The latest effort to adjust plans for how wild bison are managed around Yellowstone National Park is being released, with interested ranchers, conservation groups and the general public being invited to view the details next week.

The new draft plan is designed to replace the Interagency Bison Management Plan, which has been in place since 2011. Wildlife managers say the new plan is being written around the latest science and research, and what has been learned about the herd's migration in and out of the park the past several seasons.

This plan, being developed by the National Park Service and the State of Montana uses six different alternatives that were outlined in recent public "scoping" efforts.

The three meetings will give people a chance to review the initial work, with an open house where questions can be directed to NPS and FWP officials.

The meetings will be held in Bozeman on June 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn, June 3 at the Gardiner School and June 4 at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone.

The new plan could be finalized in 2017.

We have Summer Workshops for kids and teens!
Follow this link for more info and to register your child or teen! http://vergetheater.com/education/summer-programs

Improv to Writing
When: Mon. June 29th-Thurs. July 2nd from 12-3pm. Performance Demo Thurs. July 2nd 5-6:30pm

Who: Kids entering grades 6-12

Teacher: Molly Hannan

Cost: $130
During this great workshop, we will help your child explore writing his/her own material through Improv techniques and games.  Whether it’s comedy or drama, there is nothing better than Improv to spark creativity and imagination.  Your child will learn how to put those ideas to paper and finish in a collaborative show on the final day of the workshop. There is no need for previous improv experience to participate, just a willingness to explore the unexpected!  



Improv
When: Mon. July 13th-Thurs. July 17th from 12-3pm. Performance Demo Thurs. July 13th 5-6:30pm

Who: Kids entering grades 3-5

Teacher: Paige Johnson

Cost: $130
During the fun workshop, your child will learn the basics of Improv and practice skills such as active listening, communication, collaboration, and concentration all while having fun and making new friends.  The Improv technique allows students to explore their imaginations together and will ultimately culminate in a show full of fun and hilarious games!    

Musical Theater
When: Mon. August 10th-Thurs. August 13th from 12-3pm. Performance Demo, Thurs. August 13th 5-6:30pm

Who: Kids entering grades 3-5

Teacher: Erin Roberg

Cost: $130
You know your kid is a star so here's the perfect opportunity for them to shine.  Our Musical Theater classes take the best of Broadway and Disney's big stage numbers. This summer's workshop will present selections from "Shrek the Musical!" At Verge we put the spotlight on all of our students. Ensemble casting is a must so that every child has the chance to strut their stuff!

As a Symphony musician you will perform for sold-out audiences, grow as an orchestral player, play exciting repertoire, engage as a community member, and perform on stage with extraordinary guest artists. Get paid to do what you love – starting at $42.00 per service!  Upcoming performances include the Festival of the Fourth at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, July 4^th, 2015.  Our regular concert season runs September-April with performances in September 2015, October 2015, December 2015, February 2016, March 2016 & April 2016.

General Audition Requirements:

-String Instruments – orchestral auditions are held at the Bozeman Symphony office by appointment.  The audition will last about 15 minutes and we ask that you bring in a prepared piece that demonstrates your ability/talent.  Please be prepared to play a scale of your choosing and some sight reading may be required.

-Wind/Brass/Percussion – Please call the office for current openings and audition requirements.

Auditions will be ongoing until  sections are filled.  Once positions are filled, players can be added to our wait/substitute player list. For additional information or to schedule an audition, please contact The Bozeman Symphony at info@bozemansymphony.org or 585-9774.

The Bozeman Kiwanis Club will provide 100 children’s sandboxes, built by the club, to given to families free of charge, sand included! Sandboxes get our children outside, socializing, and developing creative and constructive skill sets.  The sandboxes will be distributed at the Dinosaur Park off Davis Road on two Saturdays in June the 6th and 11th from 8 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, June 11 from 5-8 p.m. They are available on a first come, first served basis, until all are distributed. Please remember to bring a large drop cloth to carry the sand to the destination. If your vehicle cannot accommodate a 5’x5’ box it can be unassembled with a few screws for transporting.  The sandboxes are made possible by the club with support from community donations to purchase materials.

