The Big Picture

One of American Prairie Foundation’s (APF) central goals is to improve public access to a unique and spectacular prairie landscape. APF furthers this mission with its Educational Outreach program, which introduces students of all ages to the immense diversity of American Prairie Reserve (APR). By instilling a connection among land, wildlife and people, APF fosters the value of managing this globally important area for the future of generations to come.

Progress to Date

The Educational Outreach Program aims to provide a diverse educational experience to groups that visit the Reserve, local school children and communities, and students at advanced levels of education who are looking for research opportunities. We design the programs to expose students to a wealth of ecological and historical components unique to the northern Great Plains.

Our Educational Outreach programs are conducted in partnership with other organizations. Examples of past initiatives include:

• Working with Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and area schools (Malta and the Hayes-Lodgepole and Dodson Schools on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation), APF has held field days and in-classroom lessons designed to provide hands-on science learning and outdoor education. Students have learned about such things as aquatic invertebrates, medicinal plants, the water cycle, and prairie animal classification and adaptation.
• Holding Community Art Workshops with artist Clyde Aspevig. Aspevig demonstrated his painting techniques to about 50 Malta resident and served as a guest teacher to the Advanced Art Class at the Malta High School.
• Providing college and graduate level internships assisting APF, World Wildlife Fund, the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks with research projects on American Prairie Reserve.
• Conducting various educational outings on the Reserve for groups from all over the world, including high school students from the Grasslands National Park area in Canada, land managers from throughout China, Montana Conservation Corps students and groups from regional universities.

Next Steps

APF will continue to build its Educational Outreach program in and around the Reserve and to encourage internship opportunities for college students doing fieldwork in scientific disciplines. Educational field trips are scheduled during the late spring and early fall of each year. To schedule or inquire about a field trip, contact us at 406-585-4600 or mail@americanprairie.org.