Highlights from the April 1st Board Meeting
- A sample and explanation of the Birds In Motion video project was provided by bj Worth, in hopes of coordinating with FAS for our mutual benefit.
- Bruce Tannehill provided an annual financial review, which recommended splitting the Treasurer position into a bookkeeper and a Treasurer due to the work volume.
- Diane Boyd resigned from the Board due to a change in her employment.
- Birdathon information sheets and pledge forms were distributed. Also, some clarification was provided to reduce the opportunity for stretching the rules!!
- An exciting new logo was approved and will be visible soon!
- FAS will be providing a bench or two, bluebird houses, and some native plantings to help finish the new West Valley Viewing Area.
SAVE THESE DATES
BIRDS OF PREY FESTIVAL!
Saturday, September 14th
At Lone Pine State Park
The 13th Annual
Last year’s Festival, with many live birds of prey, great speakers, family crafts and activities, booths from many organizations, raptor face-painting, and field trips – drew 850 participants! The trend says that record number will fall again this year, as it has every year so far. Join us and celebrate the incredible beauty and value of our feathered friends!
Owen Sowerwine Natural Area Workday
Saturday, September 28
Your opportunity to help maintain the wonderful Owen Sowerwine Natural Area. More details will be included in the September Pileated Post.
Summer Solstice Party
June 21st – 6:30pm
Have fun and help conserve a gem along the Flathead River!
from your friends at the Flathead Lakers and Flathead Land Trust
RSVP to Flathead Land Trust at 406-752-8293
Family Forestry Expo
The 30th annual Family Forestry Expo will take place at Stoltze Lumber’s Ron Buntemeyer Educational Forest located north of Kalispell along Trumbull Creek on Saturday, May 11, from 9 AM-3 PM. This is a free family event that offers hands-on understanding of the role that local forests play in our everyday lives. Expo visitors explore how the different parts of a forest are connected to make up a dynamic system, how people and all parts of the environment are dependent on one another, and how each affects the other.
The Expo includes a free “loggers lunch,” and features demonstrations, exhibits, and a forest walk with many educational stops, including one run by Flathead Audubon Society. FAS has maintained a booth at the Expo for many years and is always looking for volunteers to help engage visitors. If you enjoy being outdoors on a spring day while talking to people of all ages about forests, and especially birds, please contact Denny Olson, the FAS Conservation Educator, at auduboneducator@gmail.com. Whether you are a volunteer or a participant or just want to enjoy a day in the woods, everyone is welcome to come on out.
Nominate a Conservation Leader for a 2019 Montana Audubon Award!
Nominations are now being accepted for Montana Audubon’s 2019 awards. Consider nominating someone you know for Conservationist of the Year, Environmental Educator of the Year, Citizen Scientist of the Year, or a Lifetime Achievement award! Nomination forms can be found on the website: mtaudubon.org/about/awards/. The deadline for nominations is May 20, 2018. Please submit via email (preferred) to info@mtaudubon.org or by mail to Montana Audubon, PO Box 595, Helena, MT 59624. Award winners will be announced at our Bird Festival banquet in Glasgow on June 8.
2019 Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival
June 7-9, 2019
Cottonwood Inn, Glasgow, Montana
If you haven’t registered for Montana Audubon’s annual Wings Across the Big Sky Festival yet, it’s time to get busy! Slots remain on great field trips to the stunning prairie landscapes in Montana’s northeastern region. The area supports numerous uncommon grassland bird species such as Sprague’s Pipit, Chestnut-collared and McCown’s Longspur and Mountain Plover among others.
Featured speakers include American Prairie Reserve founder and Great Falls native Sean Gerrity, who will discuss the importance of Montana’s undisturbed, native prairies for birds and other wildlife in the Reserve region. Andy Boyce with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute will present on the effects of livestock grazing on grassland birds. Other presenters include Kelsey Molloy with the Nature Conservancy, who will give an overview of that organization’s work in the area, and Conservation Program Manager, Amy Seaman will describe the unique avifauna of local grasslands and some of the citizen science work of Montana Audubon. Executive Director Larry Berrin will round out the festival speaker lineup with a Saturday evening presentation entitled, “State of the Birds”.
To learn more about the 20th annual Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival and to register, please visit: mtaudubon.org or call 406.443.3949. We hope to see you there!
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