CHANGE ANDADAPTATION

fall2015

Finding solutions in an ever-changing landscapepage 4

CITIZEN SCIENCE KEY TOCURLEW CONSERVATIONConservation Briefs, page 8

FALL 2015 3

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

Board of Directors

OfficersFred Weisbecker, PresidentCary Lund, SecretaryRon Farmer, Treasurer

At-large Board MembersRobert MackinHarriet MarbleBob MartinkaPeter NorlanderDon RobertsDonald SeibertJudy TureckRachel Van Wingen

Chapter Delegates

Bitterroot AudubonBecky Peters

Five Valleys AudubonRose LeachCarolyn Goren

Flathead AudubonBob LeeJoe Batts

Last Chance AudubonSumner Sharpe

Mission Mountain AudubonBob BushnellJim Rogers

Pintler AudubonJack Kirkley

Sacajawea AudubonMike Vivion

Upper Missouri Breaks AudubonNora Flaherty-Gray

Montana AudubonPO Box 595, Helena, MT 59624Phone: 406-443-3949Fax: 406-443-7144mtaudubon@mtaudubon.orgwww.mtaudubon.org

Helena Staff

Steve HoffmanExecutive Director

Janet EllisSenior Director of Policy

Norane FreistadtOperations Manager

David CronenwettDevelopment Specialist

Cathie EricksonAccounting Specialist

Sara LipscombOffice Manager

Amy SeamanAssociate Director of Conservation

Audubon Center7026 S. Billings Blvd.Billings, MT 59101Phone: 406-294-5099www.mtaudubon.org/education

Audubon Center Staff

Rachel Van WingenInterim Center Director

Trinity PierceLand Stewardship Coordinator

Laura WoodwardNaturalist

Carol WardNaturalist

Susan StoneCustodian

Montana Audubon is a proud member organization of Montana Shares.

Greetings, Fellow Conservationists.

As I ponder recent efforts of Montana Audubon staffers,volunteers, and board members, I recall Margaret Mead’s oft-quoted statement: “Never doubt that a small group ofthoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing thatever has.” I would like to highlight recent examples within the Montana Audubonfamily that demonstrate Ms. Mead’s insightful truth.

Our 2015 annual Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival, convened in Helena in early June, was a resounding success. Attendees had fun, learned much, enjoyed anabundance and diversity of birds in the field, and left with a renewed commitmentfor taking bold action on behalf of our threatened avian populations. Much of theevent’s success was due to the teamwork of a great many selfless volunteers from Helena’s local chapter, Last Chance Audubon. Two volunteers in particular,Janice Miller and Jo Lace, served as co-leaders with festival planning, keeping all the moving parts working together. Janice also served as our enthusiastic emceethroughout the weekend. THANK YOU, Janice and Jo and Last Chance Audubon!

This past spring, at our Montana Audubon Center in Billings, two key staffers left the organization within a short period. The timing was unfortunate, as we were fastapproaching our summer camp season, the Center’s busiest time. In response to thisdilemma, Montana Audubon board member Rachel Van Wingen offered to serve as our full-time interim center director. Rachel provided steady, focused leadership all summer long. She and her staff did a superb job managing the hectic summercamp season and as a result, the number of camps increased 20 percent, with arecord total of 245 participants. Feedback from participating children and parentswas overwhelmingly positive. THANK YOU, Rachel and all Center staff.

Departing staffer Amy Cilimburg, director of bird conservation and climate policy forMontana Audubon for the past seven years, made a great many lasting contributionsto bird habitat conservation during her tenure. She will be deeply missed. Oneparticularly successful project she spearheaded and led during the past two years is the Mission Valley Conservation Partnership. Amy brought together 15 partners(including many state and federal agencies, local land trusts, Audubon chapters,Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe, and Salish Kootenai College) to developstrategies, plans, and priorities for conserving critical, highly threatened grassland and wetland habitats before they are lost to development. Thus far this partnership is working well, and meaningful, on-the-ground conservation throughout the valley is now underway. THANK YOU, Amy! (Stay tuned for future updates regarding thisexciting conservation initiative.)

And, thanks to all of you for your ongoing support—we could not possibly achieveour ambitious statewide bird conservation goals and aspirations without yourconsistent generosity.

Yours in conservation,

Steve Hoffman, Executive Director

fall 2015Cover Story:Change and Adaptation

Conservation Briefs

News From the Center

4

812

Our mission is to promoteappreciation, knowledge andconservation of Montana’snative birds, other wildlife,and natural ecosystems tosafeguard biological diversityfor current and futuregenerations.

Founded in 1976, MontanaAudubon has built effectiveprograms in public policy,education, and birdconservation to serve itsmembers and Montana’snine community-basedAudubon Chapters.

