Beavers, Birding, and Bikes

Last week, the Gallatin Watershed Council (GWC) teamed up with the Sacajawea Audubon Society (SAS) to participate in a 24-hour Birdathon Fundraiser hosted by SAS. Under the alias of “Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve (IAWP) Busy Beavers,” the birding team arose at the crack of dawn to identify as many bird species within the Lower Gallatin Watershed as possible. We ended up spotting 80 species - including Ruddy Ducks, Peregrine Falcons, and heard the calls of the elusive American Bittern.

We also got to show some local summer camp kiddos how to use binoculars and talk to them about water and birds! All donations that were raised went directly to the IAWP Busy Beaver Volunteer Team, a new program started in partnership between SAS and GWC. Shout out to our bird expert friends for showing us the ropes!

Later that day, GWC hosted a Wetland Bike Tour through Gallatin Valley Land Trust’s (GVLT) Discovery Walk Series. We toured Story Mill Community Park and the IAWP and participants were informed of the ecological and economical benefits of wetlands, how they have been both destroyed and restored over the years, and what community members can do to protect them.

To learn more on the importance of wetlands and what they do for water quality and our community as a whole, check out our Watershed Restoration Director Lilly Deford’s program titled “What’s in It for Us: How Wetlands Impact Water Quality and Quantity, and Why We Need Them Across the Landscape”