Summer 2026

Inviting Public Art to Support Community

Panoramic mural painted on the exterior walls of a brick building. The artwork depicts scenes from local history, including a boat, horse riders, workers, an early automobile, and a large bird, rendered in muted blue, gray, and reddish tones.

Bringing a mural to a community takes planning, collaboration, and patience, but the process can create a lasting source of community pride. The Miles City Downtown Artwalk offers an inspiring example of how a community can support public art and vice versa.

 

 

Detecting an Impending Threat from the Emerald Ash Borer

Adult emerald ash borer beetle with an iridescent green body perched on a leaf.

Early detection is a key component of slowing the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive beetle which will have economic and environmental costs.

Featured Montanan: Collaboration in Winnett Strengthens Community

Participants gathered to examine a soil sample while standing near compost piles in open grassland.
The Winnett ACES (Agricultural and Community Enhancement and Sustainability) was formed by local producers to adapt to the needs of the community.

Smartphone Use by Teenagers:
A Balancing Act

A young person is propped up on their elbows looking at a smartphone.

Technology and social media are part of everyday life. Creating shared goals and expectations as a family can support healthier technology habits.

Working in Montana's Streams and Rivers: An overview of the 310 Law

Natural stream meandering through a riparian area with dense vegetation and conifer forests in the background.

The goal of the 310 Law is to protect streams in their natural and existing state for the benefit of all Montanans, not to create cumbersome regulations.

 

Two people stand in a grassy field during an outdoor agricultural event. One person holds a large map showing color-coded field plots, while the other speaks into a microphone and holds a folder. Tall green crops and a cloudy sky are visible in the background.

MSU Extension: A Partner in Meeting Local Needs

 

Extension agents serve as a bridge to countless MSU resources and expertise in your community.

A round, fluffy dandelion seed head with blurred grass in the background

An Ode to the Dandelion

 

Learn more about one of the most infamous and recognizable plants in the world.

Two children wearing matching T-shirts stand outdoors with their arms around each other. Trees, grass, and a wooden fence are visible in the background.

Parenting with Confidence: Finding Resources You Can Trust

 

Techniques to identify research-based resources and strategies to aid your parenting journey.

A group of students using tablet devices and talking to each other during a groupwork activity in a classroom.

From Montana to Tanzania: A Partnership in Youth Speech and Debate

 

Shaping young leaders on two continents by preparing them to communicate and collaborate.

Participants in a community event conversing near a mural.

MSU Bus Tour Visits Southeast Montana Communities

 

The President’s Bus Tour met with rural residents to ask how MSU can better serve Montanans.

Trailer-mounted agricultural plastics processing equipment parked outdoors beside large bags of collected plastic material.

Agricultural Plastics are a Recyclable Solid Waste

 

Agricultural plastic must be separate from domestic recycling programs, but can still be recycled.

Sign identifying a community garden surrounded by flowering plants and garden beds.

Master Gardener Spotlight: Community Garden Growth in Helena

 

The nonprofit Helena Community Gardens has grown to support 9 gardens with over 200 beds.

A color-coded map of Montana county boundaries with the dates and locations of 4-h fairs. The map is cropped to fit, so it is incomplete.

2026 4-H Fair Dates

 

4-H fairs are happening across Montana through early September.