On the cover:Fall comes to the Rocky Mountain Front near AugustaPhoto by John LambingInset: Long-billed CurlewPhoto by Bob Martinka

COVER STORY

FALL 2015 54 MONTANA AUDUBON

ADAPTATION

continued...

lack swifts use mosses to build nests in some of the most remote places left in our world. Alas, one feature that makes this fragile habitat what it is—a constant supply of glacial meltwater—is itself at risk. As mountain icecontinues to recede, this and other nesting sites that have been used for

millenia may finally be abandoned. If black swifts cannot nest, the future of thespecies is in question.

These are the sort of thoughts that keep conservationists awake at night. The fate of a nearly “invisible” species, the black swift, is tied to the cool temperatures andabundant water of a specific habitat that is threatened because of global forces(climate warming) seemingly beyond our control. And this can lead us to despair.How many birds and other creatures out there, species we might not even know to exist, are affected by human activity?

B

A quiet story is unfolding near a waterfall somewhere in the remote high country of Glacier National Park. No person has ever been to this particular spot, but it has been a nesting site for countless generations of black swifts since the last ice age. In this otherworldly zone of continual mist and twilight, birds that spend most of their lives on the wing come briefly to earth to rear their young.

6 MONTANA AUDUBON FALL 2015 7

Change and Adaptation, continued

a balanced,science-based program

to conserve Greater Sage-Grousepopulations and thus, many other sage-dependent species throughout Montana.The program has been approved andfunded, and is set to be implemented in thecoming months.

To conserve wildlife, it is critical tounderstand what ishappening on theground. We prioritizehabitats that areparticularly vulnerableto disturbance inMontana, includingwetlands, shrub-steppe areas, andgrasslands. Long-billed Curlews areidentified by ecologists as speciesrepresentative of healthy grasslands inour region, so during the past severalseasons Montana Audubon hasspearheaded curlew surveys in key

geographic regions in the state,including the Mission and Helenavalleys. We’ve engaged citizen-scientist volunteers from our localchapters to collect breedinginformation that can be used tounderstand how these graceful birdsrespond and adapt to changes intheir habitat over time. This datawill ultimately be used to help informlandowners about steps they can taketo develop stewardship plans with thecurlew and other grassland species inmind. This is another way to createcircumstances for wildlife to adapt andsustain themselves into the future.

Change is a universal constant. The black swift nest high on the mountain isthere today; how this bird will respond to dramatic changes to its alpineenvironment is not known. At MontanaAudubon, we’re adapting to addressdifficult questions like this. Ourattractive, useful new website will makeus more visible, accessible, and provideour conservation message a greater reach.We’re engaged in important policy

and bird science work fueled by the commitment andenthusiasm of supportersfrom nine Audubonchapters around the state. And we’rereaching into thefuture with educationalevents and programs at our Billings centerand elsewhere, designed

for the next generation of conservationists.

While it is too early to know the blackswift’s fate, Montana Audubon and ourvolunteers are out in that lofty alpineworld, and in many other places, lookingfor answers and solutions… and perhapsmaking a better night’s sleep for some.

Montana is home to many beautiful anddiverse habitats, each with conservationchallenges for the myriad wildlife theysupport. For just shy of forty years,Montana Audubon has been closelyinvolved with the changing landscapes ofour state and the many issues affectingthem. Change is universal and happens onmany scales. Each season, wildfire plays itsrole in reshaping prairie and forest acrossthe region, favoring some organisms anddisplacing others for a time. Rivers floodviolently, carving new channels andallowing others to dry and eventuallybecome meadows. A windstorm topples asingle, centuries-old ponderosa pine,creating a new opening in the woodlandand new opportunities within itscommunity of life.

While change is a constant on thelandscape, so too, is adaptation. Organismssurvive by adjusting their behavior toaccommodate changes in the environment.In fact, it isn’t an understatement to

suggest that adaptation is survival.For decades, Montana Audubon hasworked to help ensure that the birds andother wildlife of Montana have what theyneed to survive and thrive into the future.Some threats are large and looming withmany unknowns, like those related toclimate change, but others are morepredictable, such as energy development,sprawl, and encroaching invasive species.These problems require continualadaptation in our strategies and actions to address them.

Our Conservation Policy program, forexample, deals with threats to Montana’sbirds and habitats at the regulatory andlegislative level. We make significantimpacts wherever we can influence how people and agencies interact withlandscapes to favor conservation. A case inpoint is Montana Audubon’s recent work to help develop Governor Bullock’s Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan. Our closeinvolvement in the process helped produce

For decades, Montana Audubon has worked to

help ensure that the birdsand other wildlife of

Montana have what theyneed to survive and thrive

into the future.

