Events
Upcoming Events & Ways to Get Involved
POSTPONED DUE TO SNOW: Bozeman Dog Poop Cleanup, 3:00-5:00 pm, greater Bozeman area
This event is postponed due to snow. Please reach out to TrailAmbassador@gvlt.org with any questions.
Join us in cleaning our furry friends’ #2 across the Lower Gallatin Watershed before our favorite trails get busy and May showers wash harmful nutrients into our rivers and streams. This event is hosted in partnership with Outside Kind and the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. We are looking for 45-60 volunteers to grab a scooper and a bucket. Plus, volunteers can get a free beer token because good beer = clean water!
5/18: Spring Gallatin Watershed Cleanup, 2:00-4:00 pm followed by a celebration at Bozeman Pond Park Pavilion.
It is time for the official kickoff of volunteer season! Join a team and remove trash from our local rivers, streams, and wetlands across the entire Gallatin Valley. Celebrate afterward with tasty food, cold drinks, and prizes from event sponsors! This event is friendly to people of all ages. More details to come. If you have a location in need of spring cleaning, submit it here!
5/20: Mulch & Maintenance Day at the Gallatin County Regional Park, 5:00-6:30 pm, Gallatin County Regional Park
The 58 trees and shrubs planted last year need some TLC before they face their second summer at the Gallatin County Regional Park. Help GWC, the Sacajawea Audubon Society, and the Craighead Institute spread mulch to prevent weeds choking out the new plants. We’re looking for 4-5 folks to lend a hand to get it done! RSVP below.
5/22: Lewis and Bark Tree Planting, 3:00-5:00 pm, Lewis and Bark Dog Park
Plant four trees at the Lewis and Bark Dog Park under the canopy of Branch Out Bozeman in partnership with GWC, the City of Bozeman Forestry Division and a fellow community member who fundraised for the trees. The goals of BOB are to protect and enhance areas of Bozeman’s urban forest that have the greatest impact on water quality, social equity, and the urban heat island effect. These trees will provide much needed shade and pretty spring flowers to the dog park. We’re looking for 6-8 folks to help us get these trees in the ground! RSVP below.
5/30: Water Treatment Plant Tour, 1:00-2:30 pm, Bozeman
The Water Treatment Plant provides the citizens of Bozeman with a safe and dependable drinking water supply. The City of Bozeman has been supplying water to city residents since 1889.
Ever wonder where your drinking water comes from, and how it gets treated? Well, fill up your water bottles and join the Gallatin Watershed Council on a tour of Bozeman's Water Treatment Plant. If you missed the event last year, check out our recap here!
6/20-21: Summer Solstice Riparian Planting, 4:30-8:00 pm, Gallatin County Regional Park
Join the Gallatin Watershed Council, Craighead Institute, and Sacajawea Audubon Society in a riparian planting event at Gallatin County Regional Park. We’ll be planting 65 native vegetation species to enhance wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and increase shade for park users. These 65 plants will be in addition to the 58 shrubs and trees planted along the waterway in 2023.
6/27: Farmer’s Canal Tour, 5:30-7:00 pm, Bozeman
Ditches and canals play an important role in the hydrology of the Gallatin Watershed, and are crucial to the well being of our community. Take a tour of Farmer's Canal with GWC, led by Susan Duncan from the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI). Learn about the fundamentals of water rights including prior appropriation in a closed basin, the value of canals and ditches in our valley, and what Farmer's Canal means to the welfare of the City of Bozeman.
June-October: Gallatin Stream Teams, weekly
Participating in Stream Teams is a great way to learn about water quality data, get involved in your community, gain technical skills, and to get outside. Every year, GWC and the Gallatin Local Water Quality District hosts a volunteer training at the end of June. Learn about Stream Teams and how to apply.
June-September: Tree watering at Gallatin County Regional Park, weekly
Newly planted trees need extra helping hands to make it through their first two years in their new neighborhood. Trees and shrubs planted in 2023 at Gallatin County Regional Park need one more year, and the trees to be planted in 2024 will need their weekly drinks, too! The 58 trees and shrubs planted in 2023 all survived a very hot and dry summer due to dedicated volunteers. Your help watering is essential to their survival. Buckets are onsite and this can be done on your own time.
8/7: Lakeshore Cleanup, Friends of Hyalite X Gallatin Watershed Council, 5:30-8:30 pm, Hyalite Lake
Friends of Hyalite and the Gallatin Watershed Council are partnering to host a summer Lakeshore Cleanup in Hyalite Recreation Area. This beautiful recreation area is the most heavily visited recreation area in Montana! More details will be provided closer to the event date.
