"One of the best, loved her enthusiasm and props!!!"

-Participant, "Citizen Science: It's More Than Just Science!"

Jessica's Note

This winter, as the Gallatin Valley has seen only a fraction of the piles of snow we are used to, you may wonder what the summer will bring. Did you know there is a monthly Gallatin Water Supply Outlook Report where you can learn about the current conditions? Click or tap here to view the January 2024 report.

The more we know about our current conditions, the better we can prepare for the future. Click or tap here to visit an MSU Extension webpage with resources for homeowners to learn more about protecting water resources in and around their homes.

Jessica Alvarez

Program Coordinator, OLLI at MSU

Upcoming OLLI at MSU Programs

March Friday Forum: Passenger Rail in Southern Montana, Gaining Steam

Jason Stuart, vice-chair of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA), and Dan Bucks, chairman of BSPRA’s Development & Strategic Engagement Committee, will discuss the history of passenger rail service in Montana and current efforts to re-establish passenger rail service across southern Montana.

In December 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that BSPRA successfully applied to include the former North Coast Hiawatha route in the FRA’s Corridor ID program. Of the 69 routes FRA selected for inclusion in Corridor ID, this is the only national, long-distance route chosen for the program. The FRA awarded BSPRA an initial grant of $500,000 to prepare a Scope of Work, the first step in Corridor ID. Millions more in federal funding will follow to create a Service Development Plan in Step 2 and for environmental reviews and technical engineering in Step 3. As part of its ongoing Long-Distance Rail Study, FRA also recently revealed that the former North Coast Hiawatha route is one of 15 long-distance rail routes FRA has identified as preferred for restoration. 

Regional rail authorities in Montana aim to preserve and improve abandoned rail services for agriculture, industry, or passenger traffic and to preserve the abandoned railroad right-of-way for future transportation uses when determined to be practicable and necessary for the public welfare. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority's mission is to provide for the reestablishment of safe, reliable and sustainable passenger rail service across southern Montana that increases opportunity and contributes to the health and well-being of people across the state and beyond.  

This Friday Forum meets on March 8 from noon to 1:30 p.m. online via Zoom. Click or tap here for more information or to register directly through Zoom.

Participants must register by 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 8. Upon registration confirmation, participants will receive an email with the Zoom link and instructions on how to join the Friday Forum. Registration is required to receive the Zoom information.

Friday Forum offers presentations and campus discussions on local and regional timely topics. OLLI at MSU Friday Forum is free and open to the public.

Click or tap here for past Friday Forum recordings on the OLLI at MSU Recordings page.

Upcoming Courses

Experiencing Russia Through Film with Asya Pereltsvaig. Thursdays, March 7 - April 11, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Online via Zoom.

Our Constitutions, Federal and State, Plus a Few Others To Boot with Stephen Maly. Tuesdays, March 26 - April 30, 10:00 a.m. - noon. Hope Lutheran Church.

Gardening Under the Big Sky with Toby Day. Wednesdays, March 27 - May 1, 10:00 a.m. - noon. Hope Lutheran Church.

OLLI Extras

Nature’s Calendar: The Phenology of Spring with Cedar Mathers-Winn. Wednesday, March 20, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Hope Lutheran Church. Explore the natural history of change and deepen your experience of the seasons here in Montana.

Taste of OLLI: Dry Hills Distillery Tour and Tasting Tuesday, March 26, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Dry Hills Distillery. Learn about Dry Hills Distillery's farm-to-bottle process and enjoy sipping craft spirits in their warm, inviting tasting room.

Speaker Series

It Isn't Glass Until It Breaks with Ruth King. February 26, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Online via Zoom.

My Life in Hollywood: A History of Film in Montana Through the Lens of a Casting Director with Tina Buckingham. March 18, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Museum of the Rockies.

Ptolemaic Queens as Greco-Egyptian Goddesses with Tara Sewell-Lasater. March 25, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Museum of the Rockies.

Osher Online Courses

Osher Online programs are not recorded. These online courses are offered through the National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes.

The Sixties in America: From Rebellion to Rights to Commodity with Jeff Rice. Mondays, April 1 - May 6, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Online via Zoom.

Peace Leadership: Exploring Peacebuilding from the Ground Up with Aleen Bayard. Tuesdays, April 2 - May 7, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Online via Zoom.

Chemistry Inside You with Kjir Hendrickson. Tuesdays, April 2 - May 7, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Online via Zoom.

Click or tap here to see additional newly added Osher Online offerings.

Travel and explore Montana with OLLI at MSU this summer

Full descriptions and details will be available soon. Registration opens March 6 at 10:00 a.m.

