You've likely heard of the Rocky Mountain Gardens & Exploration Center... the brand-new, topnotch facility at the Missoula Country Fairgrounds on South Ave. encompassing the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium, the Missoula County Weed District & Extension as well as the Healthy Acres Foundation!
Well, the Healthy Acres Healthy Communities Foundation's vision is to get an engaged community cultivating vibrant, thriving urban and rural lands forever... and it's going to happen with this place!
This premier destination for scientific learning will house not only the first ever year-round, indoor butterfly house in the state, but an expansive 2.5 acre mega-educational garden, demo kitchens with nutrition curriculum, a greenhouse, plant lab and classrooms galore! It's truly a "must-see" for folks of all ages to discover and inspire!
Healthy Acres Healthy Communities Foundation was formed in 2016 for the purpose of providing philanthropic support to the programs of Missoula County Department of Ecology & Extension. The foundation, alongside the Department of Ecology and Extension, actively promotes and encourages cooperation with diverse public and private partners to develop effective, sustainable solutions that make our community and lands healthy and productive. Partnerships with private landowners, the U.S. Forest Service, Five Valleys Land Trust and several other agencies and organizations allow individuals, communities and ecosystems to flourish.
Again, the Rocky Mountain Gardens will provide teaching opportunities for everyone from preschoolers to grandparents about pollinators, native plants, fruits, veggies, ornamentals, bee lawns, herbal and medicinal plants, forest gardens, gardening for birds, gardening for butterflies, gardening for water conservation and on and on! This will really be Missoula's first public botanical garden and while they've already begun the major task of planting, they're super excited to ramp it up BIG TIME this coming spring!
Memberships are available and encouraged given their awesome member benefits! If you'd like more information on the Rocky Mountain Gardens and Healthy Acres, visit their website and definitely stop by this insanely cool new location!
You can also learn more by visiting the Missoula County Department of Ecology & Extension website, too!