American Avocets

Bob Martinka

8 MONTANA AUDUBON

Updates to our favorite eBird platform

With changes in bird names likeMindanao Brown-Dove and TawitawiBrown-Dove, it seems this year’staxonomic changes (at least at the specieslevel) are not an issue for Montanabirders. However, considering the recentsplit of the now Bell’s and Sage Sparrow,you may want to pay more attention tothis dynamic field. Every August, to ensureaccurate data collection and recording, theCornell Lab of Ornithology updates aviannomenclature changes worldwide. AlleBird data—personal lists, range maps, barcharts, regional and hotspot lists, and dataentry forms—are revised as necessary. In

addition, Cornell haslaunched a new “eBirdapp” to replace “BirdLogNorth America.”BirdLog will be phasedout over time, so it’simportant to beginusing the newer eBirdapplication which hasoptions to reporthybrids, unidentifiedspecies, and rarities. Tolearn more about these updates go to:http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/ebird_mobile_ios1/. If you run into trouble, just email Cornell for assistance:eBird@cornell.edu. They are remarkablyresponsive.

Range-wide breeding bird surveys andfocused Montana efforts show that ourstate’s vast native grasslands are astronghold for the Long-billed Curlew,supporting nearly 20 percent of the globalbreeding population. With this knowledge,Montana Audubon and its many partnersare focusing conservation efforts on two major landscapes that contributesubstantially to the curlew’s success inwestern Montana: the Mission and Helena valleys.

Citizen science has played a key role inthese survey efforts. Since 2013, we have organized a small army of citizen scientists, generating hundreds of curlewobservations. In just two years, theseefforts and your support have helped us

reach the next step in our conservationjourney. Our findings will allow theMontana Natural Heritage Program toimprove the accuracy of its habitatsuitability models, refining what we knowabout curlews and Montana’s bestgrasslands habitats. These data are helpingto develop best management practices andidentify priority areas for conservation. As a testament to the usefulness of theseand similar data, nearly half of the nation’sland trusts put land under conservationeasement specifically for birds, and nearlytwo-thirds of them consider the needs ofrare and declining bird species in theirmanagement plans. It seems that citizenscientists are making a huge contributionto the conservation of critical avianhabitats!

FALL 2015 9

Legislative Overview

When the 64th Montana Legislatureadjourned last April, Montana Audubonhad testified on 68 bills, opposing 24 andsupporting 44. Of these, we helped defeat10 anti-conservation/anti-wildlife bills,while seven passed and seven were vetoed. We helped to pass 20 bills thatstrengthened our conservation/wildlifelaws, while 24 favorable bills failed.

Our most significant effort was helping tomove the Sage-Grouse Stewardship Act tothe governor’s desk, which he signed May7, 2015 (see Sage-Grouse article on page

11). We also worked closely with MontanaFish, Wildlife & Parks to pass hunting andfishing license fee increases, strengthenpenalties for hunter transgressions, makeimporting and possessing feral swineillegal, and most importantly, to keep ourvaluable Habitat Montana programsfunded.

Unfortunately, working for clean energy,energy industry transparency, and strongwater protections was an uphill battle.However, will be ready again in 2017 forthe 65th Montana Legislature! Please visitour website to learn how your legislatorsvoted on important conservation issues,

and help us continuebeing a strong voicefor birds and allwildlife this fall byjoining our actionnetwork through our new website.

Bob Martinka

Our most significant effortwas helping to move theSage-Grouse StewardshipAct to the governor’s desk,which he signed May 7,2015.

The Curlews have news for you!

Montana Launches Sage-Grouse Conservation Program

In September the state of Montanalaunched a new conservation programaimed at protecting the declining GreaterSage-Grouse. Although the program’s firststaff person wasn’t hired until September,this program represents the culmination ofyears of careful planning, meticulousscientific investigation, and considerableold-fashioned elbow grease. State programssuch as Montana’s, in large part, keptthese spectacular dancing birds from beinglisted as a protected species under thefederal Endangered Species Act.

Montana Audubon’s staff first got involvedin sage-grouse issues in April 2013, whenGovernor Steve Bullock appointed SeniorDirector of Policy Janet Ellis to a 12-personcitizen Advisory Council. The AdvisoryCouncil set up a framework for theMontana Sage-Grouse Conservation Program, which the Governor has put

into lawthrough twoExecutiveOrders(September 9, 2014and September 8,2015). In addition, the 2015 MontanaLegislature funded this program to the tune of over $11 million. Thisconservation program is critical ifMontana intends to continue to managethis iconic sagebrush-dependent bird.

Montana Audubon will continue to be actively involved in sage-grouseconservation. If you are interested in getting involved and/or for moreinformation, please visit the Conservation Policy page on our website, www.mtaudubon.org.

