Five Valleys Audubon Society

09/24/2026

University of Montana President's Lecture Series

Birding to Change the World: A Conversation with Trish O'Kane

Wednesday, October 14, 2026, University Center Ballroom, 7:30pm

Trish O'Kane ― the author of the 2026 Griz Read selection, Birding to Change the World: A Memoir ― is a writer and a senior lecturer in environmental justice at the University of Vermont, where avians are her teaching assistants. A former human rights journalist in Central America and the Deep South, she has written for the New York Times, Time, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She lives in Burlington, Vermont, with her writer-husband, their dog, and three chickens.

https://www.umt.edu/president/events/lectures/2026-2027/trish-okane.php

09/14/2026

This weekend, the UM Birding Club will be joining Five Valleys Audubon for a beginning bird walk at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge led by Larry Weeks. We will meet at the visitor's center at 10am on September 19th. We will observe and identify birds on the Visitor Center Ponds, Kenai Trail and in the Wildlife Viewing Area. This event involves walking on paved and unpaved level surfaces.

08/29/2026

We visited the University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab’s banding station at MPG Ranch on Wednesday and were able to see several species of birds in the hand, observe data collection, and visit their nets! There’s still time to sign up for our last visit of the Fall on Wednesday, September 2. Visit our Events Calendar on our website, fvaudubon.org, to register, registration is free! Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity.

08/03/2026

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Talkin' Birds is a live and interactive radio show about wild birds and the beauty of nature

08/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18K9R7WYTX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

On the northern Great Plains, the grasslands in states from Montana and the Dakotas to Minnesota and Iowa, as well as parts of Canada, are dotted with countless often-temporary wetlands. Some cover less than an acre. Many dry up and disappear during the year, only to return with snowmelt and spring rain.

Collectively, these glacial depressions form one of North America’s most productive wildlife landscapes—the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR).

Often called the continent’s “duck factory,” this is the breeding, nesting, and hatching habitat for over 60% of ducks in North America, as well as dozens of other species of migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds.

This sprawling collection of millions of shallow wetlands is arguably America’s least known yet most important and threatened ecosystem.

Now, however, an obscure federal review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has placed the future of many thousands of those tiny wetland habitats in doubt.

"Right now, the most important waterfowl habitat in the United States of America is at risk. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering repealing the rule that protects the integrity of the Duck Stamp easements that have been purchased for generations," said Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited.

"Whether you’re a duck hunter or not, you understand the importance of conservation, the importance of waterfowl habitat, wildlife habitat, and clean water. Please take advantage of this opportunity to make your voice heard."

Read more and speak up for your ducks, geese, pelicans, cranes, sandpipers, grebes, and dozens of other water and songbirds here: https://ourpubliclandsandwaters.substack.com/p/a-quiet-rule-review-could-drain-the

08/01/2026

08/01/2026

If you have a new or ongoing project that focuses on Montana native plants, we hope you'll consider applying for a grant with MNPS! Many thanks to our generous donors who make the MNPS Grants Program possible, supporting research, education and conservation efforts throughout the state. Visit mtnativeplants.org/board/grants-scholarships/grants to find details and apply today!

07/17/2026

Bear's Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante tracked.

2,921,210 acres stripped of protection on July 13, 2026. Watch the boundaries shrink, follow every lawsuit, and see who is fighting back. Updated continuously.

07/16/2026

From one of our Birding Observer issues from 2007!

~ God: Hey St. Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there in America? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? 1 had a perfect "no maintenance" garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

~ St. Francis: It's the tribes that settled there. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

~ God: But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

~ St. Francis: Apparently so. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

~ God: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must them happy.

~ St. Francis: Apparently not. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it... sometimes twice a week.

~ God: They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?

~ St. Francis: Not exactly. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

~ God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

~ St. Francis: No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

~ God: You mean that they fertilize grass so when it grows, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

~ St. Francis: Yes, Sir.

~ God: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

~ St. Francis: You are not going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

~ God: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep molsture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.

~ St. Francis: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

~ God: What do they do to protect shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?

~ St. Francis: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. The haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

~ God: And where do they get this mulch?

~ St. Francis: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

~ God: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. Sister Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

~ Sister Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a real stupid movie about.....

~ God: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.