The 2025 Wildlife Speaker Series!!
The 2025 Wildlife Speaker Series will inform you, while providing food for thought and your belly! We are planning a number of events throughout SW Montana and will update this page as the hosting entities finalize their event-planning. Here’s a little more about what we know so far. If you have any questions, just email Dave.
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Date: June 18: Madison Valley Ranchlands Group will host a talk on moose. Join us with Nick DeCesare who will give a presentation on these great big, funny-nosed critters. Nick has been a presenter at two of these Wildlife Speaker Series events in past years, the first one being in 2014! Nick is a research biologist with Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
There will be a potluck dinner at 6:00 pm and while MVRG will provide the main course, we need folks to bring sides and desserts according to this: Last names A thru L: Dessert or bread, Last names M thru Z side dishes please. The presentation will begin about 6:30.
Location: TK Ranch Indoor Arena in McAllister…North Meadow Creek Road- follow the arrow signs for the event (approximately 7.5 miles)
Otherwise go adventure mapping with 45 31’23″N 111 49’50″W
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Date: July 31, the Ruby Habitat Foundation welcomes Torrey Ritter, non-game biologist with Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks, for a presentation on beavers. Are you a beaver believer? We are. Torrey will focus on conveying the scale of historical beaver influence in this part of the world, the hydrological benefits of beaver activity, and the huge number of species/habitats associated with beaver complexes. The event will begin at 5:30pm with a potluck meal (we’ll provide the BBQ–thank you, Pig Out BBQ) but ask that you bring a side dish, salad, or dessert. The presentation will begin at 7:00pm and last about an hour.
Location: Ruby Habitat Foundation’s Woodson Ranch Waldie-Kanouse Visitor Center, (2 miles northwest of the Ruby River bridge in the tiny town of Laurin–watch for signs, or follow the delicious aroma of barbecue!)
Sponsored by: Ruby Habitat Foundation, Ruby Valley Brew, Fay Ranches, and countless individual donors.
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Date: August 6, Madison Conservation District in Ennis plans to host an profiling golden eagles! Marco Restani from Northwestern Energy will discuss the “Implementation of the Eagle Protection and Offset Program at Northwest Energy”. Marco is the senior biologist with Northwestern Energy. There will be some free pizza from Burnt Tree Brewing from 5:30 to 6:00 at which point the presentation will begin.
Location: Madison Theater in Ennis, MT
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Date: August 9, Jack Creek Preserve plans to host a very interesting-sounding presentation titled, “Tracking Survival: Monitoring Elk Calves for Population Management in Northwest Montana“. Come learn about this facet of wildlife management from Andi Stewart, PhD Candidate and Boone & Crockett Fellow at the University of Montana; Andi received her BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences and Environmental Science from Oregon State University and her MS in Wildlife Biology from Utah State University.
This event will start with a potluck dinner at 6pm and the presentation will begin at 7. Pulled pork sandwiches will be provided, guests bring a side dish, salad, or dessert.
Location: Jack Creek Preserve’s Outdoor Education Center, 1206 Jack Creek Rd, Ennis. NOTE: The GATE CODE WILL BE 080925#. Parking is limited, carpooling is strongly encouraged!
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Date: August 19, Madison River Foundation plans to host a talk on migrating birds of the Madison Valley. Mia Cignoni, Conservation Programs Manager for the Madison River Foundation, will discuss migratory birds which frequent the Madison River valley. She will focus on birds such as the Common Nighthawk and Belted Kingfisher. Mia received her BS in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Western Colorado University, relocating to Ennis upon graduating. Prior to beginning her position with the Madison River Foundation, she worked as a wildlife technician for the U.S. Forest Service and a raptor migration biologist for the Sacajawea Audubon Society. The location is yet to be determined, but it’ll be somewhere in Ennis and there will be food:
Food starts at 5:30, and presentation at 6:00
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Date: August 20, Centennial Valley Association plans to host a talk on either hummingbirds! Bret Tobalske with the University of Montana will wow you with information about these faster-than-fast birds! Bret had this to say to entice you to come learn about these amazing birds: “Hummingbirds are the only birds that can sustain hovering, and they exhibit incredible control, stability and agility in their flight. New research reveals how they rapidly escape, hover in the dark and reject external disturbances. We will explore how their extraordinary abilities relate to their patterns of wing movement, muscle and skeleton design and aerodynamics.”
There will be a potluck (Please bring a side, salad or dessert) at 6pm, followed by the presentation at 7pm.
Location: This event will be held indoors at in Rosie’s Cantina at the Taft Nicholson Center in Lima; 27700 South Valley Road, Lima, MT 59739.
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Date: August 27, Jackson’s Garden in Sheridan plans to host a talk on great horned owls. Staff from the Raptor Resource Center plan to bring Boo, their ambassador great horned owl! This is an amazing opportunity to see a live owl up close. NOTE: The wonderful meal Jackson’s Garden plans to provide (beer brats, hotdogs for kids, coleslaw, chips, desert, iced tea and lemonade) will be held AFTER the 5:30 presentation. This is because boo needs to get home before dark so he (she?) can settle in for the evening.
Location: Jackson’s Garden, about 3 miles east of Sheridan, MT on Mill Street.
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Date: TBD, Big Hole Watershed Committee plans to host a presentation on sandhill cranes.
Stay tuned for more info….
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Date: TBD, The Beaverhead Watershed Committee plans to host a presentation on a topic not yet determined, but they are leaning toward otters or muskrats
Stay tuned for more info….
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The mission and vision of the Wildlife Speaker Series of SW Montana is as follows
•Mission: To provide free, fun, unbiased and fact-based presentations educating the public about wildlife of SW Montana and the issues facing these animals. These events are organized and sponsored by a collaborative of local, conservation-oriented groups.
•Vision: We will educate and inspire people to care more about local wildlife and the ecosystems we share with them.
Your donations of financial support are very much appreciated and can be made by clicking here.
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We are all proud to host these events which provide both educational and inspirational content. And, we could not do this alone. We appreciate your financial support, and wish to recognize those outside our groups who have supported us. These include:
