Old Trail Museum | Montana Dinosaur Trail
The Old Trail Museum’s Dinosaur Antechamber showcases discoveries from the Two Medicine Formation. The primary building displays a life-size Maiasaura alongside a mural of the natural environment from local artist Jim Utsler. The museum’s exhibits include Maiasaura and Einosaurus skulls, nestling, hatchling and adult Maiasaura skeletons and bones, and a Sauronitholestes skeleton cast. The museum provides visitors with hands-on education, and provides a ‘touch’ bone for children and adults to gain a deeper understanding of these giants.
Dave Trexler has worked in the field of paleontology since the early 1970's. He and his family have been heavily involved in dinosaur nesting behavior research (Dave's mother found the very first baby dinosaurs in a nest in the world!), and Dave has worked throughout western North America. Julie Ameline is the the director of the Old Trail Museum in Choteau Montana.
Learn more about the Old Trail Museum along the Montana Dinosaur Trail:
Montana is rich in paleontological history and has produced some of the most important dinosaur finds. The Montana Dinosaur Trail is a consortium of 14 museums across the state of Montana. Each facility features dinosaur related displays and many of the museums and their staff are actively adding to paleontology research.
Tour of Choteau, Montana
Dash cam video driving around Choteau, Montana and the surrounding area. Video ends a few miles south at a local geologic site atop the Two Medicine Formation. The Old Trail Museum can be seen in the footage and other prominent locations.
WEEKEND GUIDE TO – Choteau, Montana
For the first episode of Weekend Guide To we headed up to beautiful Choteau, Montana. Dig in, enjoy, subscribe, and stay tuned for more as we aim to publish one episode per month!
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Two Medicine Dinosaur Center: I Know Dino Epic Dinosaur Road Trip Part 3
Two Medicine Dinosaur Center: I Know Dino Epic Dinosaur Road Trip Part 3
I Know Dino: The big dinosaur podcast. News, interviews, and discussions about dinosaurs. Are you a dinosaur enthusiast? Learn more at
You can also visit for more information including a link to dinosaur sites near you.
Our third stop on our epic dinosaur road trip was to the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in Montana. Two Medicine is in between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park, so we made a pit stop at Glacier.
A thick cloud covered a lot of the park, and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. But it was still beautiful.
After, we made our way to Bynum, Montana, to the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center. Bynum is a small town, with, we were told, a population of 37 in the summer and 31 in the winter. Though there may not be many people around, Montana is full of dinosaur fossils. We were told that about 18-20% of dinosaurs have been discovered in Montana.
The head paleontologist at Two Medicine is David Trexler, who also opened the institute in 1995. Two Medicine has the first baby dinosaur bones collected in North America, of Maiasaura, as well as a styrofoam skeletal model of the world’s largest dinosaur (at least in length). The model is of a Seismosaurus, and it’s 137.5 feet long, or 42 meters.
But the best part about Two Medicine is the dinosaur dig. Two Medicine’s mission is to educate people who are interested in dinosaurs, and they do that through a combination of exhibits, research, and letting visitors get hands-on and actually help them dig for dinosaurs.
Garret and I participated in a full day dig, and we learned a lot from the two scientists who facilitated—Cory Coverdell, director of Two Medicine, and Kara, our instructor.
Kara taught us how to find a fossil. Fossils can be all different kinds of colors: red, orange, and even blue. They also tend to have interesting shapes. And when in doubt on whether or not you’ve found a fossil, you can try the lick test. Lick your thumb, press the rock or fossil on your thumb for 10 seconds, and see if it sticks. If it does, that probably means you have a fossil. This is because the fossil is porous in nature.
We also learned that plants like to grow in fossils, again because of the porous nature. Some fossils we saw had lichen on them. Lichen grow about one inch per year, which shows scientists the minimum number of years a fossil has been exposed.
Hadrosaur fossils are abundant in the area, and actually are abundant in general. There are also a lot of nests around. You can tell by the fossilized eggshell whether it belonged to a hadrosaur or another type of dinosaur. Hadrosaur eggshells have a wavy texture, and another unknown dinosaur in the area has eggshells with a bumpy, braille-like texture.
In general, when looking for eggshells, it’s best to look for them in your shadow. This is because eggshells are darker in color than fossils, so your shadow makes them easier to spot. If you’re searching for fossils, you’ll want to look for them in bright light.
We spent the afternoon helping to dig at a nest, and found at least one fragment of eggshell. Cory and Kara set up a Total Station to measure where everything at the nest is. Basically the Total Station allows you to recreate a quarry and know exactly where each fossil was found.
