A proponent of conservation and education, 92-year-old Betty Thisted is an advocate for the importance of both.
The former Frenchtown high school biology teacher owns 622 acres in the Ninemile Valley and Lolo National Forest area. The land is covered by several conservation easements and has been in the Thisted family since 1938.
“Well, I’m a teacher. You never quit teaching,” Thisted said during a recent school field trip at her property. “So what I want to do is use all of this land that I own. It’s not huge, but it’s significant for its own purposes.”
Middle school students participating in the STEEM Collaborative program through the Montana Natural History Center gather around Betty Thisted’s truck in the Ninemile Valley on Thursday, June 20, 2024. The group visited Thisted’s land to learn more about stream reclamation.
Abigail Landwehr
Over the years, the land has become a field trip area for students of all ages to explore and learn more about the importance of conservation and agriculture in the valley.
The newest group to explore the area was a group of sixth to eighth graders participating in the STEEM Collaborative program through the Montana Natural History Center. The group of middle schoolers took a bus up to the area on June 20.
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The summer program is open to students interested in science, technology, engineering, economics and mathematics. Recognizing that women and non-binary individuals are underrepresented in STEM, the goal of the program is to challenge stereotypes and promote diversity in the fields, said Erin Vielbig, a teaching naturalist and volunteer coordinator with the museum.
“It’s asking ‘how many people are involved when you’re trying to rebuild a habitat?’” Vielbig said. “We do a lot of site visits, and this one has been really cool.”