A Clean Power Plan for Montana

Coal-fired power plants are responsible for40 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2)released into the atmosphere in the UnitedStates, a significant greenhouse gas. As aresult, in August the federal EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) requested thatall states develop a Clean Power Plan toaddress clean air, clean energy, and globalclimate change (the goal is a 32 percentnational reduction in carbon dioxideemissions by 2030) which is great news! This important issue is critical for the health of Montana’s citizens and wildlife.

The EPA’s Clean Power Plan provides anunprecedented opportunity for Montanato transition to clean electricity, creatingthousands of new jobs in the state. Inorder to do this, Montana Audubon willsupport the development of our state’sClean Power Plan.

For more information on this importanteffort, please visit the Conservation Policy page on our website,www.mtaudubon.org.

2015 Bridger Raptor Count Underway

Montana Audubon has begun the 25thseason of monitoring raptor migrationalong the crest of the Bridger Mountains15 miles northeast of Bozeman. The countis conducted daily from September 1through November 5. Nature enthusiastsare welcome at the observation stationabove Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Two expertobservers systematically count all raptorsmaking their annual southern migration.Andrew Eberly and Bridget Bradshaw areMontana Audubon’s official counters thisseason. The data we collect in the Bridgershelp scientists assess long-term raptorpopulation trends. This count is also useful for understanding environmental changes

by using these apex predators asbarometers of ecological health.

Come join the fun! Visit the Birds of Prey section of our website,www.mtaudubon.org. Many thanks toGallatin National Forest, SacajaweaAudubon Society,NaturEner USA, andBridger Bowl SkiArea for theirsupport of the2015 BridgerRaptor Count.

Newly Defined Waters of the United States

Montana Audubon has worked on cleanwater issues for decades. That’s why we were pleased when the federalEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new rules to better define“Waters of the United States.”

Since clean water is important toeveryone, a permit system was set up fordevelopment of projects which couldintroduce sediment into clean water.

These “404” projects, named for Section404 of the Clean Water Act, protectstreams and wetlands—some of the bestwildlife habitat in Montana.

The new EPA rules set up three categoriesof projects:• Projects impacting rivers, streams, and other traditional waters (projectsaffecting these need to be closelyexamined every time)

• Projects in areas that won’timpact drinking water (theseprojects will NEVER beexamined), and • Projects that will be consideredon a case-by-case basis becausethey could impact clean water.

For more information please visit the Streams & Wetlandssection of our website,www.mtaudubon.org.

Montana’s rich prairie pothole habitat.

Sage-Grouse chick

10 MONTANA AUDUBON

Birds of Montana Book Project

We are pleased to announce that Birds of Montana has enteredproduction stage with a publisher, Buteo Books. The book, co-authoredby Jeff Marks, Dan Casey, and Paul Hendricks, should appear in earlyspring 2016. Please watch for a special pre-publication offer later thisfall, which will be your chance to obtain a copy at a 20% discount.

Golden eagle

FALL 2015 11

Bob Martinka

Bob Martinka

Change happens, and the MontanaAudubon Center is learning to embrace it.Our partners (and landowners, theYellowstone River Parks Association) onthis restored gravel pit have a motto, “Gowith the flow.” And what better role modelthan the Yellowstone River, the longestfree-flowing river in the lower 48 states.The Yellowstone is at our front door andwe incorporate observations and lessonsfrom the river into the Center’s teaching,planning, and conservation.

The river’s first lesson is unpredictability.We do not know what to expect in terms of water levels, turbidity, or temperaturesfrom one season or one year to the next.Nor do we know what effects those factorswill have on the fish, birds, and other livingcreatures in and around the river. But we can observe, record, and analyze ourobservations. The Center’s programs havesome of the same unpredictability—eitherover- or under-attended for reasons weseek to discern.

The Shepard Nature Play Space, whichopened this spring, has been wildly popular,providing a free, accessible, and creativeoutdoor space for children. On any given

day, kids can be seen making use of thenatural materials in their own imaginativeways. But who could have predicted that ournew Fledglings Nature Preschool would beall boys? How would the dynamics changeif one or more girls were in that class?

The second lesson is about changingcourse. By their nature, rivers changecourse (when not unnaturally restrained).By flooding and seeking new levels, thewaterway carries nutrients that will fertilizea new area. The Center is changing toowith a new logo and name change; from“Audubon Conservation and EducationCenter” to “Montana Audubon Center.”We care about both conservation andeducation, but the name now emphasizesour identity as Montana Audubon and ouroverall commitment to its mission.

Leadership changes have also happened—bidding farewell to the first Center Directorand welcoming the next, allowing for newideas and new areas for growth. While the Center has a very solid beginning inelementary and preschool curricula,expanded programs could include highschool, college and adult education. More conservation models and practicemay be in our future as well.

