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Western Heritage Center "Small Things Forgotten: Plant Life in the Yellowstone Valley" June 16, Noon Learn about the identification, stories, traditional uses, and where to find wildflowers in the area. With recent rains, this June and July should be one of the greatest showings of flowers seen in this region in years. Carolyn Sevier will be presenting this special program as part of the monthly high noon lecture series at the Western Heritage Center in Billings. Offered by the Audubon Conservation Education Center and Rim Country Land Institute. Campers will spend the morning at the Audubon Center and the afternoon at Rim Country (drop off campers at the Audubon Center and pickup at Rocky Mtn College). We'll learn how early explorers like Lewis and Clark survived in Montana. How did they know what to eat? Where did they sleep? How did they stay warm? Join us as we answer these questions and more. For 10-13 year-olds $220 per explorer, scholarships available (contact Audubon Center at 294-5099) Register through Billings Parks and Rec www.prpl.info
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June 2011 Newsletter
Greetings! Two inspiring things have happened this month. At our May moonlight hike, a woman celebrated her 75th birthday with a hike--in the rain!--with friends. Just at sunset, though, the clouds broke and we were treated to an amazing rainbow over the prairie dog town. And earlier this week Rim Country was host to a group of "Eco-Stewards" based in Boston, Massachusetts. With roots in faith traditions and a call to action based on current threats to the environment, leaders of the program have organized week-long excursions for young adults, in the past visiting California, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. This year their destination was Montana, seeking especially to learn about "Living With and From the Land on the Crow Reservation: Sustainability and Reconciliation through Agriculture, Health, and Green Building." On a day-long walkabout at Cove Canyon Grasslands, this group of engaged, thoughtful, and energetic young people learned about the place--both ecological and cultural--that is the Montana prairie. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with them, and it was so refreshing to meet up with people from around the country whose efforts had so many things in common with ours here at Rim Country. In an effort to share the inspiration I found in them, here's a bit from their website, www.ecostewardsprogram.org: Our Mission Statement The Eco-Stewards Program is a Christian community responding to God's call through applied eco-stewardship.The Eco-Stewards program seeks to train and inspire young adults (ages 20-30) in the ways of eco-stewardship within the wider context of our Christian faith. In response to Jesus' call to love our neighbors, we are committed to the following principles: 1. Eco-consciousness Carolyn Sevier Kickoff June 12 Get Outside Montana is a multi-week, back-to-nature event for all ages, beginning June 12, 2011. Families will engage in a little friendly competition as they explore Billings and Red Lodge's conservation areas through activities such as games, Frisbee golf, scavenger hunts, canoeing and more. The Audubon Conservation Education Center, Beartooth Nature Center, Rim Country Land Institute, Pictograph Cave SP, Billings Parks and Recreation, The Base Camp, BikeNet, Sunshine Sports, Magic City Fly Fishermen and many more will be hosting a variety of guided and self-guided events June 12-July 10. The top three families who participate in the most activities during the 4 weeks will receive prizes. First Prize: North Face 4-person Tent, day pack and accessories (The Base Camp) and a Weekend Raft Rental (Sunshine Sports) Second Prize: Specialize Carmel Comfort 3 speed Bike (The Spoke Shop) with a $50 gift card to The Bike Shop Third Prize: $100 gift card to Scheels and a $25 gift card to The Bike Shop Sponsors include: Yellowstone Conservation District, Scheels, Billings Chamber of Commerce, The Spoke Shop, Yellowstone River Parks Association, The Bike Shop, Sunshine Sports and The Base Camp. Attend our Kick-Off Event at the Audubon Center on June 12th to receive a goodie bag, door prizes and have a chance to participate in a variety of guided activities including: fly fishing, macroinvertebrate search, volleyball, geocaching, campfire stories and more! Registered families receive a passport booklet with participating sites and fun activities for various natural areas around Billings and Red Lodge, as well as a schedule of activities. For more information go to www.mtacec.org WHAT: 3-day, 2-night outdoor workshop for families Got a family? Want to see more of Montana? Learn the basics of camping during a full weekend workshop held just 6 miles from Billings. Learn and practice the basics of camping in a series of family-friendly sessions. Topics will include first aid, where to go, naturalist skills, camp cooking, and more. The weekend also includes plenty of time to relax and explore on the 3,000-acre Cove Canyon Grasslands. Meals provided, gear available. A perfect weekend for families new to the area or those who are interested in camping but are not sure how to get started. In partnership with Rim Country Land Institute, The Base Camp, and the Montana Family Medical Residency program. For more information, contact Carolyn at carolyn@rimcountry.org or 406-696-8622. 
Group packages for prairie exploration Schedule your own private walkabout this summer at Cove Canyon. Bring your family, or any group of up to 12 people, for a unique shared experience of our 3,000-acre prairie preserve just six miles from Billings. A great way to show off where you live to visiting friends and family and re-connect yourself to your own local ecosystem. $150, gift certificates available. Call for scheduling.
Lots of chances to see the prairie For all hikes, register at 696-8622 or carolyn@rimcountry.org. Dress for weather! Moonlight Hikes Wednesday Walkabouts Early Morning Bird Walks Cove Canyon Crosswalks Slime Molds and Spadefoot Toads There's been a lot of rain around here lately; we're already X" above our annual average, and X" of that was in the month of May. The water has saturated the soils and filled every low spot and coulee with puddles and streams. After several years of drought, the changes that this moisture has brought to the landscape are striking. Especially interesting are the species that are built just for such rare weather events. Here are two that have appeared lately. slime mold? Slime molds are slimy, moldy-looking structures that are really a bunch of individual, microscopic cells that spend most of their lives crawling around separately. When there's enough moisture around, these amoeba-like creatures form a blob that moves and eventually hardens and releases thousands of spores into the air. Slime molds used to be classified with fungi but are now considered to be closer to Protista. Two different slime molds have been spotted at Cove Canyon after the recent rains. The most common has been a bright-yellow, slimy, spongy-looking blob that collects on grass blades just above the ground. It looks a lot like photos of Fuligo septica, or "dog-vomit slime mold." The other is a gooey mass of plasma that has only been seen on juniper bushes, dripping burnt-orange globs onto lower branches. I'm not sure if this spotted structure in the photo is part of the slime mold or part of the juniper that the slime mold is growing on, but it does look really cool. spadefoot toads.
Another more familiar animal is a spadefoot toad, heard calling after big rainstorms. They were pretty easy to identify by their vertical eye-slits and shiny golden eyes blinking above the water surface, this pair caught in a pond near the barn. Notice the dark spots on the back legs of the male-these are "spades" that the toad uses to dig with. In this photo you can also see the relative size and shade of the male and female and the spots on the sides of their abdomens. Spadefoot toads spend dry years in burrows, absorbing water through their skin and surviving on fat reserves. The males' call is a rich, loud crrrrrrrooooaaak and can be heard for ¼ mile away.
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