Philosophy Think & Drink
2025-06-12 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-10 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-08-14 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-09-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-10-09 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-13 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Denver) | Reeder’s Alley Conference Center, 101 Reeder's Alley, Helena, MT, 59601, United States
Fun Gatherings that Stimulate the Mind!
Our Philosophy Think & Drinks are casual, community-oriented gatherings that are intellectually stimulating and fun. You don’t need a background in philosophy to enjoy & participate. An open mind & desire to engage in thoughtful dialogue (whether from a listening or contribution standpoint) is all that’s needed! For those who love philosophy but prefer not to partake in the libations side of things, don’t let that stop you from participating in the fun. We emphasize the think over the drink!
When
2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-9pm
Where
Reeder’s Alley — If the weather is conducive, we meet outdoors in the pavilion. If it’s cantankerous, we meet indoors in the Conference Center.
Other
Light snacks provided. BYOB.

How Do They Work?
Step into the dojo! Our Think & Drinks are monthly gatherings that consist of a “meeting of minds” over libations. After nabbing goodies and seats, getting acquainted & settling in…the eve begins.

No topics are off-limit; no questions are too broad, narrow, abstract, or concrete. Questions are posed by participants in a “round-robin” fashion, clarified, and then voted upon collectively.
Once our “avenue of philosophical pursuit” is in place, we’re ready to dive into a fun night of facilitated philosophical discussion.

Philosophy Walk: Conservation & the Environment Through a Big Picture Lens
2025-06-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Prickly Pear Park, 1525 RTE 518, East Helena, Montana, 59635, United States
What We’ll Explore
In this walk led by philosopher Evelyn Brister we’ll explore environmental science and conservation through a philosophical lens, incorporating considerations about justice, quality of life, and sustainability along the way. Some specific foci we’ll be exploring within this broad context include: outdoor recreation, bio-tech, and ethical decision-making. Our walk will be held at the newly established Prickly Pear Park in East Helena. EXCITING!!!

“I love working with communities on environmental issues, and I love working with scientists on conservation research and practice. Something I do as a philosopher and educator is to explore how to balance differing viewpoints and priorities, while also addressing ethical questions that tend to get lost in the mix. Philosophers play lots of roles, and one is helping people step back from their immediate projects to look at the bigger picture. When we’re talking about environmental conservation, the big picture is especially important because decisions affect a lot of different people, as well as non-humans, and they continue to have an impact through time. I work with ecologists and conservation scientists on research related to wetland restoration and coral reef restoration—that work is often about how to let various ethical priorities guide research and practice. In my new book, A Watershed Moment: The American West in the Age of Limits, the authors present practical approaches to addressing ecological, economic, and cultural issues that are motivated by philosophical views on justice, quality of life, and sustainability.” — Evelyn Brister, Professor of Philosophy at Rochester Institute of Technology & Faculty Affiliate in Public Policy and Environmental Policy.

When
Sunday, June 15th from 9am-12pm
Where
Prickly Pear Park (1525 RTE 518, East Helena) – Just south of HWY 287
RSVP
RSVP here!
Cost
FREE (Donations appreciated)
Other
Wear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes. See also our companion Philosophy Symposium event on Monday, June 16th w/ guest scholars Evelyn Brister and Travis Brammer.

Walk Leader
Evelyn Brister is a Professor of Philosophy at Rochester Institute of Technology and a faculty affiliate in Public Policy and Environmental Science. Her research examines ethical and political issues in land management and conservation science. She is the editor, with Robert Frodeman, of A Guide to Field Philosophy (Routledge, 2020), a collection of essays examining collaborations between philosophers and policymakers, and she has written over two dozen articles in philosophy and environmental science. She spends as much time as she can in and around Yellowstone. In her new book, A Watershed Moment: The American West in the Age of Limits, she and other authors present practical approaches to addressing ecological, economic, and cultural issues that are motivated by philosophical views on justice, quality of life, and sustainability.
Make a Donation Here
Our philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Community Sponsors & PartnersThank you to our community sponsors & partners Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Helena and the Lewis & Clark Library.