100 Million Years of History in Southeast Montana

Journey to Southeast Montana and discover 100 million years of history. The area is known for its sandstone formations, active paleontological history, open plains and early homestead history.

This fun trip is physically demanding. It involves hiking on uneven ground, sitting, digging, and sifting for fossils, extended periods of standing, and a six-hour drive (from Bozeman) to the program destination.

Travel and lodging are the registrants' responsibility. OLLI has reserved a block of rooms for paid registrants.

Tuition is $450 per registrant. Your travel program tuition includes activities and meals from dinner on June 25 to lunch on June 27.

Registration opens March 6 at 10:00 a.m. Needs-based scholarship applications are due by March 13. Dates: June 25 - June 27.

Centennial Valley & Red Rock Lakes

OLLI has designed this trip for those who want a robust overview of the Centennial Valley's important natural and cultural aspects. Participants will learn about and meet people who live and work in the area, including cattle ranchers, the Centennial Valley Association's Range Riders, and managers of non-profit organizations such as the Montana Nature Conservancy and the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

This trip will include low-to-moderate levels of walking (up to one mile per day), sometimes on uneven terrain. Individual and small-group opportunities for more walking are available.

Costs include two nights' lodging and seven meals per person (two breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners), as well as facility, programming and staff fees.

Option #1 | Group Ranch House - $445 per person

Option #2 | Cabin - $890 for up to two people

Registration opens March 6 at 10:00 a.m. Needs-based scholarship applications are due by March 13. Dates: July 1 - July 3.

Learning Opportunities for Everyone - Feed Your Curiosity at a Price That Works for You!

We strive to keep member participation affordable so everyone 50 years of age and better can engage with us in lifelong learning. Therefore, OLLI at MSU offers financial assistance for both tuition and membership.

We are grateful to the family and friends of our late OLLI at MSU leader and consummate lifelong learner, Doug Young, for establishing the Doug Young Memorial Scholarship Fund.

We encourage you and your neighbors or friends to apply for membership or program tuition assistance as needed. Our application is quick and easy. Click or tap here to view more information or apply for financial assistance. Applications must be submitted prior to program registration.

March Reads



OLLI at MSU offers three member exclusive book discussion groups. We are sharing the below titles to allow you time to enjoy a good cozy autumn read and join in the discussions! You may join any of the groups below for one, a few, or all of the sessions.

OLLI Mystery Book Discussion Group

Still Life

Louise Penny

March 5,

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Online via Zoom

OLLI Non-Fiction Book Discussion Group

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Sam Kean

March 18,

1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom

OLLI at MSU Book Discussion Group

Waiting for the Barbarians

J. M. Coetzee

March 4

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Face-to-face

Hope Lutheran Church

Seeking volunteers for program development

We're seeking adventurous volunteers who are eager to infuse their unique perspectives into the OLLI experience.

Spark Your Imagination: Join the OLLI Extras Committee and indulge your passion for creating engaging programs and connecting with others. Share your wisdom and help us shape experiences that resonate with our lively community of learners.



Empower Future Adventures: Consider lending your expertise to the Development Committee and contribute to planning and implementing future fundraising initiatives for long-term sustainability. Your involvement will feed other's curiosity for generations to come.

We invite YOU to be a part of our vibrant community. Complete our short volunteer form or reply to this email, and we will contact you to discuss further. Let's make every OLLI moment extraordinary together! 

Campus Corner

Below are a few upcoming events offered on the Montana State University Bozeman campus that may interest our OLLI at MSU members. Click or tap titles and locations for more information. These events are not sponsored or produced by OLLI at MSU.

Winter Choral Festival Monday, February 26, 7:30 p.m. Hope Lutheran Church. Four Bozeman choirs will perform a wide-ranging program of choral favorites, including Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” Stacey Gibbs’ arrangement “Ride the Chariot,” Jocelyn Hagen's “Only Gratitude Remains,” and other selections. Click or tap here for more details or to purchase tickets. Ticket purchase required.

MSU Symphony Orchestra Concert Friday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. Howard Hall , Reynolds Recital Hall. The MSU Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Tobin Stewart, will perform Emmanuel Chabrier’s Joyeuse Marche, the world premiere of Austin Whisler’s Aurora Borealis, Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto for Saxophone with soloist Tanner Crow, and Margaret Bonds’ Montgomery Variations. Click or tap here for more details or to purchase tickets. Ticket purchase required.

Beyond the Archive: Fisheries Field Work and One Historian's Craft with Dr. James Martin. Tuesday, March 5, and Wednesday, March 6, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Wilson Hall Rm. 1-132. Dr. Martin will discuss his fieldwork experience and how it shapes his work as a historian.

We hope you enjoy the selection of items we have chosen for this edition. Everything in this email will be archived on the Newsletter Archive page of our website.