The sandbox project is one of many the Bozeman Kiwanis Club provides to give back to the community through various outreach programs.  Local projects include: Eliminate, which through Kiwanis International has made great strides to eliminate maternal neonatal tetanus; along with support for Eagle Mount Camp Braveheart, Big Sky Cancer Kids Spaghetti Feed, Hope for the Holidays, Kids in Crisis Backpacks, Fix-Up Festival, and others.  For more information about the Bozeman Kiwanis Club please go to www.kiwanisbozeman.org or “Bozeman Kiwanis” on Facebook.

The City of Bozeman invites you to participate in the second Bozeman Energy Smackdown, an energy conservation challenge to help local residents reduce their energy use, save money on their utilities and earn rewards and recognition for energy use reductions.

The Bozeman Energy Smackdown is a year-long competition designed to help you easily understand and track your energy usage, and learn simple and cost-effective ways to save energy and money. Engage in friendly competition and compare your energy use to that of your neighbors and energy efficient homes to see how your home stacks up, and compete to win monthly $100 Downtown Dollar gift cards and two grand prize $1,000 gift cards to your favorite local home improvement store!

All participants will have access to the new, interactive Bozeman Energy Center platform, which offers automated utility bill tracking, no- and low-cost strategies to reduce your energy bills, information on available rebates, and a personalized plan of activities. Participants will also receive monthly emails with detailed energy use and reduction strategies, and have access to educational programs and workshops on energy efficiency and conservation technologies.  Residents may be eligible for a free energy appraisal and energy-efficiency recommendations, such as improvements to lighting, insulation, electronics, and heating, from NorthWestern Energy.

The Bozeman Energy Smackdown is a City of Bozeman initiative, with support from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and NorthWestern Energy.

All area residents in the greater Bozeman area with a commitment to implement energy-efficiency projects are eligible to participate in the competition; only residents within the Bozeman City limits are eligible for monthly and grand prizes.  For a full competition description and to sign up, visit www.bozemanclimatepartners.net, or for more information contact Heather Higinbotham, City of Bozeman Energy Conservation Technician at (406) 582-2370 or hhiginbotham@bozeman.net.

Altitude Gallery is pleased to present new work by Bozeman artist Kaetlyn Able.  A reception for the artist will be held during the June 12 Art Walk from 6-8pm.  There will be an artist demonstration in front of the gallery during the Art Walk.  

Able’s “botanical portraits” are inspired by her collection of antique photographs. These intricate and playful drawings and paintings explore the human connection to nature, the tension between natural and man-made worlds, and the passage of time. Able juxtaposes the formality of the subjects’ restrictive clothing, stiff poses, and solemn expressions against wild, vibrantly detailed botanical elements to evoke a secret life that she imagines for each of them.

Able’s “flowery house” series began when she learned that the Native American tribes of Montana once called the Gallatin Valley “The Valley of Flowers.” She envisioned a floral version of a ghost town, where the flowers that once ruled the landscape begin to reclaim the city.   
 
Born and raised near Boston, Able majored in studio art at Wellesley College and earned an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2004.  Her work has been exhibited widely throughout the Northeast; her paintings can be found in numerous private collections in New England and New York. In 2011, she moved from the east coast to Libby, Montana, with her husband and two young sons. A year later, the family relocated to Bozeman. Today she works out of her home studio while her two little boys sleep, play, or make their own art alongside her.

Altitude Gallery has been showcasing contemporary art in the Gallatin Valley for ten years.  It has been voted Bozeman’s Best Art Gallery for six years in a row.    

