Category: Montana Nature Network
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Oddball Plants in Montana
I’ve been walking and observing the trails in the greater Helena area for long enough now to know when and where I wam likely to come across some of our less common flowers. Our fairy-slippers and lady-slippers, as well as the slender rein- and bog orchids, tend to occur in small clusters rather than being…
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Cryptozoics
Not Nessie. Not Bigfoot, but Sparrows, Warblers, and Shorebirds. The longer I Bird, the more I believe Birding may be the real Cryptozoology. I suspect we’ve all heard of the expeditions into the Pacific Northwest looking for an eight-foot ape, or the sonar sweeps of Loch Ness looking for a leftover plesiosaur. I have to…
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May Bioblitz
The Middle Daughter (TMD) and I took our annual Mid-May Bioblitz today. We tend to do a few blitzes every year, but May is usually a standout because it coincides with a strong surge in species due to the spring migration. This year was the earliest we’ve done the First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park,…
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The Curlew’s Song
The genus of the Long-billed Curlew is Numenius – Greek for “of” or “like” the new moon. In various cultures, the curlew symbolizes a duality of sorrow and joy, comfort and sadness; a certain poignancy, I suppose. I’m not sure if the “new moon” refers to the fresh beginning of a lunar cycle – curlews do…
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Why Is SW Montana Such a Biological Treasure Trove?
Yesterday, The Middle Daughter (TMD) and I took off for a mid-day excursion to connect with nature outside the Helena Valley. We encountered an impressive array of birds suited to various habitats, mammals typically associated with alpine areas, and flowering plants found in only a handful of western US habitats – all within about 30…
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A Break From Artificial Demands
I’ve taken several days off since early March – a couple of short breaks and a couple of longer stints. Life is returning to the Northwest, and even following a mild winter, experiencing the return of birds and flowers is something to behold. The upshot of this time off is 42 species of birds recorded…
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Crowdsourcing Science
In our increasingly connected world, field science is no longer strictly in the realm of graduate students in our University System. All across Montana it happens every day in empty lots, along stream banks, and on the trails traversing our hills and valleys. This collaborative movement is called community science- a partnership where people observe…
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First Full Day of Spring
Spring in Helena doesn’t arrive with a lush green carpet; it arrives in tiny bursts of color. We found six species in bloom today, each one marks a small victory over winter. There is something wonderful about kneeling in the dirt to get a closer look at a Kittentail, Yellowbell, or a small patch of…
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A Front Row Seat
Living in Montana isn’t just about having a scenic backdrop for your life; it’s about a fundamental shift in how you navigate the world. When the boundary between your doorstep and the wilderness thins – in, for instance, a place like Helena, where a 100-mile trail system serves as our collective backyard, and Freezout Lake…
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Pileated Woodpecker
While at work today, in a quick, impromptu discussion about a work item, I heard a call outside the window and thought “pileated”. Then it flew past the window. One of the other participants waited for a break in the discussion and looked over at me and asked “What was the bird?” I replied that…