By Chris Nixon
I HOPE and trust you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
There is still the opportunity for you to participate in the final CBC of the season, Saturday, January 4th, in the Ruby Valley. Spending a wonderful day outdoors in the beautiful Ruby Valley would certainly make a spectacular way to start off the new year!
We start off this new year going back to the origins of our passion (birds) as Ashley Hall, Paleontologist and Outreach Program Manager with the Museum of the Rockies provides A Brief History on the Origin and Evolution of Birds at our first Monthly Membership Meeting, January 13, 2025.
So that you can keep bird evolution moving forward in Montana, become informed and empowered as to how to advocate for all our birds as the kickoff of the 69th session of the Montana Legislature begins on January 6, 2025. Beth Madden provides you with information sources so that you can help make a difference.
This first SAS Book Club meeting of 2025, January 15th, will discuss Christian Cooper’s Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World. In person and virtual options.
Scats, Tracks, and other Signs are the topic of our first Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve Trivia Night of 2025 at Lockhorn Cider House on January 21st.
Master Naturalist and Wetland Master Naturalist Courses are again being offered in 2025.
The Gallatin Valley has been experiencing unseasonably warm weather this winter. The bears are still active! Please remain bear aware and reference Bears and Birdfeeders on our website at https://sacajaweaaudubon.org/bears-and-bird-feeders/.
And also, please remember to wash and maintain your bird feeding stations. Avian influenza is yet again an issue this year.
We honor two wonderful long time SAS members that will be greatly missed in 2025 and beyond. They have left a strong legacy.
We welcome our newest SAS Board Member, Halle Nienhaus.
Of course …. if you haven’t already done so, one of the best actions you can take to help promote awareness of and protection of birds in our area is to renew your memberships in SAS and NA for 2025. We are glad to have you with us!