Altitude Gallery is located in the heart of historic downtown Bozeman, MT at 134 E. Main St.  Open 10-6 Mon.-Sat. and 10-3 Sun. www.altitudegallerybozeman.com

The Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board will host a ceremony to recognize the efforts of three property owners and one organization to preserve our community’s rich cultural heritage. The Preservation Awards will be held at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 19 at the Baxter Hotel, 105 West Main Street in Bozeman. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
 The Preservation Board will present the following awards:
    •    Award for Continued Maintenance: New “Cold Roof” at313 South 6th Avenue. Property owners David and Jacquie Landis.  The criteria for this category is to Recognize an effort to actively preserve and maintain an historic building or structure for its continued use while respecting the building's original character and its site.
    •    Award for Infill and New Construction: New accessory building at 507 West Babcock Street. Property owner Richard Brown. The criteria for this category is to Recognize new infill construction or additions to an historic building which responds to Bozeman’s architectural and cultural heritage, follows the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and preserves the integrity of the Neighborhood.
    •    Award for Restoration and Rehabilitation: Restoration of the residence at 519 North Black Avenue. Property owner Jason Delmue. The criteria for this category is to “Recognize a restoration, renovation or rehabilitation project which meets high standards of preservation, that respects and responds to Bozeman’s unique cultural history and heritage.”
    •    Award for Preservation Stewardship: To the American Indian Council for preservation of Native American cultural traditions, including the Pow Wow. The criteria for this category is to “Recognize groups, individuals, agencies, or businesses that have positively impacted the City of Bozeman by advancing the public’s appreciation, understanding and involvement in historic preservation or the conservation of living traditions.”
“We hope the public will join us in celebrating noteworthy investments in our shared heritage,” noted Historic Preservation Officer Courtney Kramer. “It’s great to have an opportunity to recognize the efforts made by property owners and organizations to preserve our cultural heritage and historic places.”
More information about the Preservation Awards, including how to nominate properties for future awards, is available at:  http://www.bozeman.net/Departments/Community-Development/Historic-Preservation/Perservation-Nominations

The Livingston Depot Museum will open its 2015 season on Saturday, May 23 at 10 a.m. with its regular rail and Yellowstone history displays complemented by the special exhibit “TRAIN IN ART: Train + Depot = Light, Energy, Motion.”  The museum is operated by the Livingston Depot Foundation, which celebrates its 30th year in 2015.
 
“TRAIN IN ART,” a contemporary view of the Western rails making its debut in 2015, is collaboration by Livingston Artists Sheila Hrasky and Tandy Miles Riddle and represents the Depot’s first train art show by female artists.
 
Giving a historically male subject a female perspective, the two plein-air artists have painted at the Depot for years.  Tandy initially focused more on the ornate historic architecture, calling it one of her favorite buildings, where Sheila tends to favor the train activity itself.  Both were inspired and influenced by the interplay of movement, light, color, and shadow with the Depot and adjacent rail activity.
 
“There is a lot of play in Tandy Riddle’s raw and unaffected paintings,” commented Greg Keeler.  “Instead of capturing imagery, she releases it in bold, direct brushstrokes on broad canvasses that reveal a confidence in color, line, and form that can only come from years of experience.  For those of us familiar with the Livingston Depot, its crossings and its trains, there is the added treat of seeing the familiar defamiliarized in vivid expressions that convey a light, energy and motion only Tandy and her brushes can improvise.”
 
Sheila celebrates life living by the rails as she captures landscapes in watercolor and oil.  “The rails brought the train and gave life to the town,” she said.  “Taking the most vibrant parts of a location I create a simplified and engaging image.  These pictures are then referenced and used as building blocks for larger oil paintings focusing on the deconstruction of a subject using shaped musical instruments.”
 
Seonaid Campbell, an area writer and filmmaker, amplified, “Their confluent passion to paint runs like parallel tracks while their differing styles inspire one another…TRAIN IN ART confirms that like a passing train, art too moves us.”
 
The museum plans to hold an evening artists’ reception for TRAIN IN ART with Hrasky and Riddle on Thursday, June 18th at 7 p.m. The event will feature live music, hors d’oeuvres, and wine tasting from the up and coming Gourmet Cellar Uncorked.
 
The Depot Museum’s popular ongoing main exhibit “Rails Across the Rockies: A Century of People and Places” introduces visitors to the rich history of railroading in Montana with special attention to the Northern Pacific and its central role in the opening of Yellowstone, America’s first national park, through Livingston beginning in the 1880s. In addition to the main exhibit, the museum also presents “The Livingston Depot in History and Architecture,” “Film in Montana: Moviemaking under the Big Sky,” selections from “On Track:  The Railroad Photography of Warren McGee,” and TRAIN IN ART.  
 
