In celebration of its namesake, local nonprofit Gallatin Valley Earth Day will once again present a fun and informative series of events in Bozeman. The 2024 Earth Day Festival will take place Saturday, April 20th, from 10am–3pm at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. Highlights include live talks, various exhibitors, kids’ activities, live music and delicious food, all focusing on the health of our planet.
Earth Day lectures kick off with “Is Your Property at Risk for Wildfire?” with Jay Pape from Gallatin County Emergency Management at 11am, followed by “Create Your Own Backyard Food Forest” with Kareen Erbe from Broken Ground Permaculture at noon. Cashman Nursery staff will be on hand for advice and tips with “Trees for the Gallatin Valley” at 1pm prior to Live Raptor Presentations with Keaton Thomas from the Montana Raptor Conservation Center at 1:30pm and 2:30pm. An additional lecture, “Get to Know the City’s Forestry Division,” is set for 2pm featuring Alex Nordquest from City of Bozeman Forestry and Lilly McLane from Gallatin Watershed Council.
A special presentation of the Magic Monster Show with Random Acts of Silliness begins at 10am, plus win prizes as part of the children’s Earth Day Passport program. The event will also include a petting zoo and face painting booth!
The Gallatin Valley Earth Day event will also see the start of 2024 Bozeman CleanUp Week, set for April 20th–27th. Individuals and groups are encouraged to help pick up litter around Bozeman after a long winter! As the snow melts, we tend to see more trash around our neighborhoods. Not only do cleanups improve habitat for humans and critters within city limits, but they also directly impact our downstream neighbors by helping to keep our streams and rivers clean. Clean-up supplies will be available at the Festival and registration information can be found through the City of Bozeman website.
In advance of the Earth Day Fest, event promoters will present a pair of supplemental lectures for the public to enjoy. “Old-Growth Forests in Montana” is first up on Thursday, April 11th, featuring Dr. Joan Maloof. Author and founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network, she will discuss the importance of ancient forests for the health and stability of our planet. The 7pm lecture in the Museum of the Rockies’ Hager Auditorium will be preceded by a reception with snacks and refreshments courtesy of Fork & Spoon at 6pm. Dr. Maloof’s latest book, Nature’s Temples: A Natural History of Old-Growth Forests, will be available for sale and signing.
A second lecture comes to the Museum on Friday, April 19th. “Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy” will begin at 6:30pm featuring George Wuerthner from the Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance. Attendees will learn about wildfire ecology and the role of wildfire in the regional ecosystem. For those unable to attend either Maloof or Wuerthner’s lectures, livestream registration links may be found through the Earth Day website. Both are free and open to the public.
In collaboration with the Bozeman Doc Series, take in a screening of the new documentary 399: Queen of the Tetons on Thursday, April 18th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture beginning at 7pm. The film follows the life of the most famous bear in the world, Grizzly #399, as she attempts to raise an unusually large litter of four cubs to adulthood. Amidst a warming climate, human encroachment and the looming threat of losing protected status under the Endangered Species Act, a mother bear makes increasingly unexpected – and consequential – choices to protect her family.
The screening unfolds as part of the annual Earth Day event and will be preceded at 5:45pm by a reception in the Emerson ballroom with food and drink, as well as Earth Day information and opportunities from event sponsors and others. The reception will also feature the annual silent auction with items from series sponsors. Tickets are available through the Doc Series website.
Finally, the last of workshop series “Good Company: Exploring Trees & Forests” will take place Friday, April 12th, or Sunday, April 14th. Each will be held from 2–4pm in Bozeman’s Gardner Park. Explore the ecology and wonder of our native trees and forests with presenter Ashley Martens. Learn how to identify each species, discover its unique lifestyle and engage in mindful activities for deeper connection. Martens’ workshop will focus on riparian forests and participant cost is $30.
The Earth Day Festival and supplemental events are FREE and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Find additional details at www.gallatinvalleyearthday.org, where you can also access more information about the Earth Day Passport. Earn stamps, then submit for a drawing to win a prize!
Gallatin Valley Earth Day encourages local citizen action to help protect our planet from right here in the Gallatin Valley. The group came together in creation of a Bozeman festival that celebrates this vital work. Learn more by visiting the aforementioned website. •