Philosophy Symposium: On Policy, Philosophy & the Environment
2025-06-16 17:30 - 20:00 | Lewis & Clark Library (Large Community Room), 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana, 59601, United States
What We’ll Explore
In this mini-symposium facilitated by community philosopher Marisa Diaz-Waian we’ll talk with guest panelists and authors involved with the book A Watershed Moment: The American West in the Age of Limits about policy, philosophy, and the environment. Topics explored will range from environmental justice and conservation policy (Evelyn Brister) to market solutions for conservation on private lands (Travis Brammer). The symposium will be structured in a way that allows ample time for community Q & A.
More Context for Our Discussion

All guests panelists are authors featured in A Watershed Moment , which features a collection of essays reflecting on the American West that reveal tensions between a culture of economic growth and personal freedom and the ecological, economic, and social constraints set by community values and the land itself. As Westerners and their communities come up against these limits, the volume editors highlight issues of sustainability endemic to the region and to the nation as a whole.
The volume presents practical approaches to land use, land management, and community planning that are motivated by philosophical views on justice, quality of life, and sustainability in the American West. The contributors are policymakers, government employees, land and water managers, urban planners, biologists, tribal members, writers, and academics from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The result is a compelling vision of place-based, policy-oriented sustainability across the West.

When
Monday, June 16th from 6pm-8pm (Plus book signing from 5:30pm-6pm*)
Where
Lewis & Clark Library (in the Large Community Room)
RSVP
RSVP here! (While you are welcome to attend without RSVP’ing, your RSVP helps us get an idea of how many people to anticipate so we can prepare accordingly)
Cost
FREE (Donations appreciated)
Other
*Books will be available for purchase from the authors. Book signing from 5:30pm-6pm. See also our companion Philosophy Walk on Sunday, June 15th event w/ guest scholar Evelyn Brister.
Guest Scholars
Evelyn Brister is a Professor of Philosophy at Rochester Institute of Technology and a faculty affiliate in Public Policy and Environmental Science. Her research examines ethical and political issues in land management and conservation science. She is the editor, with Robert Frodeman, of A Guide to Field Philosophy (Routledge, 2020), a collection of essays examining collaborations between philosophers and policymakers, and she has written over two dozen articles in philosophy and environmental science. She spends as much time as she can in and around Yellowstone. In her new book, A Watershed Moment: The American West in the Age of Limits, she and other authors present practical approaches to addressing ecological, economic, and cultural issues that are motivated by philosophical views on justice, quality of life, and sustainability.

Travis Brammer is the Director of Conservation at The Property and Environmental Research Center (PERC), overseeing its Conservation Innovation Lab and all field projects. Raised as a seventh-generation family cattle rancher in Colorado with professional expertise in western conservation issues, Travis is passionate about the intersection of conservation and agriculture. He began his career at the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust rising to become the group’s Interim Conservation Director. He later graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law and most recently served as a Conservation Fellow at the Ruckelshaus Institute and MacMillan Private Lands Stewardship Program. Travis’ thesis was on the creation of a western rangeland conservation fund to help the next generation of farmers and ranchers access land and engage in conservation. As Director, Travis will establish partnerships around the country, creating and implementing innovative market solutions to some of the nation’s most significant natural resource challenges.
Make a Donation Here
Our philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Community Sponsors & PartnersThank you to our community sponsors & partners Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Helena and the Lewis & Clark Library.

