The Family Forestry Expo is an annual event that offers hands-on exposure to the role forests play in our everyday lives. The Family Forestry Expo returns in 2021 after being cancelled last spring due to the pandemic. This year in place of the traditional all-day, in-person event, organizers have planned a self-guided experience for the weekends of May 7-8 and May 15-16.
Families are invited to visit the Expo site at the Trumbull Creek Educational Forest and take part in a short, self-guided forest walk to explore and learn about our area forests. The site is located about two miles north of the junction of US Highway 2 and Montana Highway 40, just west of Columbia Falls, Montana. At the trail entrance, pick up a map with a forest scavenger hunt activity and follow the marked stops along the half-mile wood chipped trail that follows Trumbull Creek.
Bring your smartphone and tap into the posted QR codes, for a deeper dive into learning about the many parts of a forest, with videos about fisheries, wildlife, forest management, fire, backcountry camping ethics, archeology, riparian areas, plant identification, and logging operations. The videos can also be viewed on the Forestry Expo website or the Family Forestry Expo YouTube channel.

When at the site, thank you for ‘leaving what you find’ and make sure to ‘pack-it-in, pack-it-out’. During these two weekends, organizers ask that you leave your dog at home.

**Watch for the traditional Family Forestry Expo event to return in 2022.