The third lesson is the possibility ofaccidents, such as the oil spill intothe Yellowstone not far upriver fromus in 2011. When accidents happen,the best defense is to mitigate thedamage and protect from furtherharm. Of course, the best defense is

FALL 2015 13

Just as global and climatic shifts promptadaptation, the Montana Audubon Centercurrent staff transitions will result inchanges. After a 5-year tenure, CenterDirector Darcie Howard has stepped downand moved on to other ventures. Underher leadership, the Audubon Centerexperienced exponential growth in ourprogram offerings to children and youth ofthe Billings area. She sincerely believedthe only chance we have to pass on alasting legacy of conservation is to get kids and families outside, observing andexploring in the natural world. Her passionfor this mission was the driving force for the expansion of programs such asAudubon Naturalists in the Schools,summer and after-school camps,Naturalist-in-Training, and most recently,the establishment of Montana’s first

Nature Play Space. Her fine administrativeand fundraising skills enabled her tosuccessfully guide the Center’s first years in the permanent structure, the NormSchoenthal Lab. We thank Darcie for herdedication and service in securing theAudubon Center as a permanent fixture of the Billings community, and wish herthe very best in her future endeavors.

We also say goodbye to Frances Boyens,our Education Director, in her career move from the Center. Her sunnydisposition and genuine enthusiasm forkids was infectious and served her well in the expansion of programs such as the Nighthawk Adventure program forfamilies, and the Fledglings pre-schoolprogram launched this fall. Francesexcelled in fostering community

partnerships,deepening the Center’s niche in Billings.While her tenure atthe Montana AudubonCenter was not long,we appreciated herskills and wish her the very best.

The Shepard Nature Play Space, whichopened this spring, has been wildly popular,

providing a free, accessible, and creative outdoor space for children.

Change Happens: MovingForward at the Center

Farewell to Darcie Howard and Frances Boyens

Tree planting dedicationat the Montana AudubonCenter.

12 MONTANA AUDUBON

prevention, and we are vigilant about it;we train all our workers in safety andhealth procedures, and strive to provide asafe and stable environment for staff,volunteers and participants. This meansensuring that our policies and proceduresare documented, up-to-date, and clearlycommunicated. It means ensuring that ourbuildings and vehicles are well maintained.It means developing a solid infrastructurefor all future growth.

Change can be for the better. At present,we’re experiencing an expanded level ofgrowth, developing a solid infrastructureand in the process of hiring a new director.

The Center staff are a dedicated group of professionals who love the place and the people, and believe in the mission. All of this requires the continued supportof our grantors, individual donors, Friendsof the Center, and Montana Audubon.Several members of our advisory councilare retiring after years of service and we’relooking for new members who can carryon the vision and advocacy with renewedcommitment. Please contact InterimCenter Director Rachel Van Wingen, ifyou are interested in becoming a memberof the Advisory Council: 406-294-5099 or centerdirector@mtaudubon.org.

14 MONTANA AUDUBON

Board Members Migrate, Too

Montana Audubon appreciates the exceptionalvolunteerism from the following people whoare stepping down from the board of directors.Lou Ann Harris first served as SacajaweaAudubon (SAS) chapter representative in2009, moving into an at-large position in 2012,and rounding out her board career as vicepresident for the past two years. Her soundjudgment in all three capacities hascontributed greatly to our organization.

A fond adieu to Heidi Youmans, who joinedour board in 2012 and brought a wealth of experience as a wildlife biologist andaccomplished Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parksadministrator.

We wish the best to departing board memberSharon Hanton for contributing her time andenergy as the SAS chapter representative for the past two years. Many thanks to eachperson for their dedication and support for the conservation cause in Montana.

Our volunteers make a difference!

Susan AllredJohn AshleyLana & Joe BattsSusan Beall-Spencer Riley BellSandy Bradford Bridget BradshawGlenda & Stan Bradshaw Edie Cartright Phil CoheaJonda Crosby Jerry & Lois DaltonBret DavisJan Donaldson Ronan DuganTerri EastmanAndrew EberlyDan EllisonPaulette & Andy EppleDavid Ewer Ron FarmerBruce Fillinger Barry Foster Jane FournierChristian FrazzaLeo FreemanLiz Gans Judy & Tom Glendenning Mary Anne Guggenheim Ruth Handley

Marilyn Hayes Carl & Liz Hiltunen Suzy Holt Sue Jackson Ann Jones Cedron Jones Matthew KeeferJo Lace Janene LichtenbergCary LundBob MartinkaJodi Mattson Greg & Sue McCormick Larry McEvoy Janice MillerJohn ParkerBill & Mary Anne Rainey Jim Rogers Bill Schalk Sumner SharpeBrian Shovers Sandy Shull Chad & Jean Sigafoos Nancy Silver EwerKari SmithBrett Stevenson Margaret Strachan JoAnne Thun Sara Toubman Stephen & Patty Turner

