Dear Montana,

It is with heavy hearts that we share that Robin Larson, our Business Manger of 4 1/2 years, passed away unexpectedly early last week.

Robin was an integral part of everything we do at Montana Audubon, and we miss the energy, joy, and laughter she brought to the office every day. She referred to her desk as 'Robin's nest,' and would sing "Rockin' Robin" at our staff meetings. Listening to her answer the office phone with, "Montana Audubon, this is Robin speaking," just felt right for a bird organization.

We join with her family and friends in remembering Robin and celebrating her life. Her passing leaves a void, but we'll remember her fondly every time we hear the cheery song of an American Robin. 

Recording: American Robin- Song

Chris Parrish, XC22032. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/22032.

Robin Larson

One of the ever-expanding network of Audubon Certified ranches in Montana is Montana Better Beef in Kila, MT. The ranch is run by Pete Wade, along with his daughter Lisa and her husband Oscar. Montana Better Beef is a direct-to-market ranch, and in addition to being Audubon Certified they are certified organic and their cattle are grass fed from start to finish. 

On September 23, the Montana Audubon board of directors joined Montana Audubon staff for a tour of the ranch, where they learned more about upcoming habitat improvement projects, including substantial projects being funded by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MT DEQ).

Because Montana Better Beef operates on land that includes Truman Creek, an important spawning tributary for native cutthroat trout, the MT DEQ is funding riparian restoration as well as construction of a bridge across the creek that will help the ranch increase rotational grazing while reducing sediment load and temperature in the creek.

Learn more about Montana Better Beef and this project on our website:

"When you hear the words 'whitebark pine', what images come to mind? For many, hearing the name of this iconic tree evokes a sense of remote wilderness, the hush of alpine solitude, or the whispering of wind along a rocky treeline. But if you’ve spent time among groves of whitebark pines, your thoughts may also run to the raucous cries of the gregarious Clark’s Nutcracker."

Recent UM System Ecology graduate student Vlad Kovalenko has spent the last several years studying whitebark pine in Glacier National Park, researching whitebark pine infection by blister rust, mortality, cone production, and regeneration, as well as how these factors influence Clark's Nutcrackers' home range and habitat use.

Read more about his research in the latest Montana eBird post from our partners at the University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab:

On Saturday, October 7, Montana Audubon staff (and some young volunteers!) tabled at the Bridger Raptor Festival, which is held every year in early October at Bridger Bowl Ski Area just outside of Bozeman, MT. The event is sponsored by Sacajawea Audubon Society.

Montana Audubon Avian Specialist Bo Crees and Director of Conservation Christian Meny were joined by Christian's two daughters, Cadence (age 11) and Brooke (age 6). Together, they taught attendees about bird anatomy, including eagle, Osprey, and hawk talons; compared the weights and densities of bird bones vs. mammal bones using American White Pelican and Pronghorn bones; and displayed various skulls, wings, and other specimens. All animal specimens were donated for use by our friends at Montana WILD- thank you!

In addition to tabling, Bo gave a two hour raptor identification workshop where he shared some ID tricks for some of Montana's most commonly observed diurnal raptor species.

We had a great time at the festival, and can't wait for next year!

We’re feeling seasonally spooktacular at the Center these days. This year’s prolonged warm weather has made it perfect for late-season canoeing, enjoying the blooming rubber rabbitbrush, and taking in all of the amazing colors fall provides.

Program participants have been excited to dive into fascinating fall findings, such as different shapes and colors of leaves, searching for spiders, and of course, our favorite in any season: playing in mud puddles. 

As we start to bid farewell to our fall-like weather our programs will start having a more holiday festive feel. With visions of sledding and frozen pond explorations dancing in our heads, work is already in progress in planning this year's Holiday Wreath Making Workshops and Holiday Market. We hope to see many new and regular participants as we start to wrap up this calendar year! 

• Nature Nuts (Toddler and Me) every Tues from 10-11 am, upcoming themes include Going Batty and Learning the Commonalities Between Nature and Halloween. 
• Bat-Stravaganza, in partnership with Fish Wildlife and Parks, October 27, 6-8 pm | To RSVP please send an email to Becca Mathias, Community Programs Coordinator at rmathias@mtaudubon.org
• Holiday Wreath Workshop, Sat Nov 4 & 18 from 2-4 pm
• Morning Bird Stroll, Sat Nov 11 from 8:30-10:00 am
• Weekend Wonders Family Program, Sat Nov 11, from 10:30 am -12 pm
• New Moon Hike, Wed Nov 8, from 7-8:30 pm

For more information and to sign up for any of these programs, visit the Montana Audubon Center website:

Sept 18/Oct 1: Montana Moth Project identifies new species, expands understanding of nocturnal insects (The Montana Audubon Center hosts a citizen science team who contribute to the project) | Brett French, Billings Gazette/ Spokesman-Review

Oct 4: Audubon and partners announce first bird-friendly certified bison ranch in Montana | Press Release, National Audubon Society & Montana Audubon

Oct 6: California Quail relocate to Acton, northwest of Billings (MT Audubon staff provide info on quail range in MT) | Brett French, Billings Gazette

Oct 9: New Audubon president excited to return to world of birds (Congrats to Darcy Thomas, the newly-elected president of Flathead Audubon) | Kate Heston, Daily Inter Lake

Oct 14: Helena-Area business briefcase (North Bridger Bison bird-friendly certification) | Helena Independent Record

Oct 18: Tracking Montana's Raptors (Montana Audubon is a long-time supporter of the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch site, which is funded by Flathead Audubon) | Micah Drew, Flathead Beacon

Oct 22: Conservation easement would protect bird refuge near Kalispell city limits (News segment about the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area. Montana Audubon, Flathead Audubon, and many other community groups are working together to place a permanent conservation easement on the land.) | NBC Montana

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