Reeder's Alley Summer Series (RASS)
2025-07-01 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-07-08 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-07-15 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-07-22 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-07-29 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-05 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-12 17:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-19 17:00 - 20:00 and 6 more dates | Reeder’s Alley, 200 S. Park Avenue, Helena, MT, 59601, United States
Kick-Back & Enjoy Community!
Join us for the 2nd Season of our Reeder’s Alley Summer Series! Nestled in the grounds of historic Reeder’s Alley, this fun, grassroots-inspired Summer series hosted by community philosophy non-profit Merlin CCC features live local music, tasty eats, a beer & wine garden, historic Pioneer Cabin tours, living history, games & more.
Dog-friendly and laid-back, this community-oriented event invites you to take in the charm of the alley & history of Helena in only the way that Reeder’s Alley can offer! Bring a picnic blanket or your favorite low-riding lawn chair & grab a spot in Caretaker’s Lawn. Roam the alley, share stories, play games, eat food, sip brews or wine, and take in the tunes. What better way to celebrate Tuesday nights in Helena this coming Summer?!
Check out the 2025 Music & Activities Schedule Here!

Philosophy Workshop: Improving Civil Dialogue...One Conversation at a Time
2025-07-13 09:30 - 11:30 | Reeder’s Alley (Conference Center & Grotto), 101 Reeder's Alley, Helena, Montana, 59601, United States
What We’ll Explore

Explore new ways to spark meaningful dialogue and cultivate civic trust in this interactive 2-hour community philosophy workshop. Through a combination of reflective exercises and conversation using the Teach Different Method, the workshop invites participants to consider challenges they’ve encountered to civil discourse and offers creative ways for exploring controversial topics constructively. If you are an educator, community leader, or anyone seeking to promote civic engagement and tackle challenging topics with empathy and clarity, this workshop is for you. The workshop will be led by guest scholar Dan Fouts & co-facilitated by Merlin CCC community philosophers Marisa Diaz-Waian & Mitch Conway.
When
Sunday, July 13th from 9:30am-11:30am

Where
Reeder’s Alley (Conference Center & Grotto)

RSVP

Let us know your coming. RSVP here!

Cost
FREE (Donations Appreciated)

Workshop Leader & Conversation Facilitator
Dan Fouts has taught high school social studies since 1993 in the Chicago suburbs. He holds degrees in philosophy and political science from Bradley University and a MS in education from Northwestern University. As co-founder of Teach Different, he promotes a neuroscience-backed conversation method fostering critical thinking, empathy, and civil dialogue. Dan serves on PLATO’s academic advisory board and has collaborated with the APA to bring philosophy into K-12 classrooms.

Conversation Co-Facilitators: Mitch Conway & Marisa Diaz-Waian

Make a Donation HereOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Community SponsorThank you to our community sponsor Doubletree by Hilton Helena Downtown.

Philosophy Walk: On Civil Disobedience
2025-07-26 09:30 - 12:30 | Missouri River Beaver Creek Trail (Hauser Dam Trail), Helena, MT, 59602, United States
What We’ll Explore

“If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth,—certainly the machine will wear out. If the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consider whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil; but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.” (Henry David Thoreau)

In Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience, Thoreau takes the position that unjust laws exist. But does that mean we should be content to obey them? What are the alternatives? Amend them and obey until we have succeeded? Transgress them at once?
In this walk led by community philosopher Mitch Conway we’ll explore how we might respond to the world in cases of injustice asking: When do the unjust actions of a government make one “the agent of injustice to another”? When is civil disobedience the necessary, just course of action? And when is one justified in hoping, “perchance it will wear smooth”?
When
Saturday, July 26th from 9:30am-12:30pm
(Please arrive 10 minutes prior to our walk start time to give yourself time to get ready to stroll.)
RSVP

Let us know you’re coming. RSVP here!

Cost
FREE (Donations Appreciated)

Other
Wear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes. Dogs are allowed on this trail but need to be on leashes. We recommend that you also bring or wear bug repellent.
Where
Missouri River Beaver Creek Trail (Hauser Dam Trail)
Directions/Parking/Meeting Spot: From Helena, head toward Lake Helena via the I-15 & East Lincoln Road or Highway 287 & Lake Helena Drive. Once at Lake Helena, head north on Hauser Dam Road. Just before the dam crossing, there will be a small lot off to the left side (parking is free). If there are no spots available in the lot, cars will frequently parallel park along the road closer to the dam crossing (where there is also a restroom and some signage). Our group will meet in the lot. From there, we’ll walk across the dam as a group and begin our walk. The trail follows the Missouri River until Beaver Creek Recreation Area (where some restrooms are located). It’s well-maintained but can get rocky and a little uneven in various locations so make sure to wear good shoes.

