Center Activities & Updates- July 2017

Things With Wings!

In addition to our summer camps (spaces remaining!), we have a number of public programs happening at the Center this summer. Our monthly Weekend Wonders Family Program is this Sunday, July 16th, from 3-4:30pm, and the theme is Things With Wings. Get a close look at the fascinating, diverse world of insects! We’ll take nets and magnifying glasses out to the field to examine and learn about both things with wings and things that crawl. Open to all ages. Free for members or $5/person.
Click here for Center program calendar.
Tipi Raising

The Audubon Center has had a tipi in our Shepard Nature Play Space for a few years now, which is a great focal point for programming and our connection to cultural history. This year we had some extra help putting it up during a visit from the Native Summer Academy at School District 2. On June 9th, more than 60 Billings students were on-site with school district Indian Education staff to go canoeing and learn about natural history. Adult leaders from five different tribes — Crow, Blackfeet, Lakota, Assiniboine, and Cree — led the process, explaining each step to the students and members of our staff, including frequent discussion of the differences between different tribes’ variations in lodge structure and technique. A few of the adult leaders stayed on after the kids had to leave and have visited a several times since then (once just before a big storm) to make sure everything was secure. The relationship between the Audubon Center and the Indian Education for All program has grown much in the last two years, and we are deeply grateful to their staff for their assistance that day and since.
Restoration Update: Learning Lab Progress

The development of our Fledglings Urban Learning Lab is fully on its way, as seen in these recent photos. There are giant sunflowers, willows for a living fort structure, and squash plants in the wheel-spoke vegetable garden. The colorful fence features hand-painted rocks, courtesy of our many groups of restoration volunteers over the last few months. With a recent grant award from DNRC through our local Yellowstone County Conservation District, we will be able to supplement the garden space with supplies for exploration of the plants and animals. We’re excited about having this special place for our youngest land stewards.