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Wildlife Grants

Now accepting applications for 2026 Audubon Wildlife Fund Grants

Since 1996, Montana Audubon has awarded grants to organizations 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.

Grants will be awarded to individuals or nonprofit organizations whose project directly benefits wildlife in Montana. The purpose of the Audubon Wildlife Fund is to support research or other activities that focus on the conservation, enhancement and public appreciation of Montana’s wildlife and natural communities.

Eligible uses of grant funds include: mileage, supplies, equipment for schools or nonprofit organizations, printing, and communications. Ineligible uses include: salaries, stipends, per diem, and personal equipment.

Preference will be given to projects involving nongame wildlife, from birds to invertebrates, and their habitats. We encourage proposals that emphasize the significance of the proposed project in regard to its research, educational, and/or recreational value. Preference will be given to small nonprofit organizations, research projects, and graduate students.

Review and scoring of all proposals will be performed by a committee appointed by the Montana Audubon Board of Directors. Grant recipients will be required to submit a brief project report on project status and use of funds to Montana Audubon by September 14, 2026 (for inclusion in our Fall Newsletter).

Grant winners will be announced in March 2026.

All proposals must be received via email no later than Friday, January 16, 2026. 

Please email all proposal materials to info@mtaudubon.org with the subject line “AWF 2026 Grant Application”

 

Updates From Grant Recipients

2025

Dalton Brantley– 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– Project: Evaluating bioacoustic methods for detecting and monitoring active Great Gray Owl nests, and assessing the habitat characteristics of active nest sites.

Jacob McArtor– 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 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.

Montana Raptor Conservation Center– Project: Providing raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation education.

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