Dear Montana,

Now that summer is upon us, many will hit the road and visit Montana's mountains, forests, fields, rivers and lakes. We here at Montana Audubon however, can't take a break as this is a busy time for us. Just as we put our annual Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival in the rearview mirror we look forward, through the windshield, and see our largest fundraiser just down the road - Birdathon! Luckily this is also a fun way for us to get out of the office for a good cause. We will be spending 24-hours trying to find as many bird species as we can and hope you will support our efforts this year! Your donation to Birdathon will significantly enhance the long-term sustainability of our organization.

So as you hit the road this summer and take in the treasured landscapes Montana has to offer, know we will be here to ensure that the colorful birds and other wildlife that animate them are protected.

Yours in Conservation,

Larry Berrin

Executive Director

For nearly three decades, Montana Audubon has presented the annual Conservationist of the Year Award to an individual who exemplifies a commitment to birds, wildlife, and habitat conservation in Montana. This award is presented annually at the Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival, which was held this year in Helena, May 31 - June 2.

This year Montana Audubon was honored to present the Conservationist of the Year Award to the 16 youth plaintiffs of the Held v. State of Montana lawsuit, in recognition and honor of their historic, winning, youth-led constitutional climate lawsuit.

As the group takes on the State's appeal of the ruling this summer, Montana Audubon has, and will continue, to support them in their efforts to ensure that current and future generations have a right to a clean and healthful environment.

Read more: 

24 hours of birding to raise money for bird & wildlife conservation

Starting at 6 pm on June 26 and going until 6 pm on June 27, Montana Audubon staff will spread out across the state to count as many bird species as possible to raise money to support our important research, advocacy, and education work in Montana. We're hoping to find 100 bird species in total this year!

Donate on a per-bird species basis, or make a lump-sum gift of any amount.

Make a lump-sum donation online, or email your pledge information to: info@mtaudubon.org.

And, thanks to a generous donor, every gift will be matched up to $20,000- this means that your Birdathon donation will have double the impact!

Learn more and make a donation on our website:

Ever wonder what it's like to do a bird survey on one of Montana's Audubon Certified ranches? Check out this recent Montana Free Press article featuring Montana Audubon's Science Team as they survey North Bridger Bison, Montana's first Bird-Friendly certified bison ranch.

From the article: "Walking across the landscape, there was a clear difference between areas the bison had recently grazed and the pastures that had been left to let grass grow. 

That’s the result of rotational, multi-pasture grazing, which creates a “mosaic” of habitats, Meny said. For example, some birds like vesper sparrows prefer short grasses that have been recently grazed, while others like Brewer’s sparrows are reliant on dense sagebrush for breeding. When grazing creates more varied habitats, that attracts a higher species of birds."

Read the full article on the Montana Free Press website here:

Listen to this May 28 Montana Public Radio segment on Oxbow Cattle Company, another Audubon Certified ranch in Montana.

Check out the Conservation Ranching ad in the 2024 Abundant Montana Food Guide (pg 62)! It features some of the Audubon Certified ranches in Montana, including Oxbow Cattle Co. and North Bridger Bison.

Now that May's whirlwind days have ended, we reflect on the past school year with a mixture of fond memories and heartfelt emotions. It's always bittersweet to bid farewell to the wonderful students we've grown with, but our hearts are filled with pride and joy for all they have accomplished.

With June upon us, we are excited to embark on a new chapter brimming with fresh adventures and opportunities. Our summer camps, now starting, offer exciting explorations, discoveries, and connections in nature. We are also thrilled to welcome our new team members, whose passion and enthusiasm will undoubtedly enhance our programs and community initiatives.

This summer at the Audubon Center marks the start of many thrilling experiences we eagerly anticipate sharing with you. We hope you'll join us on this journey over the coming months and years, as we continue to nurture a love for the great outdoors and build a stronger community together. 

We would love for you to join us for any of our upcoming programs:

Upcoming Programs:

• Nature Nuts- Toddler & Me Program- every Tuesday starting June 11
• Bird Stroll- July 13 at 8:30 a.m.
• Weekend Wonders Family Program- July 13, 10:30 a.m.
• Evening Explorations- 1st Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

With summer on the horizon, Chimney Swifts have returned to the skies of Eastern Montana. Montana Audubon is partnering with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to see where these swifts are nesting!

Their fast flight and challenging-to-find nesting sites (for example- inside chimneys) make them difficult to track, but with the help of citizen scientists we will be able to discover more nesting sites around the state.

We need volunteers from June 1 to July 31 to survey chimneys in small towns in Eastern Montana- visit our Citizen Science website (link below) to see which towns are in the survey area- we're especially looking for volunteers in a few priority survey locations!

Surveys are short and stationary, and involve watching a chimney and recording data from 30 minutes before sunset until 30 minutes after sunset.

Please email Gwynne at gwynne@mtaudubon.org with any questions or to sign up!

Development Officer

Based out of our Helena office, but remote considered.

Full time, $50,000- $55,000 salary; benefits include dental, medical, vision, & retirement.

The Development Officer will work closely with the Executive Director and the admin team to help coordinate Montana Audubon’s fundraising activities including donor cultivation, stewardship and solicitation, grant research writing and management. This also includes overseeing annual fundraising activities such as appeal letters, email solicitations, monthly giving program, corporate sponsors, membership program, and planned giving.

This position is a key member of our administration team with a focus on cultivation and stewardship of supporters, ultimately nurturing and growing support for our work.

Visit our website for more information and to apply:

A Rare Warbler in Western Montana—and our Wings Across the Big Sky Festival Report 2024- Thanks for the great write-up Sneed! | Sneed Collard III, FatherSonBirding

--------

May 21: Supreme Court oral arguments set for July 10 in Held v. Montana case | Blair Miller, Daily Montanan

May 23: Climate lawsuit set to return to court on appeal (Court date set for oral arguments over 2023 Held v. Montana ruling) | Micah Drew, Flathead Beacon

May 28: As bird species decline, ranchers may be able to help (Conservation Ranching on the Oxbow Cattle Company ranch near Missoula) | Victoria Traxler, Montana Public Radio

June 9: School groups earn recognition for community climate resiliency projects (Students from Glacier High School help with cottonwood restoration projects at Owen Sowerwine Natural Area, with Flathead Audubon) | Micah Drew, Flathead Beacon

June 9: We are part of the web of life (op ed by past president of the Sacajawea Audubon Society on creating a national biodiversity strategy) | Anne Millbrooke, Daily Inter Lake

June 11: Supporters look to rescue embattled wildlife bill (The bipartisan Recovering America's Wildlife Act may die this Congress unless negotiators come up with a new strategy) | Garrett Downs, E&E News by Politico (behind paywall)

June 17: Firearm industry taxes total $17 billion toward wildlife conservation since 1937 (The Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund- Pittman-Robertson fund- is funded by excise taxes paid by consumers who purchase firearms, ammo, and archery tackle). | American Hunter

June 20: 'How do we keep this around?' Audubon honors North Bridger Bison, Montana ranches for conserving bird habitat. | Isabel Hicks, Montana Free Press

June 20: Harlequin ducks take center stage in Audubon presentation (Holli Holmes will present on Harlequin Duck research at the June 27 Mission Mountain Audubon meeting) | Lake County Leader

Donate $100 or more and receive our Wildlife Guide or our popular Bird Guide. Give $200 or more and get both!