Walk Leader
Mitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC, a branch facilitator/educator at Cottonwood ALC, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization.
A student of philosophy, a theater maker, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners, his work has often been an interweaving of education, story, and inquiry. At the BIRD Theatre in Tottori, Japan, among other productions, he collaborated with Korean group TUIDA to create The Poetry Class about the colonial period and Pacific war; he also directed students at Kei Ai High School in Romeo & Juliet. Using applied theater, he performed with Village Playback Theatre creating improvisations from audience members’ personal stories, and for a three-month residency he taught embodied methods of community dialogue through the Colombo Americano in Medellin, Colombia. He has also taught theater to elementary school students at 82nd St. Academics and middle school students at Summer Institute for the Gifted.
For a year, Mitch taught at the English Immersion Program in Umphium Mai refugee camp on the Thailand-Myanmar border using a curriculum based in literature and critical thinking. With the New York Foundling at Queens College, he supervised the academic component of The Dorm Project, a program supporting youth in foster care through college. Mitch has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Mitch has recently presented at the North Eastern Philosophy of Education Society (NEPES) and Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) conferences. He also relishes walking in the forest.
Make a Donation Here
Our philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Community Sponsor & PartnerThank you to our community sponsor & partner Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Helena.

Philosophy Workshop: Are You What You Love?
2025-08-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Pioneer Park, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana, 59601
What We’ll Explore

In the first few pages of Friedrich Nietzsche’s essay “Schopenhauer as Educator,” Nietzsche invites us to consider a particular way of knowing ourselves by asking us to look back over our lives and consider the question: “what have you truly loved up to now?”

“[Look] back on [your] life with the question: what have you truly loved up to now, what has drawn your soul aloft, what has mastered it and at the same time blessed it? Set up these revered objects before you and perhaps their nature and their sequence will give you a law, the fundamental law of your own true self. Compare these objects one with another, see how one completes, expands, surpasses, transfigures another, how they constitute a stepladder upon which you have clambered up to yourself as you are now; for your true nature lies, not concealed deep within you, but immeasurably high above you, or at least above that which you usually take yourself to be.” (Friedrich Nietzsche, “Schopenhauer as Educator”)

In this workshop, we’ll undertake the personal task of this very reflection, following the structure that Nietzsche lays out for us. Based on these (private) reflections, we’ll then be invited to create drawings (A Ladder to a Bridge) that render abstractly those reflections. Afterward, we’ll have the opportunity to share and reflect on those, inquiring into one of the motivations behind Nietzche’s exercise: can we discern the fundamental law of our own true self? Finally, we’ll reflect on this way of knowing ourselves more broadly: To what extent are we what we love?
When
Saturday, August 9th from 9:00am-11:00am
Where
Pioneer Park (at the snails benches)
RSVP
Yes, I Want to Come to this Workshop!
Cost
FREE (Donations appreciated)
Other
Please bring something to write with. We’ll provide clipboards so you have a solid surface to work with.

