Helena High School junior Hunter Feiss is interested in science. He ponders water and electricity and enjoys topics that are specific to what is affecting the earth.

Feiss was one of 70 students, teachers and community members also interested in science who attended the Helena Education Foundation's annual Hot Topics in Science event on Wednesday.

The theme this year was "Staying in the Game: Resilience in the Face of Climate Change." The forum looked at Helena as an organism undergoing natural cycles.

HEF Executive Director Lisa Cordingley said resilience in this case is an organism's ability to maintain function during a disturbance.

"It's been startling to me how appropriate this topic is," Cordingley said. "Reports are coming together that brings these topics home for students."

Read more in the Billings Gazette.