Dear Montana,

Spring is a time for movement. With every passing day, we see more and more familiar bird species moving back into our yards and at our favorite local birding spots. The air (when it's not filled with late-April snow storms!) is full of the chatters and trills of Red-winged Blackbirds and the fluting melodies of Western Meadowlarks. It's also a good reminder for us to get moving again!

This spring, if you're looking for ways to move in nature, look no further than Montana Audubon. Consider joining our Long-billed Curlew citizen science surveys, or participate in one of the many fantastic programs or volunteer opportunities at our Audubon Center in Billings.

And if you haven't already, make sure to sign up for the Wings Across the Big Sky Festival! There are still field trip spots available, and they're a great way to get moving this summer.

Yours in Conservation,

Larry Berrin

Executive Director

Join birders & wildlife enthusiasts from across the country in beautiful Helena Montana! The weekend includes 2 days of field trips, evening banquets featuring a keynote presentation by Tiffany Kersten, Conservationist of the Year Awards, and more!

Register today! Brochure and more info on the Festival website.

May 31 - June 2, 2024 | Carroll College, Helena Montana

In partnership with Last Chance Audubon Society

Thank you to our sponsors:

Visit Helena, Montana's Outdoor Legacy Foundation, Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, Birds & Beasleys, Valley Bank, and Abbott Valley Homestead.

The warm and sunny days of Spring are fast approaching, and with that comes the familiar “cur-leeee” of the Long-Billed Curlew, an icon of America’s prairies.

The Long-Billed Curlew depends on Montana’s grasslands for breeding, and continues to decline across its range due to loss of this habitat to development of agriculture and infrastructure.

With this decline, more research is needed to assess the health and conservation needs of the population, so we need your help surveying these charismatic shorebirds in three locations: Mission Valley, Helena Valley, and Blackfoot Valley.

Two survey windows will be available for citizen scientists to participate in this unique effort: April 8th - May 7th, and May 8th - May 31st.

Interested in participating? Email Gwynne at gwynne@mtaudubon.org.

Learn more about the project on our Citizen Science website: 

As the seasons shift and nature comes alive, we’re excited to kick off our spring school field trips this month.

Over the next two months 72+ classes, from K-5th grade, will embark on a learning adventure at the Center. For our Audubon Naturalist in the Schools (ANTS) participants, this is our last encounter with them as we send them off with a curious eye and love of nature and hope to see them back at camps, community programs, or future field trips. 

We are privileged to engage each class participating in our ANTS program, most of which are in the School District 2, for 12-19 hours each year. Through a partnership with Indian Education For All, we help connect cultural history with environmental education. Over the last few months, we’ve integrated a more detailed connection between the use of canoes by Native Americans and our spring canoeing activity. We're also revising our restoration activity to include the Montana Audubon Center Story, connecting students with the history of the landscape, community vision and dedication, and including a reciprocity activity that allows them to give back and be a part of our story. 

In this spirit, we invite everyone to be part of our story, whether as a program participant, member, volunteer, or supporter. Learn more about our programs and other ways to be involved on our website. 

Upcoming Programs:

• Nature Nuts- Toddler & Me Program- April 16 & April 30, and May 14 & May 28 10:00 am. Suggested donation: $5 per person, free for members.
• On April 21, Center staff will present in Red Lodge as part of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary's Earth Day Speaker Series- visit their website for more information.

This spring, in addition to our education programs at the Center and online citizen science trainings, Montana Audubon staff have been attending meetings and community events across the state, including: 

Research & Conservation

• Browning: Planning meeting with Piikani Lodge Health Institute (PLHI)-Montana Audubon is working with PLHI to learn how our Audubon Conservation Ranching initative could benefit Blackfeet Nation ranchers 
• Lewistown: Conservation Ranching staff have been meeting with Prairie Pothole Joint Venture and local partners about grassland retention in central Montana
• Bozeman: Presented on how grazing can promote biodiversity in grassland habitats at the Native Plant Society meeting 

Citizen Science

• Helena: Montana Audubon hosted an in-person screech-owl survey training and demonstration for Montana Discovery Foundation’s Master Naturalist Class

Education

• Choteau: Wild Wings Festival- a celebration of annual waterfowl migration
• Helena: Soil Health Education Event, hosted by the Montana Association of Conservation Districts. This event focused on educating youth on the importance of soil health as a part of Montana’s Soil Health Week. 
• Helena: Montana Matters Youth Outdoor Experience- hosted by Montana Wild, a free opportunity for youth & their families to immerse themselves in nature, education, and fun. Montana Audubon presented a table educating participants on Montana raptors and the upcoming Wings Across the Big Sky Festival.
• Billings: The Center hosted an evening social and Project Learning Tree training as part of the Montana Environmental Education Association’s Annual Conference
• Billings: YMCA Healthy Kids Day Event - Celebrating Earth Day
• Billings: Month of the Military Child Yellow Ribbon Event - showcasing animal adaptations to fit their environment.  
• Red Lodge: Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary - Earth Day Speaker Series- presenting on ecosystem restoration happening at the Center. 

We’re excited and thankful to be involved in all of these projects, groups, and events, and look forward to more in the future! 

March 27: Great time to pick up birding in Montana (birding resources for the Helena area) | Tom Buchanan, KTVH Helena

April 3: Wild Bird Unlimited customers in Billings may donate to Montana Audubon Center | NonStop Local, Billings- KULR 8 News

April 17: Updates to Region Pages: eBirding This Month, Community Targets, and Trip Reports (Montana eBird has a new look!) | Team eBird, eBird.org

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