Dear Friend,

2026 is a big year—it marks the 50th anniversary of Montana Audubon! As we celebrate our golden anniversary, we’ll be highlighting the history of our organization throughout the year, reflecting on important moments and memories from five decades of conservation work. We’re already planning a special anniversary edition of our Spring newsletter, and this milestone will be woven into all of our events in 2026, including our Wings Across the Big Sky birding festival.

To kick things off, we’re excited to introduce a special 50th anniversary logo, featured at the top of this email. The design incorporates our organization’s first logo: a Black-billed Magpie perched on the state of Montana.

This logo really speaks to me. I still remember how excited I was to see my first magpie when I moved west, and to this day, whenever I return to Montana from a work trip or vacation, seeing (and hearing) magpies reminds me that I’m home. Keep an eye out for the logo throughout the year—you’ll be seeing it in many places, including on some special anniversary merchandise we’ll be sharing soon.

So here’s to the magpie and to our golden anniversary! With your support, we look forward to the year ahead—and to the next 50 years of conservation in Montana.

Yours in Conservation,

Larry Berrin

Executive Director

The 2025 Voting Record is here!

In it, you will find a summary of developments affecting conservation across the state and a record of how each individual legislator voted on key issues. This report highlights the bills, policies, and funding decisions that will shape the future of Montana’s wildlife, environmental quality, and natural resources. This snapshot provides insight into the work being done at the state level as it relates to our mission.

We encourage you to look it over, contact your legislator about what you learned, and let us know what you think!

Audubon’s Climate Watch program started on January 15 and goes until February 15, 2026.

Interested in participating? We have a step-by-step guide on our website to help you sign up, select a survey area, and submit data.

Each survey includes 12 short point-counts, recording observations with three target species: Pygmy Nuthatch, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, and White-Breasted Nuthatch.

Please email Casey at casey@mtaudubon.org if you have any questions. 

Montana Audubon staff have been running all over the state, meeting with partners, attending conferences, and connecting with local chapters in support of the Audubon Conservation Ranching program. 

In early January, we were proud sponsors of the Eastern Montana Regenerative Agriculture (EMRA) annual meeting. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with new producers and share our expertise on how ranching and grassland bird conservation intersect in Montana. Not only were the folks at EMRA great hosts, but we were excited about the strong interest from local ranchers! We look forward to expanding the ACR program in Eastern Montana. 

The following week, Christian and Peter traveled to Malta for the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) Annual Banquet, where RSA honored distinguished members and celebrated accomplishments from 2025. A highlight of the evening was recognizing the Viseth family for making the largest working ranch donation in Montana history to RSA this past year. Founded in 2003 by ranching families committed to the long-term health of their land, RSA emphasizes good land stewardship and collaboration to ensure the long-term future of working ranches in the region. 

By attending events like these, Montana Audubon strengthens engagement, builds strategic partnerships, and works with other organizations to tackle the challenges facing Montana’s grasslands. We’re particularly grateful for the support from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and Cornell-Douglass Foundation which makes this work possible

The Montana Audubon Center is stepping into 2026 with gratitude, momentum, and a deep appreciation for the community that makes our work possible. As winter settles in, January offers a moment to reflect on the incredible impact of the past year—especially the dedication of our volunteers, who contributed more than 1,500 hours supporting education programs and caring for the Center. Their time, energy, and heart continue to be the backbone of everything we do.

This month’s update highlights winter learning in action. From Homeschool Science and Audubon Naturalists in the Schools field trips to preschoolers discovering resilience and teamwork after December’s windstorm, students of all ages are building meaningful connections to nature—even in the coldest months. Hands-on exploration, field science skills, and joyful outdoor experiences remain at the core of our programs, reminding us that curiosity doesn’t hibernate.

January also brings a full calendar of community programs and opportunities to get involved, from Nature Nuts and family programs to bird strolls and special wildlife presentations.

Whether you join us for an event, volunteer your time, or support the Center through membership or donations, your involvement helps ensure nature education continues to thrive in our community throughout the year ahead.

Please join us in welcoming Casey Zacney to Montana Audubon! As a Big Sky Watershed Corps member, Casey will be working primarily with our conservation & science team, focusing on citizen science projects. She'll also be assisting with communications.

Casey was born and raised in the Greater Philadelphia area and moved to Helena in 2025. She earned a degree in Environmental Studies from Gettysburg College and worked for Philadelphia Parks and Rec, as well as trail crews along the Appalachians and coast of North Carolina. She is super excited to become a certified bird nerd and hopes to learn as much as possible during her Big Sky Watershed term this year. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and spending time with her beloved cat, Buttercup.

Welcome Casey! We are glad to have you on board!

Mark your calendars and join us this summer in Kalispell, June 12 -14, 2026, for the Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival!

Both Montana Audubon and Flathead Audubon Society are celebrating our 50 year anniversaries, so we’ve been hard at work putting together a birding festival to commemorate the incredible history of both organizations.

Field trips will visit locations in the greater Kalispell area, including local conservation areas, state parks, and private properties under conservation easements not normally accessible to the public. Special trips will focus on birds and native plants and bird photography. Or, the more adventurous can bike and bird Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park!

Registration brochures will be mailed out in the coming months, and registration will open in March 2026.

• Dec 25: 2025 Year in Review: eBird, Merlin, Macaulay Library, and Birds of the World | Team eBird
• Dec. 31: How Working Ranches Keep Open Land and Wildlife Habitat Intact | Drew Wood, A-Z Animals
• Dec 31: Groups Supporting FWP with Migratory Bird Stamp | Choteau Acantha
• Jan 9: Montana Ranchers Honored for Conservation Efforts in Bozeman Event | EBS Staff, Explore Big Sky
• Jan 17: Montana Audubon Center brings in program to teach about raptor conservation | Will Wagner, KTVQ News | Watch the news segment on YouTube (& look for Center staff Halei Akins!)
• Jan 20: Mild winter raises questions about bird migration patterns in Montana | Meghan Elaine, KBZK Bozeman
• Jan 26: Rare bird sighting a feather in the cap for Libby couple | Scott Shindledecker, Daily Inter Lake