Jeff Van Tine Chuck Ward Fred WeisbeckerTom Whittinger Linda WinnieJerry Wozniak

Thanks to these businesses and servicegroups for their work at the Montana Audubon Center:Yellowstone Boys

& Girls ClubBuilders ClubCub Scouts Pack 36Eagle Cliff 5th gradersGet Outside Montana

teamsGirl Scout Troop 2566Jaycees VolunteersLutheran Church of

the Good ShepherdMontana State University,

Billings Service Projects and Adopt-a-Floor volunteer projects

Phillips 66 employeesRimrock Foundation

Rocky Mountain College Day of Champions and Freshman Service Project

Royal Bank of Canada employees

West RotaryYellowstone Christian

CollegeYMCA

And many thanks to our volunteers whoparticipated in thefollowing Audubon Center work projects:Earth Day event Shepard Nature Play

Space creationRestoration Volunteer

Saturdays

We greatlyappreciate thededication, time, and support ourvolunteers give to Montana Audubon!

Many of our friends volunteer their time and expertise to Montana Audubon projects. We want to recognize the following individuals—and thank them for their important work:

Board Spotlight: Jack Kirkley

Jack has been a tremendous asset to MontanaAudubon for nearly 30 years. He hails fromColumbus, Ohio, and coincidentally grew uponly a few blocks from Janet Ellis (our SeniorPolicy Director). Jack received his Ph.D. inbiology from Utah State University, and began his professional career at the Universityof Montana-Western in Dillon where hecontinues to teach today.

Jack’s interest in nature began at a very youngage. A neighbor first introduced him tobutterflies, and he later joined his olderbrother on local birding forays. While in collegeat Ohio Wesleyan University, Jack landed asummer position studying nesting raptors inJackson Hole with the renowned Craigheadbrothers. His fascination with birds of preycontinues to this day, as typified by his annual nesting studies of Northern Goshawkssince 1993.

Jack has served as president of MontanaAudubon and the local Pintler chapter. He also served as conservation committeechair, membership secretary, and program chair for Pintler Audubon. Jack leads manyinternational birding tours to Mexico andCentral America for Montana Audubon, and frequently shares his scientific expertise

on critical wildlife issues at the Montana State Legislature. Last year, Montana Audubon awarded Jack its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jack is especially proud of Montana Audubon’slegislative work, as well as its growing nature-based programs at the Montana AudubonCenter in Billings. We are equally proud ofJack’s outstanding commitment to effectiveleadership and governance of MontanaAudubon. Thank you, Jack!

Volunteer SpotlightBob Martinka

Born and raised on the East Coast, BobMartinka’s first visit to Montana was duringhigh school, and he knew immediately it would become his home. After moving here,he was employed by MT Fish, Wildlife andParks for 30 years and earned a Ph.D. in Fishand Wildlife Management from MSU.

Bob volunteers with us because, in his words,“Montana Audubon mimics my thoughts on conservation and the protection of wildcritters and the land.” As a volunteer, Bobprovides most of the bird photographs used in our publications, including this newsletter.Bob donates custom birding and dragonflytours for our Bird Festival auction and is anenthusiastic leader of our popular CentennialValley and southwest Montana lek tours.These excursions are his favorite volunteeractivities. He is currently serving as an at-largemember on our board of directors and sits onthe finance and program committees.

For Bob, volunteering gives something back.He has met remarkable people throughMontana Audubon and credits chasing birds asthe impetus for international travel, havingdone so on six continents (and the seventh in the works). Bob Martinka, birders acrossMontana appreciate all you have done, aredoing, and will do!

FALL 2015 15

A Plateful of Birds

You can make a meaningful impact for the birds ofMontana by choosing the Bird Habitat license plate.

Sporting several favorite Montana bird species—American Avocet, Ruddy Duck, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and a trio of Black-billed Magpies, we are pleased toboast over 1,000 Bird Habitat plates across Montana! The initial cost is $40, which includes a $20donation that directly supports our work to ensure long-term protection for critical wildlife habitat.

For more information, visit the Support Us section of our website, www.mtaudubon.org.

Bob provides most of the bird photographs used in our publications, including this newsletter.

Jack Kirkley

FALL 2015 1716 MONTANA AUDUBON

The 16th Annual Wings Across the Big SkyBird Festival was a complete success due to thetremendous support of Last Chance AudubonSociety and its many members who workedenthusiastically and tirelessly. Held for the firsttime in Helena, we welcomed birders fromacross Montana as well as several out-of-stateattendees. Participants enjoyed wonderful fieldtrips, inspiring local speakers, and comfortableaccommodations. We were entertained,enlightened, and informed by two exceptionalpresentations from our knowledgeable andarticulate keynote speaker, Scott Weidensaul.Thanks to the generous raffle prize

contributors, including Abbott ValleyHomestead, Birds and Beasleys, and Susie Maclin. The Last Chance Audubonvolunteers gave so generously of their time and talents, making this one of the bestfestivals ever!