Walk Leader
Mitchell Conway is a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC, a branch facilitator/educator at Cottonwood ALC, and serves on the Academic Advisory Board & Questions? Journal for The Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization. A student of philosophy, a theater maker, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners, his work has often been an interweaving of education, story, and inquiry. At the BIRD Theatre in Tottori, Japan, among other productions, he collaborated with Korean group TUIDA to create The Poetry Class about the colonial period and Pacific war; he also directed students at Kei Ai High School in Romeo & Juliet. Using applied theater, he performed with Village Playback Theatre creating improvisations from audience members’ personal stories, and for a three-month residency he taught embodied methods of community dialogue through the Colombo Americano in Medellin, Colombia. He has also taught theater to elementary school students at 82nd St. Academics and middle school students at Summer Institute for the Gifted. For a year, Mitch taught at the English Immersion Program in Umphium Mai refugee camp on the Thailand-Myanmar border using a curriculum based in literature and critical thinking. With the New York Foundling at Queens College, he supervised the academic component of The Dorm Project, a program supporting youth in foster care through college. Mitch has a Bachelor’s degree in Theater from Skidmore College and a Master’s degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Mitch has recently presented at the North Eastern Philosophy of Education Society (NEPES) and Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO) conferences. He also relishes walking in the forest.
Make a Donation Here
Our philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Community SponsorThank you to our community sponsor Doubletree by Hilton Helena Downtown.

Hayride Philosophy Walk: On Story & Meaning (*NO MORE SEATS LEFT*)
2025-09-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Merlin Nature Preserve, 6042 Lincoln Road West, Helena, Montana, 59602, United States
What We’ll Explore

“Interpretation is revelation based on information.” (Freeman Tilden)

Interpretation is oft defined as a kind of educational activity that places hands-on experience and thinking and meaning-making as primary (over the acquisition, say, of just a set of facts). It is also a tradition that has deep roots in the cultural and philosophical movements of the Enlightenment and Romanticism and has been influenced by such figures as Plato, John Locke, Lean Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, Freeman Tilden, and more.
Join long-time interpretive professionals Ken Soderberg & Darby Bramble for a hayride philosophy walk on Merlin Nature Preserve & Little Falcon Farm where we’ll examine how we perceive and come to know and understand the world by way of interpretation. Using interpretive principles and sensory exploration, we’ll connect with the landscape and one another while we identify and explore meaning and connection with the world around us.

When
Sunday, September 21st from 10am-1pm
(Please arrive 15 minutes prior to our walk start time to give yourself time to get situated in our hayride wagon comfortably.)
RSVP
Given hayride & nature preserve logistics, RSVP’s are required. Space is limited.
~ There are no more seats left. Please e-mail marisa@merlinccc.org if you would like to add your name to our waiting list & we will contact you if there is a cancellation. ~

Cost
FREE (Donations Very Much Appreciated)
Other
Wear weather appropriate attire & comfortable shoes, and bring a snack/water. We’re sorry, but no dogs for this walk (due to nature preserve and hayride wagon logistics). The walking portion of our meandering will be on a flat and relatively well-maintained dirt road approximately 1.5 miles in length.
Where
Merlin Nature Preserve/Little Falcon Farm (our group will meet/park at the old Silver City Saloon location and ride the hayride wagon from there onto the preserve.)
Directions/Parking/Meeting Spot: Our group will meet at the old Silver City Saloon located at 6042 Lincoln Road West. Our hayride trailer will be parked in the lot (you won’t miss it!). Please note that the Silver City Saloon sign is gone and a part of the facade has been removed. However, the basic sturcture still remains and is recognizable. To get there from Helena, take either the 15, N. Montana Ave. or Green Meadow Drive to Lincoln Rd. Turn left onto Lincoln Road & head west (toward Marysville/Canyon Creek). Drive roughly 6.5 miles. The Silver City Saloon parking lot will be on your right hand side. Click here for google maps directions.

Hayride Philosophy Walk Leaders

Darby Bramble has invested a lifetime into educating the public and interpreting natural and cultural resources across the West. As an interpretive park ranger at Hovenweep National Monument, and Saguaro and Grand Canyon National Parks, she led tours of archeological sites and historic structures for visitors from around the world. In Lolo, Montana she worked as Program Coordinator for Travelers’ Rest Preservation and Heritage Association, where she built a flourishing education program, oversaw the volunteer program, supported the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and collaborated with local tribes in cultural programming and the “Winter Storytelling Series.”