9/21: Fall Gallatin Watershed Cleanup, 2:00-4:00 pm followed by a volunteer season celebration.
The sixth annual Gallatin Watershed Cleanup is on the calendar! Join us in removing trash across the entirety of the Lower Gallatin Watershed, and celebrate afterward with snacks, drinks, and prizes. This event is hosted in partnership with the Gallatin River Task Force, who stewards the Upper Gallatin Watershed.
12/5: Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wetland Treatment Tour, 1:00-2:30 pm, Bozeman Reclamation Facility
The Bozeman Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) treats the City’s domestic, commercial and industrial wastewater. Over 98% of conventional pollutants are removed in the treatment process before being discharged into the East Gallatin River.
Join GWC in a walking tour of the WRF led by City staff and wastewater treatment wetland expert, Chris Allen, for two important perspectives on wastewater treatment.
Previous Events
3/28: Trout, Drought, and Floods: How Trees Impact the Gallatin Watershed, 6:30-8:00 pm, Bozeman Public Library
From forested mountain slopes to hilly draws and ribbons of streams across our valley, trees follow water on its journey to the Gallatin River and beyond. Trees are one of the most impactful components of watershed health from their canopy down to their roots. Restoration Director Lilly McLane will tell us why during a speaker series leading up to Gallatin Valley Earth Day: Under On Canopy - Celebrating Trees and Forests. While touching on other ecosystems, this talk will primarily focus on riparian areas, what they do for us, and a shared vision for streamside management that can help ensure a sustainable future in the Gallatin Valley.
4/4: Earth to Beer Release Party, 5:30-7:30 pm, MAP Brewing Co.
Join us for the release party of MAP’s collaboration beer with Earth To Beer. The Hoppy Blonde Ale supports clean water and producers in the Lower Gallatin Watershed with locally sourced malt and donations to GWC. This beer is part of a national Earth Day campaign that raises funds for environmental organizations across the country. We'll have raffles and giveaways at 7 pm. A portion of the proceeds will be going to the Gallatin Watershed Council. Cheers!
4/17: Pint Night for the Gallatin County Regional Park Riparian Plantings, 6:00-8:00 pm, Last Best Place Brewing
Support the riparian planting events at the Gallatin County Regional Park this summer by drinking a beer at Last Best Place Brewing! The project is a partnership between the Craighead Institute, Sacajawea Audubon Society, and Gallatin Watershed Council. This is the second phase where we’ll plant 65 native species to enhance wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and increase shade for park users in addition to the 58 planted in 2023. Additionally, there will be a raffle to support the project.
4/20: Tree Giveaway at the Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, & “Get to Know the City’s Forestry Division”, 2:00-3:00 pm, Gallatin County Fairground
If you want more native plants around town, stop by our table at the Festival and take home a seedling Ponderosa Pine or Big Sagebrush! These small but mighty seedlings will one day add shade and habitat to your backyard.
The City of Bozeman’s forester, Alex Nordquest, and GWC’s Lilly McLane partner up to explain the responsibilities of the City’s Forestry Division in maintaining our urban forest and how the community can help. Earth Day will mark the beginning of an exciting 2024 season for our partnership program, Branch Out Bozeman: a joint effort to engage the greater Bozeman community in the stewardship of an urban forest that enriches the health of people and nature throughout its lifecycle.
4/26: Arbor Day Tree Planting at North Meadows Park, 12:00-3:00 pm, Bozeman
Plant trees under the canopy of Branch Out Bozeman in partnership with GWC and the City of Bozeman Forestry Division at North Park Meadows. The goals of BOB are to protect and enhance areas of Bozeman’s urban forest that have the greatest impact on water quality, social equity, and the urban heat island effect. We have more upcoming tree planting events— we will see you then!
5/2-3: Give Big Gallatin Valley, 6:00 pm-6:00 pm, 24-hour period, online and in-person
Give Big Fest is an in-person event hosted by the One Valley Community Foundation that provides an opportunity for folks to meet many nonprofits serving the Gallatin Valley! Come say hello Thursday, May 2nd at 5:00 pm at Ferguson Farm.
Online giving: 2024 marks GWC's 20th year of showing up as a voice for water in the Gallatin Valley. We're kicking off a campaign to raise $20,000 for our 20th year with Give Big! Giving starts at 6:00 pm this Thursday. Thank you for supporting collaborative watershed stewardship.
Watershed Community Calendar
This calendar has events from the Gallatin Watershed Council and partner organizations. These events are located across the Lower Gallatin Watershed in Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Gallatin Gateway and beyond.