Brian Shovers and Jo Lace were honoredwith our LifetimeAchievement Award fortheir decades of servingas the “glue” that holdsHelena’s Last ChanceAudubon Chaptertogether—as well as being worker bees formany of the Chapter’s activities and programs.

Vince Yannone waschosen Educator of theYear in recognition of his25 years at MontanaFish, Wildlife & Parks as an educator andambassador for wildlife.We applaud Vince

because he entertains us—and makes usmarvel—at the natural world.

Amy Cilimburgwas recognized asConservationist of the Year for her incredibledevotion and work forMontana Audubonduring the last eightyears, working tirelesslyon climate change issues as well as overseeingmuch of our bird conservation work.

Harriet Marblereceived our CitizenScientist of the Year Awardfor her decades of birdobservations and carefulrecord keeping, includingconducting 30 years ofBreeding Bird Survey routes, undertakingannual raptor routes since 1977, serving on the Montana Bird Records Committee for decades, and contributing 14,279observations for 267 bird species to the state’s bird database.

Jane Beasley merited a Special AchievementAward for being a source of information,inspiration, and a Helenacommunity resource forits bird-loving citizens.

Jay Sumner received a Special AchievementAward because of his life-long devotion to bird conservation. Inparticular, we recognizedJay’s coordination ofintensive PeregrineFalcon monitoring inMontana, beginning in the late 1990s.

Bird Festival Soared in Helena

Mark Your Calendars! June 3–4, 2016in Missoula

Plan now to join us at the Holiday Inn–Downtown Missoula for three days of adventure,education, and fun! Five Valleys Audubon, withsupport from Bitterroot Audubon, is alreadyplanning some fabulous field trips, speakers, andactivities to delight and educate.

Thanks to our Audubon HeroesMontana Audubon recently recognized the following Montanans for their exemplary conservation work:

Amy Cilimburg Will Direct Missoula’s Climate Change Work

Eight short years ago, Montana Audubonhired a fresh new staff member to work part-time on global climate change issues: AmyCilimburg. A few years later, we put Amy’smaster’s degree to work when we made herfull-time by adding bird conservation to herduties. Since her arrival at MontanaAudubon, we can say without a doubt thatAmy has been instrumental in our successfulconservation work.

Unfortunately for us, Amy is moving on fromMontana Audubon and will now work locallyto help Missoula respond to global climate

change. Amy’s new job is director of ClimateSmart Missoula. She will continue to talk toanyone who will listen about the need to acton this critical issue—and how each of us cantake simple steps to make a difference.

Montana Audubon will miss Amy’s tirelesswork on climate change and bird conservationissues and projects, her insistence that we getmuch more work accomplished when wework collaboratively and with partners, andher sound, common-sense approach toproblems in all shapes and sizes. We wish her much success in her new job!

C’mon Out! Join a Christmas Bird Count Near You

Toss aside the winter blues and get outside toparticipate in one (or more!) of MontanaAudubon’s 30+ Christmas Bird Counts(CBC). This year’s CBCs will take placebetween December 14, 2015 and January 5,2016. Details about when and how toparticipate will be posted by December 1 on our website, www.mtaudubon.org.

Christmas Bird Counts are free half- or full-day events. Everyone is welcome—CBCleaders pair experienced birdwatchers withthose less experienced, to survey differentareas within an established 15-mile radius.

Annual CBC information helps scientistsunderstand our changing world. In fact, theNational Audubon report on birds andclimate change relied heavily on CBC data.Last year, 771 birdwatchers tallied 142 species

during 32 counts inMontana. Bald Eagleswere seen on almostevery count;Canada Geese and MallardDucks were themost commonlyseen species.

RockyMountain FrontJune 17 – 19, 2016

NEW THIS YEAR! The Rocky MountainFront is a spectacular, diverse region thatsupports the full complement of Montana’swildlife, from grizzly bears to bobolinks. This tour will explore wetlands, native prairies,and forested habitats looking for the many bird species found on this landscape whereprairie meets mountain.

Centennial Valley & RedRock LakesMay 27 – 29, 2016

This popular tourexplores Montana’sCentennial Valley and Red Rock Lakes NationalWildlife Refuge. The remote, scenic, bird-richarea has optimal diversity of migrant andresident birds. In addition to Trumpeter Swans,we will see abundant shorebirds, waterfowl,grebes, songbirds, raptors, and more.

Each tour is 3-days/2-nights and costs $520/person (includes lodging, meals, and grouptransportation from select Montana cities TBD; $150/person deposit reserves your place).

For more information and reservations: Montana Audubon office 406-443-3949 or email mtaudubon@mtaudubon.org.For more information, visit the About Us section of our website, www.mtaudubon.org.

