Embedded within the University of Montana’s week of welcome Aug. 21-25, 2023, all new students will participate in a six-hour Big Sky Experience with a small group of their peers. This year students will visit the beautiful Orchard Gardens, our 35 income-restricted multi-family rental homes situated on 4.6 acres near the urban-rural fringe of west Missoula. We’ll tour the property and its community garden, sharing along the way how we use sustainable methods to create homes throughout Montana, support renters in a tough market and strengthen Montana communities. We will also hear from our partner organization Home ReSource about reducing waste and developing a more circular economy in Missoula. Home ReSource will provide assistance and salvaged supplies as we launch into a hands-on lesson in sustainability. Over the course of two days, we will construct a little free library and food pantry to place near the bike trail that connects Orchard Gardens with the central Missoula valley. We will also thread in discussions about the meaning of home, inequity and positive alternatives to trigger terminology. Together we will enrich this little corner of Missoula for local families, children, seniors and veterans for years to come and work toward creating more sustainable communities for all.