Northern Lights Donates $1,000 to American Prairie Foundation

Northern Lights is pleased to announce a grant in the amount of $1,000 to American Prairie Foundation for the month of February, 2012. Since 2001, American Prairie Foundation has been assembling habitat to build American Prairie Reserve in Montana, which currently spans more than 123,000 acres of public and private land. The Reserve will eventually be the largest wildlife reserve in the lower forty-eight states, consisting of about 500,000 private acres that glue together roughly three million acres of existing public land. American Prairie Foundation will continue to own and manage its private lands while working collaboratively with the various entities that oversee public land management and natural resources in the region: the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Montana Department of State Lands, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Conservation biologists have determined that a mixed-grass prairie would need to be approximately 5,000 square miles (roughly 3.2 million acres) in order to be a fully functioning ecosystem. A landscape of this size would be able to support the full complement of native prairie biodiversity, including seasonal migrations, and provide room to endure episodic localized natural phenomena like fire, disease and winter ice events. The Reserve is already a living laboratory for numerous long-term science studies that will help shape its management and habitat restoration efforts, including plains bison reintroduction. In 2012, there will be more than 200 bison roaming American Prairie Reserve.

Courtesy: American Prairie Foundation

In addition to acquiring habitat for the Reserve and wildlife restoration, American Prairie Foundation is dedicated to public access and educational outreach. Open to the public for a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, horseback riding and hunting, APF is actively working to make the prairie a place that inspires and welcomes all types of visitors. This is a huge undertaking. But with support from individuals and organizations like Northern Lights, the dream of a protected American Prairie can become a reality, one piece at a time. With this donation, Northern Lights is helping to construct a trail system that will allow people to explore the Reserve by foot or by bike. For more information or to make a donation, please click here.

National Geographic Presents

An Evening of Field Research & Exploration

Saturday, February 11th at 7:30pm at the Strand Union Building on the campus of Montana State University. Doors open at 7:00pm and admission is free, but first come, first served.  Featuring John Francis, Mike Fay and Conrad Anker, Fay will share highlights from his 1,800-mile trek through the entire redwoods range and his current work on resource use and ecosystem balance in Alaska and British Columbia.  Anker will recount his 275-mile journey on foot through the remote Chang Tang to witness the high-altitude calving grounds of the elusive Tibetan antelope.  For more information, call 994-7275 or MSU online.

Young Explorers Grants Workshop

Earlier in the day, from 9:45am - 3:00pm in Gaines Hall, Room 101, National Geographic will host  a Young Explorers Grants Workshop, taught by grant committee members.  The workshop, including breakfast and lunch, is free.  Eligible participants must be age 18 to 25 and be in pursuit of research, exploration and conservation-based field projects. For details and limited registration, go to National Geographic. Space is limited, so sign up early!

Brought to you by The North Face, MSU and Northern Lights Trading Company!

Big Sky Weekly Press

Northern Lights Community Fund featured in Big Sky Weekly

Check out this great article on how Northern Lights is donating $1,000 to non-profits every month!

Skiing Near Hyalite Peak

Check out our ski near Hyalite Peak this weekend! Shot with a GoPro 2 HD.

Hyalite Canyon Drive

Thanks to many different groups, including Northern Lights, BSF, Friends of Hyalite, Gallatin County and the USFS, Hyalite is more accessible than ever. The plowing seems to be going great and we look forward to many more years of safe access to Hyalite in the winter!

This is a tribute video to the plowing effort. If anyone hasn't been up the canyon and wonders what the roads are like, check this video out. 4WD is recommended, but we've seen front wheel drive vehicles make it all the way to Grotto Falls Trailhead. No matter your vehicle capabilities, check your speed and make sure to watch out for wildlife and sleds!

G1 Dawn Patrol

Genesis 1 Dawn Patrol from Northern Lights on Vimeo.

Northern Lights staffers getting in a few pitches in Hyalite before work.  Shot on the Hero Outdoor in time lapse.

Northern Lights Community Fund

Each month, Northern Lights will announce $1,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations here and in our newsletter. The Northern Lights Community Fund is our monthly program of giving back to Bozeman and Montana. This is directly related to our belief that your dollars do more for our community when you keep them Local. When you shop Local, you keep each other healthy. When you shop online, you are sending your dollars out of state and they stay out of state. The Northern Lights Community Fund exists to help give back to a pool of conservation and human interest organizations that help make and keep Montana a great place for all of us to live and recreate. We want to help and do our part!

Northern Lights' Pictures from the Bozeman Ice Festival

All Photos Copyright Jack Harris. Thanks Jack!

Bozeman Ice Festival Recap Video

The 15th Annual Bozeman Ice Festival Highlight from Outlaw Partners on Vimeo.

Check out this great video from Outlaw Partners.  The 2012 Bozeman Ice Festival will be in full force next December!  Thanks to all the participants, sponsors, athletes and volunteers who make this such an amazing event.