Highlights of the 4/1/24 Board Meeting

  • Darcy Thomas reported that Dee Baginski has been very involved in merchandise sales, and that Denny Olson is entering the busy season for field trips and school presentations. Learning kits continue to be actively in use.
  • The contracts for the Conservation Educator and Operations Coordinator are undergoing the annual review and the Board voted to develop a strategy to transition these two positions together, and from contract to employment.
  • The Pileated Post newsletter will be printed in color in the future, and we will look into ways to reduce the number of pages to keep the cost down.
  • Linda DuLac is working with Linda Winnie to document all Directors, Committee Chairs, and Officers since Flathead Audubon was formed.
  • Margaret Parodi reminded field trip leaders to use the participation form so we can track numbers, and also for liability reasons. 
  • Pam Willison is redesigning the Owen Sowerwine brochure to update it and expand the contents. She will attend a meeting and site visit for the 310 Permit needed to repair the bridges this summer.
  • Shannon Donaldson said the Junior Birder Club events will kick off at the Earth Day celebration in April and Warbler Weekend in May. She is working on some policies related to the Club.
  • Kay Mitchell will complete the final report for the WFCF Community Grant, then complete the application to participate in Great Fish again this year. At the suggestion of WFCF, we decided to include an endowment donation as the secondary purpose for the funds.

Helping Hands Make Light Work

The Osprey and Baling Twine Project got off to a good start this spring with the help of Michell Tyler, Patty Archibald, Ann Halter, Dee Baginski, Ann Rhodes, Nancy Gresham, and Darcy Thomas. We printed brochures which we placed in various locations throughout the valley to remind people of the dangers of Osprey incorporating baling twine into their nests and the need to pick it up, published stories on the subject in the Daily Inter Lake and the Pileated Post, and made a poster to display at our local Earth Day celebration and other events. We hope to increase our efforts in the future and do all we can to get this information out. Please contact Darcy (darcy@flatheadaudubon.org) if you want to help with this project.