The Depot Museum exhibits in 2015 will run from Saturday, May 23 through Sunday, September 13. Depot Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. There is a nominal admission. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Depot office at (406) 222-2300 or visiting www.livingstondepot.org.

The Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC) is proud to announce the addition of a female Krider’s Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis kriderii) to its team of education birds. With the proper federal permitting, birds of prey that are healthy, but un-releasable, can help MRCC staff advance the public’s awareness of raptors and their importance in the environment.

The newest MRCC education bird is Sydnee, a female Krider’s red-tailed hawk, found near Sidney, Montana in October 2014.  “She had a previous injury to her left humerus, which had healed but impaired her ability to fly. Because she was so young and her injuries were not treatable, MRCC was granted a permit by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep her.” explains Becky Kean, Director of MRCC.


“Hawks are quick and nimble on the ground, so even with only minimal flight ability, it’s not surprising that Sydnee survived for several weeks before the game wardens found her,” adds Jordan Spyke, Assistant Director at MRCC.
The Krider’s is a subspecies of Red-tail hawk distinguished by its light plumage, particularly on the head and back, and a tail that varies from pink to white. Like other buteos, hawks, Krider’s have broad, rounded wings and broad tails.

Red-tailed hawks are commonly seen soaring high above grasslands and agricultural areas searching for prey.  They will also hunt for prey—rodents, ground squirrels, rabbits, and reptiles—by perching on a treetop, telephone pole, or other lookout. As the most common hawks in North America, Red-tails have many plumage variations across the country. Krider’s typically breed in the southern parts of Canada, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota, and winter in South Dakota and southern Minnesota, sometimes going as far south as Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana.

The name Sydnee was chosen by the many MRCC volunteers who care for the bird. In addition to reflecting the area where she was found, Sydnee means a wide island in a river and also something has a deep inner desire to travel and is adventurous.  

Sydnee’s new adventures will involve meeting schoolchildren and members of the community as part of educational events. “She’s got a very calm demeanor and is easy to work with,” says Spyke.  “We are hoping to have her ready to participate in the Watershed Festival next month.”

As part of its mission of outreach and education, MRCC provides a lifetime home and long-term care for its 11 education birds.  Hawks can live close to 25 years in captivity.

 
About Montana Raptor Conservation Center
Founded in 1988, the Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to improve the welfare of raptors across Montana through rehabilitation of injured birds, community education, and partnerships for raptor conservation and research.
 

The Gallatin Valley Land Trust has worked hard over the last 25 years to build an extensive 80 mile trail system that connects Main Street Bozeman to the Mountains that surround us. The Main Street to the Mountains trail system has trails for all abilities and they are accessible from neighborhoods all over town. Yet the trail system can be daunting and confusing to the newcomer or novice user. And even the experienced trail users in Bozeman are probably unaware of all the trails right there in our backyard.

In order to help people explore the great community trail system, GVLT is launching the first season of Discovery Walks: Trail Exploration Series. Join GVLT volunteers to walk, talk, and explore the trails while meeting new people and learning something new along the way. These one-hour, guided, educational walks are totally free and open to the public. Volunteers and local experts will be hosting short talks and activities during the walks about topics such as yoga, outdoor photography, bird identification, wildflower identification, railroad history, bouldering and more! Many of the walks are geared toward families and kids such as a kid’s nature walk with the Montana Outdoor Science School and a Trail Read with the Bozeman Public Library Children’s Librarians. You can do business on the trails too! Twice a month GVLT will host Biz Walks, a networking lunch hour with other business professionals on the trails. All participants will get a free trail map at the end of the walk so they can find other trails to explore on their own.

Trail walks do not require an RSVP. Dogs are not allowed on walks. The full schedule for June is located online at www.gvlt.org/discoverywalks. Meeting locations for walks and Google maps are also located on the website.  Nonprofits and businesses can contact GVLT to schedule a walk for their participants or employees. For more information or to volunteer, email EJ Porth, ej@gvlt.org or call 406-587-8404 ext. 8.