Drew Lefebvre is the founder and director of Turnstone Nature Education. She grew up in the hemlock forests of Maine and attended college in Boston. In 2009 she moved to Montana for a season of wilderness trail work and has been here ever since, honing a passion for natural history education and for the ecology of Montana. She has led a variety of programs for adults and children, including citizen science, trail work, and natural history courses.

Drew holds an M.S. in Environmental Education from the University of Montana and is a certified Montana Master Naturalist and Master Gardener. She believes that everyone has a story within the natural world; helping them add meaning, knowledge, and a sense of wonder to their experiences is a highlight of her work.

Jason Schein is a paleontologist and founder of the Elevation Science Institute. Throughout his professional experience, he has developed a diverse slate of engaging educational programming in the fields of natural history, geology, and paleontology for audiences of all ages, specializing in creating unique, hands-on experiences to help people experience the power of science.

Jason is also a writer, certified Montana Master Naturalist, and outdoorsman. When he isn’t working, you can find Jason exploring his current city, Philadelphia, or hiking, hunting, fishing, and generally sharing his love of the natural world with his family.

What to Expect

Each day you will have a variety of instruction, typically kicking off with indoor instruction for a short period to familiarize everyone with the basics of the day before heading outdoors for hands-on lessons and excursions. After all, we’ll be in the most beautiful outdoor classroom the country has to offer! We’re going to take advantage of that! Expect to be outdoors for 6-8 hours per day.

Day 1: ARRIVAL, WELCOME, ORIENTATION, & INTRODUCTIONS

Day 2: CONIFERS, BIOGEOGRAPHY, FIRE ECOLOGY

Day 3: PLANTS & FLOWERS

Day 4: GEOLOGY & PALEONTOLOGY

Day 5: BIRDS

Day 6: INSECTS, MAMMALS, WRAP UP, & FINAL EXAM

Day 7: DEPARTURES

Where You’ll Stay

We will stay at the Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Association (YBRA) located on the edge of the front range of the Beartooth Mountains overlooking Red Lodge. Six nights of lodging are included with the course fee. First built in the 1930's, YBRA is a comfortable facility with basic cabins, home-style cooking, spectacular views, and incredible sunsets! Our student cabins are basic and with various sizes and setups, but all have electricity (including lights and outlets), twin-sized beds, and wifi is strong throughout camp.  Students should be prepared to share a cabin with up to 6 other people, cabins are separated by gender. Couples may be paired up in the event there is ample space. We provide a bottom sheet for your bed as well as a pillow and pillow case, but please bring a warm sleeping bag.  Be sure to bring a flashlight or headlamp for night trips to the bathroom. Pets are not allowed.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included for those staying at YBRA. If you sign up as a Local Resident, meals will not be included except for the Welcome Dinner on the first evening. Please pack a lunch and snacks to bring with you for the week. Instruction will be finished by 6pm. (For anyone requiring special food accomodations, we will do our best, but you will need to acquire and pay for anything out of our scope of ability.)

• Plants of the Rocky Mountains, by Linda Kershaw, Andy MacKinnon, and Jim Pojar

• Rocky Mountain Natural History, by Daniel Mathews

• The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western America, by David Sibley

You can get these books anywhere, but Beartooth Books in Red Lodge can special order them for you and we can have them waiting when you arrive in camp!