IN THIS WORKSHOP:
MOTHS: Learn about moth natural history, diversity, and evolutionary adaptations. Why moths are among the most ecologically important insect groups. How to find and identify moths. Attract and observe moths in the field. Contribute to National Moth Week citizen science. How the Montana Moth Project is helping to better understand moth diversity, distribution, and ecology in the state.
NATURALIST: Learn about wildflowers, pollinators, and birdsong while spending time in the sunshine at Jack Creek Preserve. Naturalist instruction from Cedar Mathers-Winn will have your mind buzzing just like the bees!
STARGAZING: Explore the night skies at Jack Creek Preserve with stargazing enthusiast Lynn Powers.
DETAILS:
Date: July 18-19, 2026
Dinner and breakfast will be provided
$200/person, 24 spots available
Meet at Jack Creek Preserve’s Outdoor Education Center
ROUGH SCHEDULE:
JULY 18
10:00AM Welcome, introduction, housekeeping
11:00AM-3PM Choose your own adventure
Hike with Abi King
Guided nature walk with Cedar Mathers-Winn
12:30 Lunch in the field (participants bring their own lunches)
5:00PM Dinner
6:30PM Moths with Mat Seidensticker
9:30PM Moth trap collection
10:00PM Stargazing with Lynn Powers
JULY 19
7:30AM Breakfast
8:30AM Moth collection debrief
9:00AM Wild MT conversation
10:00AM Participants pack up and depart
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Mat Seidensticker:
Mat developed broad interests in wildlife research and natural history while earning Wildlife Biology (B.Sc., 2000) and Environmental Studies (M.Sc., 2011) degrees from the University of Montana. After his undergraduate studies, he worked with the Owl Research Institute for over a decade, conducting field studies on Snowy, Long-eared, Saw-whet, Flammulated, Pygmy, and Northern Hawk Owls in Alaska and Montana. His graduate research on Flammulated Owls and subsequent work with the avian science team at MPG Ranch ignited a passion for moths and insects, leading him to establish the non-profit organization Northern Rockies Research & Educational Services in 2019 to advance scientific research, monitoring, and conservation of moths and other insects in Montana, and beyond.
Cedar Mathers-Winn:
Cedar is a naturalist, biologist, and educator based in Bozeman, MT. He has a Master’s degree in Ecology, and has studied animal behavior in deserts, rainforests, and mountains around the world. He has taught undergraduates, professional scientists, and the public in a great variety of topics in biology and natural history. His mission is to show how common subtleties of nature open up worlds of wildness – always there but hidden in plain sight.
Lynn Powers: A lifelong stargazer with an unshakable passion for the cosmos, Lynn Powers has spent more than 25 years bringing the wonders of the universe to communities across the region. As President of the Southwest Montana Astronomical Society, a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and an adjunct professor at MT State University, she has led hundreds of dark sky viewing events, inspiring curiosity in people of all ages. Whether guiding a telescope toward Saturn’s rings or sharing the latest space discoveries, she believes the night sky belongs to everyone — and loves helping others find their place in it.