Currently, Darby works as the Museum Education Officer at the Montana Historical Society, where she oversees tours and fieldtrip at the Montana Capitol, Original Governor’s Mansion and starting December 2, the History Museum at the Montana Heritage Center. When she’s not working at the Historical Society, she can be found in her garden growing food to share with the community, butchering local meat, discussing Montana history with her husband who works for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, exploring state parks and public lands in Montana, or cheering for her three teenage children on soccer pitches and cross-country courses across the state.

Makoshika, Chief Plenty Coups, Lewis and Clark Caverns, Bannack — these are only some of the beautiful places that Ken Soderberg has been fortunate enough to help provide a voice for through his work with Montana State Parks.

A combined love of the outdoors (and the frightening thought of starvation if he pursued an acting career) led him to a degree in park management.

Thankfully his brief theater training was put to use throughout his 35 year career in parks. Each park has a story to tell. Whether the script came alive through the words of a park ranger he helped train or an exhibit he helped to create, giving voice to these special places remains one of his most cherished career memories.

To come full circle you can find Ken at the Grandstreet Theater these days either on stage or behind the scenes building the magical sets that help bring the story to life.

Make a Donation Here
Our philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Community Sponsor & PartnerThank you to our community sponsor & partner Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Helena.

Philosophy Symposium: On Growth Policy, Wildlife & the Environment
2025-10-01 17:30 - 20:00 | Lewis & Clark Library (Large Community Room), 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana, 59601, United States
What We’ll Explore
In this mini-symposium facilitated by community philosopher Marisa Diaz-Waian we’ll talk with guest panelists and authors Christopher Preston & Robert Frodeman about growth policy and development, wildlife, and the environment. The symposium is in collaboration with the Lewis & Clark Library (as part of their NEA Big Reads grant programming), and will be structured in a way that allows ample time for community Q & A, as well as an opportunity to mingle with the authors/scholars after the community conversation.
When
Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-8pm
5:30pm-7:15pm – Community Conversation and 7:15pm-8pm – Book signing & author mingle
Where
Lewis & Clark Library (in the Large Community Room)
RSVP
While an RSVP is not required, it’s very helpful for us in terms of logistical planning (e.g., how many chairs to set out, if important information about the program or venue needs to be communicated, etc.). With this in mind, we’re including an RSVP link here if you are so inclined.
Yes, I want to come!
Cost
FREE (Donations appreciated)
Other
*Books will be available for purchase from the authors. Book signing & author mingle after the community conversation.
​

Make a Donation HereInvest in community by investing in philosophyOur philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Guest Scholars
Chrsitopher Preston is a an award-winning author, environmental philosopher, public speaker, and clean energy enthusiast based in Missoula, Montana. A Professor of Philosophy at the University of Montana, his areas of specialty include environmental philosophy, climate ethics, the ethics of emerging technologies, rewilding, and feminist philosophy. A native of England – who has studied and worked in Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Washington DC, and South Carolina – his life in the US is oriented in many ways around the power of wild landscapes. In addition to being a professor, Christopher has worked as a commercial fisherman, a tool librarian, and a backcountry Park Service Ranger. Christopher has published extensively on climate engineering, synthetic biology, and the new epoch of the Anthropocene, and finds significance in both the new, and the traditional, wild. Christopher’s writings have appeared in The Atlantic, Smithsonian, Discover, Orion, Slate, the Wall Street Journal, The Conversation, Salon, The BBC, Yale E360 and other outlets. His books and journal articles explore technology, wildlife, climate change, justice, and numerous other topics that bear on how we live. His most recent book, Tenacious Beasts, won the 2024 High Plains Book Award for non-fiction and was included in The New Yorker’s ‘Best Books of 2023.’ It probes the mystery of wildlife back from the brink and asks what they have to teach.

