the recent Montana State Employee Pay Equity conducted by the executive branch of the State of Montana,3) and to partner with the community to adopt measures to identify and close the gender wage gap among their work forces.

The Equal Pay for Equal Work Campaign is an important opportunity to increase economic fairness and opportunities in our community.  Following the lead of Montana Governor Bullock, who created a Montana Statewide Task Force on Equal Pay for Equal Work in 2013, BBPW has been working to educate our local community and close the gender wage gap with Equal Pay Day community events like the Equal Pay Day Discount Campaign, where 12 local businesses (attached) will be giving women 20% off select products and services on April 2nd.  While we are aware this will not make a dent in annual pay discrepancies, we are happy the community is pulling together to raise awareness of this important issue.

The mission of the Bozeman BPW Legislative Committee Campaign for Equal

Pay for Equal Work is to strengthen Bozeman’s working families and open better opportunities for women in the workforce by continuing the partnership of the Bozeman City Commission to address gender wage gaps.  We are celebrating the fact that the Commission has adopted the Equal Pay for Equal Work Resolution in order to lead by example and to encourage citizens, businesses, and organizations in our community to adopt measures that work to close the gender wage gap.

For more information about the BBPW Equal Pay for Equal Work Campaign, go to www.bozemanbpw.org  or email legislativecommittee@bozemanbpw.org

The Downtown Bozeman Association and Downtown Retailers along with our gracious community sponsors; ABC/Fox Montana, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, SCS Unlimited, Allegra Printing, Bozeman Magazine and are proud to present the 2019 Bridal Walk on Saturday, April 6th from 11am to 3pm on Main Street in Downtown Bozeman.  Plan your Montana Wedding in the heart of Downtown Bozeman!

We are rolling out the red carpet for brides and their entourage in Downtown Bozeman!  Stop by the Baxter Hotel any time the day of the event and receive a Booklet/Map and a bag of goodies to help you on your way!  CLICK HERE for the 2019 Bridal Walk Booklet/Map.

Then, stroll Main Street and discover nearly 50 participating businesses listed below that can help you with all your wedding needs.  Find everything from dresses, rings, invitations, flowers, gift registries and more.  Participate in the 10th Annual Photography Contest at The Rialto Theatre and partake in wine, cake and hors d’oeuvres tastings along the way. All brides and friends also have the chance to win many in-store giveaways and raffles including a $500 shopping spree to be used at any of the participating businesses.

406 Photo
9Round Fitness
After 5 and Weddings
Alara Jewelry
AshleyCole Boutique
The Baxter
Big Sky Photo Booth
Blend
Bozeman Spirits Distillery
Bozeman Breakout: Escape Room
Bridger Bowl Ski Area
Chef’s Table Food Truck
Classic Limo
Collective by dawn josephine
The Crossroads
ERA Landmark Real Estate
Erotique
The Gem Gallery
Hattie Rex
Head West
Heyday
Indulgence Beauty Bar
Instinct Holistic Medical Spa
Larry Stanley Photography
Liv Lively Salon & Boutique
Marina Kessler Jewelry and The White Room
Meridian Boutique
Montana Gift Corral
Merissa Lambert Photography
Montana Photo Lounge
The Montana Scene
Montana Silversmiths
Moshunal DJ
Mudshine Media
Notarius Photography
Owenhouse Ace Hardware
Plume Bridal
The Pour House
Rainbow Ranch Lodge
Revolvr Menswear
Rialto
Single Six Media
Suelto Boutique
Under Canvas
Vino per Tutti

The Photography Contest is a MUST stop during the Bridal Walk!  All photo entries are taken and submitted by local and regional photographers and will be displayed at The Rialto at 10 West Main St. during the Bridal Walk Event.  Along with the amazing photo entries, each photographer’s contact information (flyers, cards, etc.) and voting ballots will be on-hand for voting and wedding planning needs.  Awards, prizes and acknowledgement will be presented to the winners of the top 3 images.  Help us give these incredible photographers the recognition they deserve while finding the perfect one for your wedding look!

Same-Day Registration will be held at The Baxter Hotel (in the upstairs Ballroom) at 105 West Main Street from 11am to 3pm and maps and booklets can be picked up at any of the participating businesses 2 weeks prior to the event.  Additional event information including vendor registration can be found at www.downtownbozeman.org or by calling 406-586-4008.  This event is FREE of charge and will go on rain or shine.