The Last Chance Audubon Society Meetings start back up in person at MT Wild on Tuesday, September 13 at 7 pm. This program will highlight the installation of waterfowl hen tubes in the Upper Clark Fork Valley.
LCAS Program, Tues, Sept 13, 2022 – 7:00PM
Montana Wild, 2668 Broadwater Ave. FREE – All Are Welcome
Upper Clark Fork Waterfowl Nesting Project
This program will highlight the installation of waterfowl hen tubes in the Upper Clark Fork Valley. These small structures are installed in wetlands with the goal of providing safe nesting habitat for upland nesting ducks. A duck nesting in a hen house may boost nesting success from 40% – 80% as compared to around 5% for ground nesting ducks. Upland nesting ducks such as mallards, scaup, redhead, goldeneye, and occasionally wood ducks have been documented using this stye of hen house. This pilot project seeks to not only serve as a restorative action to boost waterfowl abundance but also to engage the public perception of the local ecosystem. Over the 2021-2022 winter, ten hen houses were installed within the Superfund Operable Units.
Our speaker, Mark Mariano, is a restorative ecologist with a background in aquatic ecosystems. He is currently focused on waterfowl ecology in the Upper Clark Fork Valley and waterfowl protection at the Berkeley Pit. He holds a BS in Wildland Restoration from the University of Montana. Mariano is an MS focusing on restoration ecology from Montana Tech. Mr. Mariano is also an affiliate faculty of Montana Tech.