A trip to the Nature’s Den at the Montana State Fair in Great Falls this week means an inside look into all Montana wildlife has to offer, from live snakes to taxidermied mountain lions.

Each year, the barn at the fairgrounds is transformed into Nature’s Den, where Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and partners have one week to fill the space with taxidermies of wildlife, fish tanks, and trees.

FWP works with several organizations including the US Forest Service, Montana Trappers Association, and Montana Reptile Rescue to provide all kinds of activities for children and families to learn more about Montana’s wildlife.

FWP Region 4 Administrative Assistant Laura Hajek explains, “We have hides that the kids can touch and feel and look at. We have a display of all the furbears of Montana. We have a table with stamps so they can make tracks, lots of freebies and giveaways for them. I just hope they can learn something about, you know, the resources they have available to them and how we can educate them, you know, on the different things or we can educate them on the different plants and animals and fish that we have throughout the state.”

Hajek works with the local forest service to determine local areas where trees need thinning, and takes her family out to cut the trees that give the space that wildlife feel.

Hajek says, “We kind of make it a family day. We go and cut about 175 trees. We work with the Forest Service and they point us where to go, so they take us to an area or point it to us on a map where an area needs thinning. We do that on a Sunday and then starting Monday we set up here. I think I brought over about five truckloads of stuff over here. We have lots of volunteers that help with this as well. They come to help lay sod, we get all the tables and everything’s set up and organized.”

Nature’s Den also features the Tip-Mont Trailer, an educational display that features cases of poaching that were reported by the public. On Thursday August 1st, Nature’s Den will host Enforcement Day where local game wardens will be presenting from 1pm to 4pm.

You can visit Nature’s Den during the Montana State Fair through August 3rd, located at Montana ExpoPark (400 Third Street NW).