MOOSE MUSINGS

GVLT expresses our deepest gratitude to acclaimed artist and longtime GVLT friend, Jennifer Lowe, for generously donating this painting to support our mission of trails and conservation.

Moose Musings

I became aware of moose when I was quite young, growing up in Missoula, Montana. The children’s book Peter’s Moose, which tells the tale of a young, orphaned moose, captured my imagination in early grade school. Moose are the largest of the deer family and are usually solitary, favoring forested habitat and wetlands. In Montana, the shy, gangly creatures are not an unusual sight, but their numbers are far fewer than deer or elk, so it’s always a privilege to see a moose. A bleached collection of dropped antlers adorned the old log spring house at my grandmother’s summer home, where moose frequently peered from the willows and aspen groves. The piece I have rendered and given to the Gallatin Valley Land Trust depicts moose among aspens, near marshland where pond lilies and sedges grow. Moose have been known to occasionally wander into Bozeman and might be seen on GVLT trails. Enjoy every sighting of a moose that you are gifted with, but keep a safe distance as with all wild creatures.

About the Artist

Jennifer Lowe has combined the landscapes and wildlife of her native Montana with a unique approach to painting for over 35 years, with showings across the Mountain West. Her whimsical images rendered in vivid livestock markers on paper are widely collected and showcase a passion for the wild that she advocates to protect.