Merlin Receives $3,000 Grant from PLATO for their 2019-2020 Philosophy in the Community Program(s)

Wow!  What an honor! We cannot express enough how much we love the Philosophy Learning & Teaching organization! For the 3rd year in a row, PLATO is awarding our organization a grant for our Philosophy in the Community program…and this year in the amount of $3,000. We are honored to have been selected by this amazing organization for three years in a row and are looking forward to providing the Helena & surrounding communities with a host of unique, fun & accessible opportunities to do “get their hands dirty with philosophy!”  Thank you so much, PLATO.

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March 2019 Philosophy Walk: The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship (Part 3)

Part 3 of our 3-Part Fall Philosophy Walk Series on the environment, ethics & stewardship took place on Sunday, March 24th at Ten Mile Creek Park.  Despite the weather being overcast (a change from the sunny day prior) and the trails a bit slushy from the recent melt, our adventure was beautiful and fun.  We also heard numerous bird calls from above — geese, gulls, northern flickers — and some fun dog calls (from our furry four-legged’s who joined us on the walk). Sponsored in part by grants from The Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization & Humanities Montana, our group shared dialogue about philosophical and other perspectives related to current and future environmental & conservation challenges, and featured special guest speakers Thomas Baumeister, Mark Smillie, and Tyrrell Hibbard.

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2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium – “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” (Part 3)

Our 2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium Series “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” looked at numerous philosophical issues & perspectives related to ethics, the environment, and conservation stewardship, ranging from public vs. private land (including individual rights, collective rights, indigenous rights, other); landowner/steward-wildlife and habitat relationships, and; current & future environmental/conservation challenges. At this symposium, six panelists from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds focused on the third of these three areas of discussion and spoke for 7-10 minutes each. Then the forum was opened up to free-flowing audience-panelist Q & A. Access audio-video, photos & more here!

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Science on Tap: Three Thought Experiments that Revolutionized Science

Most people can identify the ideas that have revolutionized science as we know it.  But what about the thought experiments behind those ideas?  The ideas behind the ideas that gave rise to our vision of the world today? This free interactive & theatrical presentation was held on January 31st at ExplorationWorks as part of their Science on Tap project and explored three thought experiments that revolutionized science. Guest speakers Marisa Diaz-Waian (who played the role of the student), Martin Richard (the mad scientist) & Michael Chapman (the philosopher) examined the role of imagination and wonder in scientific and philosophical thinking and invited audience members to share in the fun!  

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Merlin Philosophy Walk on HCTV: Exploring Big Ideas Under the Big Sky

Produced by Stephen Maly and Jeanie Warden of Helena Civic Television, this video offers a snapshot of what you might experience on one our philosophy walks. Featuring guest speakers Ed Glowienka and Shane Doyle, this walk took place on Sunday, September 9th 2018 on Merlin Nature Preserve and Little Falcon Farm, and was part of our 3-part series on the environment, ethics & stewardship.

Thank you to the Helena Civic Television crew for joining us on our outing, capturing such beautiful footage, and adding such heart-warming commentary !  

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Merlin Community Scholar Fellow in the Paper with His Article on Wolf Conservation

Congratulations to 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow, Thomas Baumeister, for making the paper with his research and writing project on the democracy of wolf conservation. Prompted by bills currently being proposed in Montana that will decide the fate of wolves for years to come and the democratic process of conservation, Thomas asks us to consider the role of adaptive management and pragmatism (over blind ideology) and engaged citizenry(so that the ends do not justify the means) in wolf conservation. The article went live on the Merlin website on Friday, February 8th, was submitted for consideration as an op-ed to the Helena Independent Record on the same day, and appeared as a featured “guest view” article on-line and in print on Wednesday, February 13th.  

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Congratulations Henry Kramer: 2019 Merlin Student Scholar Fellow

We are thrilled to announce our 2019 Merlin Student Scholar Fellow, Henry Kramer.  A graduate student at the University of Montana, Missoula, Henry is currently working toward two Master’s Degrees — one in Environmental Philosophy, and the other in Literature. As part of his fellowship work with Merlin, Henry will be developing, conducting and co-leading several philosophy in the community projects related to the human-nature relationship, environmental ethics, ecology, eco-phenomenology, and the phenomenology of imagination and story.

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Merlin Community Scholar Fellow Makes the Paper with His Elk Project

Congratulations to 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow, Thomas Baumeister, for making the paper with his research and writing project on elk.  Prompted by a concern for the state of hunting and conservation and ethical questions regarding the measure of the hunt, fairness, and respect, Thomas offers valuable & important food for thought — for hunters and non-hunters alike.  The article is a perfect example of how philosophy reaches beyond the classroom and why asking philosophical questions matter to our everyday lives (and the lives of others), practices, and policies. The piece went live on the Merlin website on Sunday. January 13th, was submitted for consideration as an op-ed to the Helena Independent Record on Monday, Jan. 14th, and appeared as a featured “guest view” article on-line and in print on Thursday, Jan. 17th.

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