OWEN SOWERWINE MONITORING PROGRAM
Flathead Audubon has been the local manager of the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area since 1997.
Crucial to this management is monitoring the Area – to discover what birds and other wildlife are frequenting the Area, to find out when walkways or fences need fixing, look for signs that Natural Area rules are being violated, watch for parking problems or trail blockages, and generally keep track of what is happening there.
The Owen Sowerwine Volunteer Monitoring Program was instituted in 2007. The Program recruits volunteers who provide regular reports on what they encounter when visiting OSNA. This allows us keep up on maintenance chores, identify problems, estimate visitor numbers and learn about visitor activities, and develop a more complete list of the plants, birds, and wildlife at OSNA.
Volunteer Monitors serve as the eyes and ears of Flathead Audubon at Owen Sowerwine.
HERE IS WHAT A VOLUNTEER MONITOR DOES.
Whenever they go to Owen Sowerwine – whether for just a short time to walk on the trails, or for a few hours of birding, they make observations about the status of the trail and entrances, any damage repair or trail needed, and any activities or visitors they observed.
BE SURE TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THE BIRDS YOU SEE! If you report a species that is not yet on the OSNA bird list, Kay will make sure it gets added. Use the “Comments” portion of the Monitoring Form.