After our successful dig, we spent the night recovering. Turns out, the life of a paleontologist is hard. You have to battle with bugs, sun, dirt, sudden changes in the weather, and occasionally, mice poop. Yes, that’s right. Our nesting site was also the nesting site for some mice, so Kara had to brush out the poop for us before we started digging.
Still, it was worth it. Dinosaurs are fascinating creatures and we can learn so much from them. Plus, we got our first stamp in our Montana Dinosaur Trail Prehistoric passport. If you make it to all 14 dinosaur stops on the trail within 5 years, you get a t-shirt. (Our second stamp came from the nearby Old Trail Museum, in Choteau, Montana, where we stayed.)
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Alfred D. Wiseman: MHS Board of Trustees Heritage Keeper Award Recipient—Western Montana
Born in Choteau in 1936, Al Wiseman has spent his life preserving and sharing Montana’s Métis history. The descendent of Métis who settled along the Rocky Mountain Front, Wiseman spent his childhood listening to the stories of his mother, uncles, and other elders.
The go-to person for scholars studying the region’s history and the history of the Métis, Al Wiseman has consulted with Canadian scholars from both the Louis Riel Institute and Gabriel Dumont Institutes. Many graduate students, academic historians, historic preservationists, and others have also relied on Wiseman’s encyclopedic knowledge and willingness to share what he knows. The consummate collaborator, Wiseman served on the steering committee for a three-day conference on Métis history, held in 1996 in Great Falls. He was also a longtime board member of the Old Trail Museum in Choteau. His information has enriched many significant publications, including “‘The Whole Country Was One Robe’: The Little Shell Tribe’s America.”
Committed to passing on his community’s history, Wiseman frequently gives tours and talks to schoolchildren and adults. He has created traveling trunks that teachers use to bring Métis history alive for their students, and produced maps of historic sites, including one of the Old North Trail corridor along the Rocky Mountain Front. The trail, which stretches from Siberia to Mexico, was used as long as 12,000 years ago. Many organizations have relied on Wiseman’s deep understanding of the Front’s history. He has taken innumerable people on day hikes and driving tours of the Old North Trail, the Métis cemetery—which he almost single-handedly maintains—and other significant cultural sites.
A founder of Métis Cultural Recovery Inc., Wiseman was instrumental in that organization’s oral history project. Thanks to this project, over thirty recordings and transcripts with Métis elders are now in the collection of the Montana Historical Society and the Old Trail Museum in Choteau. He was also the moving force behind the creation of a public marker, describing the history of the Métis along the Rocky Mountain Front.
Choteau—and all of Montana—continue to benefit immeasurably from the work of Al Wiseman, whose ongoing efforts and intellectual generosity make him the epitome of a “heritage keeper.”
About the Award
The Montana Historical Society’s Board of Trustees’ Heritage Keepers Award honors exemplary work, commitment, and effort in identifying, preserving and presenting the history and heritage values of Montana for current and future generations. The award recognizes those individuals, families, organizations, educators, historians, and others whose efforts have had a significant impact on generating interest in and the preservation of the rich and diverse history of Montana.
Montana: Land of dinosaurs
Paleontology students from Montana State University learn about data collection at a summer field course near Choteau, Montana.
Montana Heritage Tour: Part 1
Part 1 of a series documenting some of Montana's small museums. A collaboration between the Montana Historical Society and Helena Civic Television (HCTV).
Blood on the Marias: The Baker Massacre
On the morning of January 23, 1870, troops of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry attacked a Piegan Indian village on the Marias River killing many more than the army’s count of 173, most of them women, children, and old men. Intended as a retaliation against Mountain Chief’s renegade band, the massacre sparked public outrage when news sources revealed that the battalion had attacked Heavy Runner’s innocent village—even after guides told its inebriated commander, Major Eugene Baker, he was on the wrong trail. In his book—from the University of Oklahoma—Bozeman author Paul R. Wylie explores the history of Euro-American involvement with the Piegans, beginning with the Hudson Bay Company in the 17th century and culminating in the tragic events on the Marias.
Montana | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Montana
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Montana ( (listen)) is a state in the Northwestern United States. Montana has several nicknames, although none are official, including Big Sky Country and The Treasure State, and slogans that include Land of the Shining Mountains and more recently The Last Best Place.Montana is the 4th largest in area, the 8th least populous, and the 3rd least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. The western half of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller island ranges are found throughout the state. In total, 77 named ranges are part of the Rocky Mountains. The eastern half of Montana is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands. Montana is bordered by Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to the north.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture, including ranching and cereal grain farming. Other significant economic resources include oil, gas, coal, hard rock mining, and lumber. The health care, service, and government sectors also are significant to the state's economy.