FLY HIGH ON MONTANAAUDUBON’S SUMMER 2016 TOURS

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Bill BallardFloyd DishmanCharles Edwards

Tom HerzigCampbell MasseyJean Smith

Please rememberMontana Audubon in

your estate plans.

The mountains and valleys of southwesternMontana hold great meaning for Bozemannative Lou Ann Harris; she grew up hikingand camping amongst them, taking in all their power and beauty from an early age. Her formative years exploring those landscapeswould forever affect the trajectory of her life.Lou Ann graduated from Montana StateUniversity with a degree in film & televisionand stayed close to home for a long whilebefore relocating to Bellevue, WA in 1992 towork in a family business. But the pull ofMontana remained strong.

“It never failed, whenever we drove back tovisit, seeing the Bridger Range in the distancewas always really moving for me.” Eventually,she returned to Bozeman with her husband in2006, this time to stay for good. “It was time to come home; I was tired of the big city lifeand wanted to resettle in that beautifullandscape where I grew up.” In 2007, Lou Annbecame involved with Sacajawea Audubon, to continue fostering her decades-long love of birding and conservation. Through herinvolvement with the chapter, she discoveredMontana Audubon.

The rest, as they say, is history. “I began withMontana Audubon as a chapter representativeand joined the board in spring of 2009,eventually becoming vice president.”

Among other accomplishments, Lou Ann used her communications experience to helporganize and promote the highly successful2014 Wings Across the Big Sky bird festival in Bozeman and spearheaded an extensiverebranding effort for Montana Audubon whichhas substantially elevated its visibility. Whileshe will soon transition off the board, sheremains a committed donor. “I see MontanaAudubon as the statewide voice for birds andnon-game wildlife. There are so many threatsout there now, like energy development, climatechange, and residential sprawl. Having a long-term presence in Helena and with chaptersaround the state makes Montana Audubon an important conservation player in Montanaand one that I am pleased to support.”

Jean Smith was a long-time member of both Last Chance Audubon and MontanaAudubon. As a biology professor at Carroll College, Jean taught ornithology classes. She also developed and maintained an extensive collection of bird skinsthat is still used today in birding workshops and at educational events such asInternational Migratory Bird Day. Jean loved the outdoors and brought her love of nature to Audubon through the creation and oversight of the local chapter’sHabitat Protection grant program.

Jean traveled the world photographing nature and people. She shared her insightsand bird sightings by giving many public programs, transporting us to the far cornersof the globe. A field trip with Jean was a learning experience and so much fun!And, Jean was generous; her support of Montana Audubon was unprecedented—she made the single largest gift in our growing organization’s history.

We’ll miss Jean’s passion for birds and bird conservation, as well as her invaluableknowledge, her energy, her humor, and her insight.

Memorial GiftsFew tributes are as lasting as a gift that helps preserve Montana’s birds and their habitats. We owe a special thanks to those of you who recently made a gift in memory of:

“I see Montana Audubon as the statewide voice for birds and non-game wildlife.”

Donor Profile

Lou Ann Harris

Apply by December 11, 2015

Do you know of a school, organization, orresearcher working on a project benefitingnongame wildlife? Montana Audubon is offeringsmall grants ($500 maximum/$1,700 total)for wildlife research and educationprojects through our Audubon WildlifeFund of Montana endowment. Funds can be used for mileage, equipment,printing, andcommunications, but not salaries,stipends, andpersonalequipment.

In 2015, grants supported the Community BirdFestival in Polson, purchase of equipment forwildlife-related courses at Salish KootenaiCollege, a monofilament recycling project at

Missouri Headwaters State Park/Important Bird Area, and a bird migration acousticmonitoring project in the Bitterroot.

To apply for a grant, visitwww.mtaudubon.org/about/wildlifegrants/Applications must be emailed (preferred) or postmarked by Friday, December 11, 2015. Grant recipients will be announced

by February 1, 2016. For more information,contact Janet Ellis at jellis@mtaudubon.org.

18 MONTANA AUDUBON FALL 2015 19

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Montana Audubon recently launched a stunning new website. It incorporatesthe vivid design and colors of our “sky-blue”branding, is easy to navigate, and features the latest conservation news and MontanaAudubon program information at the clickof a button. Gorgeous images of yourfavorite bird species and Montanalandscapes are sprinkled throughout.

The new www.mtaudubon.org will allow us to interact and communicate with oursupporters more easily, and substantiallyelevate Montana Audubon’s profile andpresence on the web.

To celebrate the launch, we’re hostinga raffle for two spots on our popularCentennial Valley 2016 Birding Tour! Simply visit www.mtaudubon.org and enteryour contact information on the home pagefor a chance to win. The drawing will occurNovember 30.

Ready, Set...Launch!

www.mtaudubon.org