Robert Frodeman writes on environmental philosophy and public policy, the philosophy of science and technology, and the future of the university. A graduate of St Louis University (history and philosophy, 1981), holder of a PhD in Philosophy (Penn State, 1988) and a MS in Geology (climate science, CU-Boulder, 1996), Frodeman is the author or editor of 15 books and more than 150 articles, and has been awarded more than 5 million dollars in grants. Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Interdisciplinarity at the University of North Texas (2008), he has also held academic positions at the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines, and ran the Socrates Untenured series at the journal Issues in Science and Technology from 2017 – 2021. In the fall of 2023 Frodeman was a Fulbright Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Turku, Finland, where he conducted research on the future of the university. His most recent publications include his co-edited books A Watershed Moment: The American West in the Age of Limits (2024) and Field Philosophy: Different Places, Different Cultures (forthcoming 2024).​

Community Sponsors & PartnersThank you to our community sponsors & partners Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Helena and the Lewis & Clark Library.

National Endowment for the Arts This symposium is in collaboraton with the Lewis & Clark Library by way of a Big Read grant award they receieved from the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov

BINGO Night at Lewis & Clark Taproom: A FUN-draiser for Community Philosophy
2025-10-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Lewis & Clark Taproom, 1535 Dodge Avenue, Helena, Montana, 59601, United States
How BINGO Fundraiser Night Works!Come early & claim your tableGrab your BINGO cards ($5 suggested donation)* Each card is good for 5 rounds! *Play some BINGO & Win Some Prizes – A caller calls out numbers, you mark them on your card, yell out ‘BINGO!’ when you’ve completed a card pattern (different patterns for different rounds), and win some great prizes (including Lewis & Clark Brewing beer)!Sip on some award-winning brews!Grab some grub from Vigilante Pizza!Enjoy great conversation & laughs with friends!Have fun & support a great cause!Friday, October 3rd (7pm-9pm)~ 100% of BINGO card proceeds & other donations go toward Merlin ~Join us for a fun night of BINGO, community & prizes!Marisa Diaz-Waian, Director of Merlin

Awesome BINGO Prizes

BINGO has never been so fun! Not only do you get to revel in the joy of being able to shout out “BINGO!” (who doesn’t love that!), when you’ve filled your card…you also get the opportunity to win some awesome prizes from some of your favorite Helena businesses like the Holter Museum of Art, Mae & June’s, Raven’s Feather Productions, Lewis & Clark Brewery and more!

Why Support Merlin?
Imagine a world where thoughtful dialogue & community co-exist. Where differing perspectives break bread. Where understanding, truth, and wisdom is a goal. Imagine you live in that world, that city, that neighborhood, that community.
Be part of that vision. Invest in that community. Support philosophy.
100% of BINGO card proceeds & other donations will toward our Fall & Winter philosophy in the community programming and help to support critical, creative thinking, the exchange of ideas, and the application of philosophy to everyday living. Our programs are free to the community and are opportunities for people of all backgrounds and ages — from children to elders — to gather, to learn from and with one another, and to uniquely cultivate their personal and civic selves.

How to giveCome to Lewis & Clark Brewery on Friday, October 3rd.Pick up your BINGO cards ($5 suggested donation)Make on-site donations!Can’t make it? Give on-line here!~ Merlin CCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible ~See you at L&C T-A-P-R-O-O-M (BINGO!) on October 3rd.Marisa Diaz-Waian, Director of Merlin

Philosophy Shorts (For Youth): Storytelling & Animals
2025-10-26 12:00 - 14:00 | Lewis & Clark Library (Large Community Room), 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana, 59601, United States
What We’ll Explore
A storytelling event for youth that features heartwarming tales starring animals such as coyote, raven, wolf, and more. Weaving art, philosophy, history, science, and community together, our storytellers will invite youth to imagine, wonder, question, and play, and learn more about indigenous perspectives on the enlightening & enchanting role of animals in our lives and collective history.
Imagine, Wonder, Question & Play

Given Halloween’s proximity, our storytelling focus, and our love of play…we’re dressing up! And invite you to join fun. Get inspired by and come costumed up as your favorite critter!

