Zooniverse – You can help study Montana’s wildlife from your living room.

Western Montana Wildlife is a citizen science initiative built on the Zooniverse platform by the MPG Ranch. Here’s where you can help conservation-oriented projects in need of citizen science support.

The Bitterroot Valley contains diverse stakeholders. We’ve experienced rapid growth in recent years, but much of the landscape is still dominated by agricultural activities. Conservation groups like Bitterroot Audubon and the Bitter Root Land Trust have worked hard on voluntary efforts to protect wildlife, working lands, and water in our community. However, like agricultural communities in many areas, our working lands and their stewards are often underappreciated for the habitat services they provide to all community members. We hope to work towards bridging this gap.

This research project is a combination of efforts between Raptor View Research Institute , MPG Ranch , and Bitterroot Audubon . RVRI has been studying overwintering eagles in western Montana since 2011. They have captured over 100 Golden and 30 Bald Eagles, and deployed wing tags, numbered leg bands, and/or satellite transmitters on individuals depending on their species and age.

By placing camera traps on carcasses throughout the Bitterroot Valley, we are hoping to increase the re-sighting rate of marked eagles. We know they rely heavily on private lands in the winter. We know many of our eagles, though they breed elsewhere, return to the Bitterroot Valley year after year. Other project goals include: