Dear Montana,

As winter continues to unfold across Montana, our team at Montana Audubon is energized by the passion and dedication of our community. From rallying for public lands to expanding citizen science efforts and engaging students in hands-on outdoor learning, this season has been filled with meaningful action.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Public Lands Rally on February 19! While we celebrate this moment, our work is far from over. With threats to programs like Habitat Montana, we remain committed to advocating for our treasured landscapes.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to launch our 2025 Citizen Science schedule, offering opportunities to contribute valuable data on Montana’s bird species, including Screech-Owls, Long-billed Curlews, and our newest project surveying Nightjars. We're also looking forward to upcoming events at the Center, including the return of the Master Naturalist Course and the Native Plant Symposium.

Thank you for being part of this journey—your support fuels our work and makes these efforts possible.

Yours in Conservation,

Larry Berrin

Executive Director

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Public Lands Rally on Feb. 19- it was incredible to see everyone filling the Rotunda to support making sure our public lands stay in public hands!

Special thanks to our emcee Hilary Hutcheson and our speakers Ryan Callaghan, Dr. Shane Doyle, Shalon Hastings, and Russ Ehnes, and all the partner conservation organizations that helped make this rally happen.

And now the fight continues: one focus is to ensure Habitat Montana, a critical program that has protected over 330,000 acres of prime wildlife habitat since 1987, is fully funded. Senate Bill 307 aims to gut funding from Habitat Montana and other programs that fund critical habitat work. We’re also keeping a close watch for any attempts to seize and sell-off our federal lands in Montana.

Rest assured we will be there every step of the way to protect our public lands!

With Spring on the horizon, now is a great time to think about joining one of our citizen science projects!

This year we will be continuing our efforts for gathering data on Western and Eastern Screech-Owls, and Long-billed Curlew.

We are also extremely excited to announce our newest citizen science project in collaboration with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, and the Tracy Aviary, surveying for Common Poorwills and Common Nighthawks. 

No experience necessary- for every project we have an online training that will go over the species identification, survey protocol, data collection, and more.

Interested in learning more about any of these projects?

Visit our citizen science website at www.montanabirdsurveys.weebly.com or email Gwynne at gwynne@mtaudubon.org to get started.

Special thank you to Tracy Aviary for their support of Montana's wildlife and our citizen science research efforts!

The Montana Audubon Center is buzzing with winter excitement!

Our Fledglings Preschool is making the most of the snow, sledding down hills, and playing on the ice alongside older students from the Audubon Naturalists in the Schools (ANTS) program.

Meanwhile, ANTS winter field trips have students exploring the landscape, tracking wildlife, and learning about how animals adapt to the season. There’s nothing quite like the joy of discovering tiny animal tracks in the snow or spotting a red-tailed hawk soaring above.

These hands-on experiences spark curiosity and deepen connections to Montana’s wild landscapes, making winter an unforgettable season of learning and adventure!

Our team is also embracing the season with enthusiasm, kicking off the year with an inspiring visit to the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary to expand their knowledge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ice safety training with our preschoolers turned into a fun and valuable learning experience, reinforcing essential outdoor skills.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to announce the return of the 2025 Master Naturalist Course! This incredible program offers over 40 hours of immersive instruction from April to November, giving participants a chance to become true experts in Montana’s natural wonders.

And the excitement doesn’t stop there! Mark your calendars for the Native Plant Symposium on March 29, where we’ll dive into the world of native plants, citizen science, and stewardship. Our Audubon Conservation and Research Experiences (Audubon CARES) program is also making waves, offering high school students the chance to work alongside MSUB mentors on real-world scientific research. 

With so many engaging programs and events ahead, we can’t wait to share the adventure with you—come explore, learn, and connect with us!

Upcoming Programs

• Nature Nuts (Every Tuesday)
• Morning Bird Stroll (March 8)
• Great Horned Owl Encounter (March 8)
• Owl Prowl (March 15)

We’re hiring a Membership & Fundraising Specialist! The position will oversee our membership program while assisting with donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The position also oversees annual fundraising activities such as appeal letters, email solicitations, monthly giving programs, and events. 

This is a full time position, based out of our Helena office. Benefits include vacation, simple IRA w/match, health, dental, and vision. 

Visit our website for more information and instructions on how to apply:

Lead Sponsor: University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab

May 30 - June 1, 2025

Missoula, MT

Join us this summer in Missoula for Montana Audubon’s annual birding festival, hosted this year with Five Valleys Audubon Society.

We are pleased to announce that this year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Erick Greene, Professor Emeritus in the Division of Biological Sciences and in the Wildlife Biology Program at The University of Montana. In his presentation, “Ospreys As Environmental Sentinels,” he will share an overview of the species, along with details from long-term studies on heavy metals in in Ospreys and what this research can tell us about the environmental clean-up of the Upper Clark Fork River, the largest EPA Superfund site in the U.S.

More information is coming soon! Registration opens in mid-March.

Jan 22: Key link in Mission Valley Wildlife Corridor protected (the 40 acre property is near Ninepipe NWR, an Important Bird Area, and Kicking Horse Waterfowl Production Area, significantly enhancing critical bird habitat) | News from Jennifer Guse, Flathead Land Trust, published in Valley Journal

Jan 28: Follow that Bird! How Drones Are Helping Scientists Track Wildlife (features researchers and MFWP biologists who are using new tech to track bird species in Montana) | Claudia Geib, Audubon Magazine

Support Montana Audubon

Conservation is about people working together to protect habitat for birds, other wildlife, & a legacy for the future. Your support makes our continued efforts possible.

Thank you for joining us in this work!

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