When & Where
Sunday, October 26th from 12pm-2pm
Lewis & Clark Library (in the Large Community Room)
RSVP
While you are welcome to attend without RSVP’ing, your RSVP helps us get an idea of how many people to anticipate so we can prepare accordingly.
Yes, I Want to Come!
Other
Light snacks provided
Cost
FREE (Donations appreciated)

Make a Donation HereInvest in community by Investing in philosophyAll of our philosophy activities are FREE to the community. While donations are never expected, they are always appreciated and help to keep programs like these going. Donations help to cover activity leader honorariums, implementation, and resource archiving, and more! If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution you can do so by clicking here. For those facing more challenging financial circumstances, we ask that you please try to “pay it forward” with acts of kindness for your neighbors and community.

Guest Storytellers

Shane Doyle (Independent Educational & Cultural Consultant, Native Nexus Consulting) is a Crow tribal member who grew up in Crow Agency, and currently resides in Bozeman, MT. A singer of Northern Plains tribal style of music for 30 years, Shane also holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, and completed a post-doctoral appointment in genetics with the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2016. With 20 years of teaching experience, Shane is a full-time educational and cultural consultant, designing American Indian curriculum for many organizations, including Montana public schools, the National Park Service, and the Museum of the Rockies. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Bozeman-based Extreme History Project, Hopa Mountain, and the Archaeological Conservancy, as well as serving on the Montana Arts Council culture and aesthetics committee and the Governors Parks in Focus Committee. Shane was a founding member of the Montana Wilderness Association’s Hold Our Ground Campaign in 2017, and speaks throughout the region on the topics of northern Plains Tribal culture and the importance of public lands in Montana. He was instrumental in the repatriation of the Anzick Clovis Child, and worked as a consultant and actor for the History Channel’s “Lost Treasure of the Little Bighorn Battle.”

Louise Ogemahgeshig Fischer (Anishinaabe Elder, Storyteller, Speaker, Artist and Cultural Consultant) is a member of the Midewiwin Society and her clan is the Eagle. Her home away from home is in York, MT where her home and studio are located. Louise lives there with her husband, Chuck, whom she has been married to for over 40 years, alongside her big dog and bird. Louise graduated in fine arts at Kingman, AZ college and has had shows in most all of the midwest states, including the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning, MT. Devil’s Elbow State Campground currently features some of her art plaques, as well as other locations. In addition to her art, Louise has led a sweat lodge for the staff and PTSD Veterans for over 13 years at Fort Harrison and other VA facilities and worked with suicidal youth at Shodair Children’s Hospital for over 10 years. She has also been a speaker for Humanities Montana for over 20 years. Rich with meaning and depth, Louise’s storytelling reveals a tapestry of Native American history, traditions, art, music and more.

Community Sponsors & PartnersThank you to our community sponsors & partners the Lewis & Clark Library, Helena BID, Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Helena Downtown and Helena Indian Alliance.

National Endowment for the ArtsThis storytelling event is in collaboraton with the Lewis & Clark Library by way of a Big Read grant award they receieved from the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov

Giving Tuesday 2025
2025-12-02 00:00 - 23:59
Play

WHAT IS GIVING TUESDAY?
GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
When: Tuesday, December 2nd (Starting @ 12am for 24-Hours)
How to give: DONATE HERE!
Give by check: Make out to ‘Merlin CCC’, write ‘GivingTuesday’ in the memo line, and mail to 119 Reeder’s Alley, Helena MT 59601

WHY GIVE TO MERLIN?
Imagine a world where thoughtful dialogue & community co-exist. Where differing perspectives break bread. Where understanding, truth, and wisdom is a goal. Imagine you live in that world, that city, that neighborhood, that community.
Be part of that vision. Invest in that community. Support philosophy.
Your contributions on GivingTuesday will help to support our Winter & Spring philosophy in the community programming, critical, creative thinking, the exchange of ideas, and the application of philosophy to everyday living. Our programs are free to the community and are opportunities for people of all backgrounds and ages — from children to elders — to gather, to learn from and with one another, and to uniquely cultivate their personal and civic selves.
