Center Activities and Updates- May 2016
Global Big Day at the Center
A weekend-long celebration of birds began Friday evening, May 13, at the Center. Twelve Billings-area residents participated in a birding and bird-feeding workshop led by Wild Birds Unlimited store owners, Bill and Kathy Haigh, and Education Coordinator, Carolyn Sevier. Eight hearty souls participated in a chilly start to Global Big Day by joining Center staff for a birding hike on Saturday morning, May 14. 35 species were recorded in 3 hours; the information was then entered into Cornell University’s eBird program. On Saturday evening, Center staff led a roundup of the species seen in Yellowstone County during Global Big Day. A summary of these activities was featured prominently in the Sunday edition of the Billings Gazette.
Planning Underway for Solar Array
Center staff are working with solar provider, Winpower West, and owner, Ben Reed, to design and install a solar array. The array will include 3 individual top-of-pole mounted arrays and each array will include 14 solar modules. Each array will be adjustable by hand and are virtually maintenance-free. The system will 100% offset the Center’s annual electrical usage and be paid for with a grant from NorthWestern Energy (pending). Center staff and local partners are planning for the installation to occur this summer.
Home Depot Donates Bird Seed
Just in time for migration season, the Home Depot in Billings donated 2 pallets of premium bird seed for use and distribution at the Montana Audubon Center. 20-pound bags of mixed seed are available for a minimum donation of $5, while 30-pound bags of black oil sunflower seed are available for a minimum donation of $10 (while supplies last). This is a great opportunity to keep feeders full while contributing the ongoing education and restoration programs at the Center.