The state's fastest-growing sector is tourism. Nearly 13 million tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Highway, Flathead Lake, Big Sky Resort, and other attractions.
Montana | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Montana
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Montana ( (listen)) is a state in the Northwestern United States. Montana has several nicknames, although none are official, including Big Sky Country and The Treasure State, and slogans that include Land of the Shining Mountains and more recently The Last Best Place.Montana is the 4th largest in area, the 8th least populous, and the 3rd least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. The western half of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller island ranges are found throughout the state. In total, 77 named ranges are part of the Rocky Mountains. The eastern half of Montana is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands. Montana is bordered by Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to the north.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture, including ranching and cereal grain farming. Other significant economic resources include oil, gas, coal, hard rock mining, and lumber. The health care, service, and government sectors also are significant to the state's economy.
The state's fastest-growing sector is tourism. Nearly 13 million tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Highway, Flathead Lake, Big Sky Resort, and other attractions.
Montana | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Montana
00:01:28 1 Etymology and naming history
00:02:51 2 Geography
00:03:37 2.1 Topography
00:08:38 2.1.1 Rivers, lakes and reservoirs
00:09:25 2.1.1.1 Pacific Ocean drainage basin
00:10:22 2.1.1.2 Gulf of Mexico drainage basin
00:12:23 2.1.1.3 Hudson Bay drainage basin
00:12:46 2.1.1.4 Lakes and reservoirs
00:13:38 2.2 Flora and fauna
00:15:21 2.3 Protected lands
00:18:14 2.4 Climate
00:24:11 2.5 Antipodes
00:24:37 3 History
00:27:23 3.1 Montana territory
00:28:48 3.2 Conflicts
00:31:16 3.3 Cattle ranching
00:32:10 3.4 Railroads
00:33:48 3.5 Statehood
00:35:03 3.6 Homesteading
00:39:40 3.7 Montana and World War I
00:44:11 3.8 Depression era
00:44:41 3.9 Montana and World War II
00:46:42 3.10 Other military
00:47:38 3.11 Cold War Montana
00:48:57 4 Demographics
00:51:17 4.1 Intrastate demographics
00:55:11 4.2 Language
00:57:09 4.3 Religion
00:58:05 4.4 Native Americans
01:01:07 4.5 Birth data
01:01:34 5 Economy
01:03:33 6 Education
01:03:42 6.1 Colleges and universities
01:03:51 6.2 Schools
01:06:10 7 Culture
01:07:55 7.1 Major cultural events
01:09:27 7.2 Sports
01:09:35 7.2.1 Professional sports
01:10:08 7.2.2 College sports
01:10:42 7.2.3 Other sports
01:11:17 7.2.4 Olympic competitors
01:12:31 7.2.5 Sporting achievements
01:13:22 7.3 Outdoor recreation
01:13:46 7.3.1 Fishing and hunting
01:15:18 7.3.2 Winter sports
01:17:37 8 Health
01:18:08 9 Media
01:19:16 10 Transportation
01:21:33 11 Law and government
01:21:43 11.1 Constitution
01:25:31 11.2 State government: Executive
01:27:43 11.3 State government: Legislative
01:28:33 11.4 State government: Judicial
01:33:51 11.5 Federal offices and courts
01:37:26 12 Politics
01:41:07 13 Cities and towns
01:42:50 14 State symbols
01:46:23 15 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Montana ( (listen)) is a state in the Northwestern United States. Montana has several nicknames, although none are official, including Big Sky Country and The Treasure State, and slogans that include Land of the Shining Mountains and more recently The Last Best Place.Montana is the 4th largest in area, the 8th least populous, and the 3rd least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. The western half of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller island ranges are found throughout the state. In total, 77 named ranges are part of the Rocky Mountains. The eastern half of Montana is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands. Montana is bordered by Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to the north.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture, including ranching and cereal grain farming. Other significant economic resources include oil, gas, coal, hard rock mining, and lumber. The health care, service, and government sectors also are significant to the state's economy.
The state's fastest-growing sector is tourism. Nearly 13 million tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Highway, Flathead Lake, Big Sky Resort, and other attractions.
Montana
Montana i/mɒnˈtænə/ is a state in the Western United States. The state's name is derived from the Spanish word montaña . Montana has several nicknames, none official, including Big Sky Country and The Treasure State, and slogans that include Land of the Shining Mountains and more recently The Last Best Place. Montana is ranked 4th in size, but 44th in population and 48th in population density of the 50 United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller island ranges are found throughout the state, for a total of 77 named ranges that are part of the Rocky Mountains.
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