Article and photo by Jill VanAlstyne

From meeting a real black-footed ferret to exploring a pictograph canyon, ten St. Labre high school students were all smiles the weekend of April 10-12 while on a high school Environmental Club field trip to Lewistown, Montana.

"Bandit," the resident black-footed ferret at the American Prairie National Discovery Center, awoke from his nap to peek at the students. This species was thought to be extinct until 1981, when a rancher's dog near Meeteetse, Wyoming, brought a dead ferret to his owners, which led to researchers finding the last 18 ferrets and establishing a captive breeding program. At the Discovery Center, students learned about the Great Plains ecosystem and Native tribes' historical connection with plains animals.

At the Discovery Center, students learned about the Great Plains ecosystem and Native tribes' historical connection with plains animals.

Students also visited Big Springs Trout Hatchery nearby and were enamored of rainbow trout, brown trout, and kokanee salmon. They got to hold tiny fish, watch heavy-bellied rainbow trout swim, learn about the precious Madison Aquifer that feeds the springs, and even taste a bit of fish food!

A highlight of the trip was hiking in Bear Gulch Canyon, a magical, remote site with the largest known collection of Plains Indian rock art in Montana. Here, the 100-foot canyon walls reveal pictographs and petroglyphs dating to the year 1000. The St. Labre students were delighted to figure out what each painting or etching represented, such as humans with shields, clubs, feathers, or animals, such as bison.

The hosts and speakers of this tour were most gracious, including sheep rancher and author

Gilles Stockton, Bear Gulch Canyon owner Macie Lundin Ahlgren, Fish Hatchery Manager Miles Fox, and American Prairie Education Manager Dusty Rixford. The Environmental Club also learned about coal mining, data centers, and a proposed nuclear power plant from their stop at the Billings office of the Northern Plains Resource Council, which has a long history of working with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Cheyenne elder Otto Braided Hair told the students about the tribe's relationship with the natural world and how each living thing has a spirit.

En route to Lewistown and back, students got to see a coal mine, giant windmills, solar panel arrays on the prairie, and learn about various ways to produce energy. All in all, it was an interactive and educational experience that included viewing the oldest to the newest technologies!