2025 Audubon Wildlife Fund Grant Awardees
Since 1996, Montana Audubon has awarded grants in support of research and education projects directed toward wildlife habitat conservation. Funds are awarded from earnings generated by the Audubon Wildlife Fund of Montana, a permanent endowment.
In 2025, seven grants were awarded:
Dalton Brantley, PhD student in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Montana
Project: Expanding a decades-long monitoring of the Gillette Checkerspot, a vulnerable butterfly species endemic to the Rocky Mountains, by resurveying 14 populations first monitored in the 1980s and 2000s, assessing population persistence and habitat changes.
Arcata Leavitt, master’s student in Ecology at Montana State University
Project: Evaluating bioacoustic methods for detecting and monitoring active Great Gray Owl nests, and assessing the habitat characteristics of active nest sites.
Jacob McArtor, master’s student in the Systems Ecology program of the Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana
Project: Studying how heavy metals released by wildfires impact aquatic insect communities over time in streams across western Montana.
Flathead Audubon
Project: supporting the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch, a long-term annual raptor monitoring effort of a key migration monitoring site in the Flathead National Forest.
Last Chance Audubon
Project: In partnership with the City of Helena and Montana Conservation Corps, a big spring clean up to improve habitat and mitigate Russian Olive and other plants at the K-Mart wetlands area, a local birding hotspot.
Montana Raptor Conservation Center
Project: Providing raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation education.
Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center
Project: Documenting and tracking raptor rescue locations, injuries, and admission causes, with particular focus on lead poisoning and avian influenza. This data will be used to pinpoint areas where these issues are most prevalent, in order to understand patterns and potential causes and possible areas to focus public awareness campaigns.
We are looking forward to following the important research and work of these grant recipients, and will have updates to share later this fall.
