Dear Montana,

Spring is almost over and we’ve got a lot going on at Montana Audubon as we gear up for long summer days. Thank you to everyone who joined us in Missoula for our annual Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival. If you missed it, we premiered a documentary on our Black Swift research which you can watch below. And if after a weekend of Festival birding trips you’re looking for more birding opportunities, consider participating in our new Citizen Science project surveying nightjars in Montana.

Summer is also an exciting time at the Montana Audubon Center and here we share upcoming events including our popular summer camps. And if you haven’t seen our Spring Newsletter, you missed the story of what it is like to “grow up Audubon.” You can download the issue below and learn about the impact we are having on children attending programs at the Montana Audubon Center from their perspective.

Finally, summer is also the time for our biggest fundraiser of the year – Birdathon! I hope you will consider sponsoring our team with a pledge as we attempt to see as many birds as we can in a 24-hour period. Your donation helps support our work protecting our native birds, other wildlife and their important habitats.

Yours in Conservation,

Larry Berrin

Executive Director

In this issue we share the latest updates on our work, including:

• Feature Article: Growing Up Audubon- The Impact of the Montana Audubon Center
• 2025 Legislative Session Overview
• 2024 Annual Report

And more!

If you’d like to receive a print copy of our newsletters, become a member! All Montana Audubon members receive a print copy of each Spring and Fall newsletter in the mail.

Read & download the PDF on our website:

Birdathon 2025

For over 10 years, Montana Audubon has been monitoring Black Swift populations across the western portion of the state. The Black Swift Monitoring Project provides baseline data for one of the world's least known, and most climate-sensitive, avian species.

In this new documentary, Montana Audubon staff share the story of Black Swifts in Montana and efforts to monitor them.

"The Black Swift is a really unique species, there's basically nothing like them in North America," said Bo Crees, Avian Specialist.

Watch the full documentary on the Montana Audubon YouTube channel:

We're partnering with Montana FWP to start new state-wide surveys for Common Nighthawks and Common Poorwills. Thank you to Tracy Aviary for funding this important project!

Visit our Citizen Science website to sign up & view all of the training materials.

Or, join us for an in-person training on June 27 at 7 p.m. at the Montana WILD Center Auditorium in Helena.

To learn more, email Gwynne at gwynne@mtaudubon.org.

Summer has arrived, and the Montana Audubon Center is bursting with exciting opportunities to get outside and connect with nature.

Our wildly popular Summer Adventure Camps are underway, offering kids unforgettable experiences like pond exploration, hands-on science, and themed adventures from Zoology to Field Science.

Families won’t want to miss Evening Exploration on June 18 (4–7 p.m.), where you can try canoeing, join a scavenger hunt, or simply soak in the beauty of the landscape. Then, get up close with majestic birds of prey during Raptor Discovery Day on June 21—an all-ages event filled with live animals and conservation fun.

Beyond the trails, the Center is making a powerful impact in the community.

Our educators delivered over 90,000 hours of environmental learning this past school year, while local teens showcased their conservation research at the first-ever Greening STEM Symposium.

Volunteers are pitching in too—from building turtle nest protectors to keeping gardens in bloom.

And mark your calendars: Evening Under the Big Sky, the Center’s signature fundraising gala, returns on September 13 for a night of celebration under the stars.

Want to get involved? Visit mtaudubon.org/center for details on events, memberships, and ways to make a difference.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

• Nature Nuts (Ages 1–4 + adult): Every other Tues, starting June 3, 10–11 a.m.
• Evening Explorations: June 18, 4 p.m.(rent a canoe, ask a naturalist, and more!)
• Volunteer Work Day- Pollinator Garden Clean Up: June 18, 4 p.m.
• Raptor Discovery Day: June 21, 11 a.m.
• Morning Bird Stroll: Sat, July 12, 8:30 AM
• Weekend Wonder Family Program: Sat, July 12, 10:30 a.m.

Since 1996, Montana Audubon has awarded grants in support of research and education projects directed toward wildlife habitat conservation. Funds are awarded from earnings generated by the Audubon Wildlife Fund of Montana, a permanent endowment.

In 2025, seven grants were awarded to graduate students Dalton Brantley, Arcata Leavitt, and Jacob McArtor, and to Flathead Audubon, Last Chance Audubon, the Montana Raptor Center, and Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center.

We are looking forward to following the important work of these grant recipients, and will have updates to share later this fall.

Read about the awardees and their projects on our website:

Connect with Montana Audubon