Earth Day Tree Planting in Butte

Join Butte - Siver Bow, Montana Tech, the Montana State University Extension, and the Energy Corps this Saturday at the West Gagnon mineyard to plant trees and celebrate Earth Day.

Volunteer to help the Big Hole

"The Big Hole Watershed Committee and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are in need of volunteers to  cut willow stakes for the French & Moose Creek restoration project area. BHWC, MFWP, and volunteers will meet:
Monday, April 25, 2016 9am at the Moose Creek turnoff
Directions:

Find the Moose Creek turnoff:

The Moose Creek turnoff is located on Highway 569 (Mill Creek Road), the Scenic Byway between Highway 43 and Anaconda, MT.  Blue signs marked BHWC Restoration Tour will be visible. Please note, this is a volunteer field day, not a restoration tour. The French & Moose Creeks restoration project tour will be held later at a later date.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Please bring sunscreen and loppers/cutters if available.

RSVP to:
Tana Nulph, BHWC Conservation Programs Coordinator, by April 21st 406-267-3421 or tnulph@bhwc.org so we can plan for lunch.

Thank you for your support!

About the French & Moose Creeks Restoration Project:
The French & Moose Creeks restoration project will repair streams impacted by historic placer mining and smelting that occurred around the turn of the 20th century. The restoration will improve water quality & the fishery and will restore degraded wetlands. Willows cut in April will be planted in May/June. The French & Moose Creek project is a collaborative effort with several funding sources and nearly $1.3 million in funding secured."
-GGTU

Beaverhead River Cleanup Today!!

The Lewis and Clark Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting a Beaverhead River Cleanup TODAY. For more information, contact Brian Wheeler at 440-812-7798 of Craig Jones at 406-544-9815.

Montana Tech Restoration Ecology Seminar Presents: Rob Roberts of Trout Unlimited

Tomorrow, April 6, 2016, the Montana Tech Ecological Restoration Seminar presents Rob Roberts of Trout Unlimited.  

Rob has been spearheading stream restoration projects all along the Clark Fork.  He started the Nine Mile valley work and is now working on the Upper Little Blackfoot River, an important tributary to the Upper Clark Fork.

This is not one to be missed!!  The seminar is on the Montana Tech campus, in Butte, Montana in the Chemistry and Biology Building (room 102) @ 4 pm.  This seminar is open to the public!

I'll see you there!

Drama on the banks of the Bitterroot River

If you haven't been following the story of Harriet and Ozzy over the last few years, you've been missing out.  For the past few years, I've been linking to the Hellgate Osprey Cam on the banks of the Clark Fork in Missoula.  This year, due to an unfolding story, we'll check out on an osprey nest a couple of miles to the south in Lolo on the banks of the Bitterroot River.

The background of this story goes like this:  Ozzy and Harriet were the bonded couple that have utilized this nest on the Dunrovin Ranch for years. Ozzy was killed (of natural causes) in 2014, stuffed, and put in a museum in Helena. People wondered what would come of Harriet and if she would ever find a new mate.  Harriet had a couple of suitors and then settled on Hal (supposedly short for Hallelujah) and their first attempt at reproduction was a flop. As osprey do each fall, they took off to the south for the winter.

Harriet usually returns around this time of year.  Will Hal come back with her?  Will they succeed in making a baby osprey this year?

Plot twist: On Sunday a great horned owl was filmed in the nest.  What will happen when Harriet comes back and finds this great big owl in her nest?

You'll have to watch to find out!  I can't believe that it's already time for the osprey to coma back. Winter flew by this year!

Check out the Dunrovin ranch website to chat about the unfolding event.
Check out this Missoulian article for more detailed information.

Fly Fishing Entomology Workshop

Join Dr. Mike Bias, a fishing guide and entomologist, on the banks of Montana's Big Hole River to learn or polish up on your aquatic macroinvertebrates knowledge. This sounds awesome and the proceeds all go the Big Hole Foundation to boot!