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Dear Montana,
Summer is right around the corner- and we’ve got a lot going on at Montana Audubon as we gear up for long summer days.
To start the summer off, we are hosting our annual Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival- there is still time for you to join us in Helena! This year, registration will be open until May 31, when the Festival opens. We hope you can join us!
If after a weekend of Festival birding trips you’re looking for more birding opportunities, consider participating in Climate Watch surveys, which run until June 15. Or, learn more about some of our long-term habitat restoration at the Montana Audubon Center. Also stay tuned- we'll have updates from the field from our Science Team as they begin ranch surveys and continue searching remote glacier-fed waterfalls for Black Swifts later this summer. Finally, in our long history of protecting sage-grouse and the imperiled sagebrush habitats of Montana, we ask you to take action before it's too late.
Yours in Conservation,
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Larry Berrin
Executive Director
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- Wings Across the Big Sky Festival
- It's Time for Climate Watch Surveys
- Montana Audubon Center Update
- Tree Inventory and Monitoring Program at the Center
- Thank You to Wild Birds Unlimited in Billings
- Protect Habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse
- Montana Shares Raffle
- In the News
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There Is Still Time To Join Us In Helena! | |
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Join birders & wildlife enthusiasts from across the country in beautiful Helena Montana!
Registration will be open up until the festival begins on May 31, though field trip selections will be limited- sign up early for the best availability!
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.
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It's Time for Spring 2024 Climate Watch Surveys | |
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With warmer days and shorter nights ahead, some of Montana’s favorite bird species are returning for the summer. This seasonal shift also brings back Audubon’s Climate Watch from May 15 to June 15!
Want to participate? It’s easy! This program involves participants conducting twelve short point count surveys for six bird species: the Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Bluebird, Western Bluebird, and Spotted Towhee.
By conducting these surveys, scientists are able to compare where these birds have been observed to where the birds were predicted to be. Climate change affects entire ecosystems, including the ranges of birds. By comparing where these birds are supposed to be to where they actually are, we are able to see how their ranges have changed as a result of climate change. Your observations play a key role in understanding how these birds are responding!
Interested in participating? Email Gwynne at gwynne@mtaudubon.org.
Learn more on our Citizen Science website:
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Unveiling Nature's Hidden Wonders | |
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When the plant life around the Center awakens, a veil of colors hides our location for those unaware of the wondrous treasure that lays behind it.
This veil creates a new sense of wonder and mystery for program participants and staff as we explore new blooms, invigorated insects, and resourceful reptiles and mammals. After all, these creatures reside on a landscape that welcomes 21,000 human visitors each year and still manage to slip from view at a moment's notice.
Although it happens many times throughout the year, this change in the landscape provides a refreshing view of our “office,” reminding us just how lucky we are to be a part of it and its mission.
As the surrealness of the end of our school-year programs creeps ever closer, we are already finalizing summer activities and starting to think about what fall programs await. One thing is for sure, our restoration efforts planned for the summer (more info below!) will make a dramatic difference for the health and beneficial habitat on the property. Often these initiatives rely on volunteers, donations, and/ or grants for them to happen- a true community effort!
One of our focuses this summer is improving the health of our man-made ponds, left over from the site's days as a gravel mine. These ponds are utilized year around- yes, even in the winter! They provide educational opportunities for canoeing, macro invertebrate collecting, and learning about waterflow, and are home to muskrats, beavers, turtles (painted and snapping), salamanders, minnows, fish, and more. The ponds add another element of wonder and mystery to our education programs for adults and children alike.
This summer we invite all those curious about our veiled and mysterious site to come visit and take advantage of our upcoming programs.
Upcoming Programs:
- Nature Nuts- Toddler & Me Program- every Tuesday starting June 11.
- Bird Stroll- June 8 at 8:30 a.m.
- Weekend Wonders Family Program- June 8, 10:30 a.m.
- Evening Explorations- 1st Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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Tree Inventory and Monitoring Program at the Center | |
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One of the current habitat restoration projects at the Center is focused on thinning the juniper trees on the property.
"When this area was first restored, the trees were planted around 5 feet apart from each other with the expectation that many of them would not survive," shares Luke LaPointe, Big Sky Watershed Corps member and Center Land Steward.
"However, many did survive due to the area being irrigated, therefore reducing competition, and now we are left with an extremely overcrowded area with very little diversity outside of Junipers, a few Pondarosa Pines, and some grasses and shrubs in areas where light can penetrate the canopy."
The first phase of the project is the Tree Inventory and Monitoring Program. Luke, along with other Center staff and numerous volunteers, record the height, diameter, and overall health of the trees on the property, with the goal of creating a database they can use to inform future management decisions.
Says Luke, "Juniper woodlands are great habitat for birds as they can provide thermal cover in winter, nesting grounds in the spring, perching spots, etc., so trying to improve the quality of this habitat is one of the primary goals."
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Thanks For Keeping Our Feeders Full! | |
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Special thanks to the Billings Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop for their generous in-kind pledge to help us keep the bird feeders filled at the Center!
These feeders are a big part of our bird watching activities, and are enjoyed by program participants of all ages.
Learn more about how you can help with keeping our feeders filled at your Local Wild Birds Unlimited through their Bird Bucks donation program.
Wild Bird Unlimited customers in Billings may donate to Montana Audubon Center | NonStop Local, Billings- KULR 8 News
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Protect Habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse | |
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The survival of Greater Sage-Grouse is deeply tied to the availability of healthy sagebrush habitat. A recent report found that 1.3 million acres of functioning sagebrush habitat are lost every year across the West.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is requesting public input as they work to finalize management plans for more than 67 million acres of public lands where most of the sage-grouse are found. In Montana, the BLM's proposed plan will greatly impact land use and management in the High Divide area in the Southwest and a large area of core Sage-Grouse habitat in Southern Valley and Phillips counties.
Montana Audubon is part of a national Greater Sage-Grouse Coalition, which is tirelessly working with state and regional partners to educate and mobilize stakeholders and advocate for management actions that will stem the tide of sagebrush habitat loss.
Click on the button below to fill out a form on the National Audubon website to send public comments to the BLM. The deadline to comment is June 13.
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Montana Shares Annual Raffle | |
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The Montana Shares 30th Anniversary Raffle is officially OPEN!
There are 18 exciting packages, featuring Montana Made art, restaurant certificates, pet gear, beauty supplies, outdoor gear, and over $2000 in gift cards.
The drawing will be held on September 11, 2024. Winners will be contacted by mail and posted online.
This year, you can purchase raffle tickets online.
For more information, visit the Montana Shares website:
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Donate $100 or more and receive our Wildlife Guide or our popular Bird Guide. Give $200 or more and get both! | | | | |
