Ripple: The Center for Education and Ecosystem Studies

08/25/2026

Monday in Butte: Mining, Water, & Restoration ⛏️💧

Kick off the 2026 MWCC Watershed Tour with us on Monday, Sept. 14, in Butte!

The day will feature a tour of the Berkeley Pit, the history of the Butte Mining District, contemporary mining and legacy cleanup, wildlife mitigation, green stormwater infrastructure at Father Sheehan Park, and a tour of the Basin Creek Municipal Water Plant and Watershed.

📍 Butte
🗓️ Monday, Sept. 14
⏰ 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
🌊 Optional drive along the Silver Bow Greenway

Come explore the threats and opportunities facing water resources in the Butte area. Register by Friday at mtwatersheds.org/connection/watershed-tour/

08/24/2026

We still need volunteers! If you’re able to help, please contact us. We’d greatly appreciate your time and support.
Thank you!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! 🙋 The fall season of our 2026 Watershed Science Program is in full swing, and we are looking for volunteers to help with our Butte field trips. If you are passionate about sharing science and the story of our watershed with students, read on for more information!

❓ What do volunteers do?
Volunteers help make our field trips possible! As a volunteer, you will help run a station where students collect real data about Silver Bow Creek. The stations include macroinvertebrate sampling, water quality testing, and riparian assessments.

❓ Do I need to be an expert?
Absolutely not! The most important thing a volunteer can have is enthusiasm. The Ripple staff will train you at your station to ensure you are prepared to help lead students. If you have a particular station you're interested in, let us know.

❓ What is the time commitment?
We have 6 field trips this fall, typically from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. Volunteers do not need to be available for every field trip.

❓ How do I sign up?
Sign up at ripplemt.org/volunteer, email Sam Klusmeyer at [email protected], or email Tammy Gordon at [email protected].

08/18/2026

Don't miss your chance to register for an incredible tour!

You don't want to miss this opportunity to join us next month! Register today for an adventure around the Columbia River Basin in Montana.- https://mailchi.mp/47786cad33a4/welcome-to-mwcc-watershed-celebrations-5844126

08/14/2026

The full agenda for our Watershed Tour is up on the website!

👉Check out all the cool stops and wonderful people who will be a part of the Tour.👈

Don't delay; registration closes next week! ⏰

mtwatersheds.org/connection/watershed-tour/

08/13/2026

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! 🙋 The fall season of our 2026 Watershed Science Program is in full swing, and we are looking for volunteers to help with our Butte field trips. If you are passionate about sharing science and the story of our watershed with students, read on for more information!

❓ What do volunteers do?
Volunteers help make our field trips possible! As a volunteer, you will help run a station where students collect real data about Silver Bow Creek. The stations include macroinvertebrate sampling, water quality testing, and riparian assessments.

❓ Do I need to be an expert?
Absolutely not! The most important thing a volunteer can have is enthusiasm. The Ripple staff will train you at your station to ensure you are prepared to help lead students. If you have a particular station you're interested in, let us know.

❓ What is the time commitment?
We have 6 field trips this fall, typically from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. Volunteers do not need to be available for every field trip.

❓ How do I sign up?
Sign up at ripplemt.org/volunteer, email Sam Klusmeyer at [email protected], or email Tammy Gordon at [email protected].

08/01/2026

Come see us and identify macroinvertibrates from Silver Bow Creek at the Butte Civic Center from 12-2 at the Silver Bow County 4-H kids area for the County fair!

07/29/2026

07/21/2026

Ripple's Spring season is at an end. Spring one of Ripple's busiest seasons, and 2026 was no different. We taught in classrooms from Butte to Missoula, led community cleanups, worked with local leaders to lead educational festivals, taught restoration techniques to landowners, studied leaf pack decomposition with Missoula high school students, tabled at events, wrote grants, led a teacher academy about migration in Montana, and assisted with the evaluation of remediated caps around Butte.

Now, our team is preparing for the Fall! Stay tuned for announcements about events, volunteer opportunities, fundraising events, and more.

Thank you to everyone that made our spring programming possible, including Water & Environmental Technologies, Butte-Silver Bow Parks and Recreation, Clearwater Credit Union, the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association, Butte-Silver Bow Urban Forestry, BSB Stormwater, Harrington Pepsi, Pizza Ranch, Domino's Pizza, Butte's Ace Hardware, and the Alpine Ecosystems Research Institute - AERI.