About LCAS
LCAS promotes understanding, respect and enjoyment of birds through a variety of educational programs and exciting activities:
Field Trips
Experienced chapter members lead field trips around the Helena valley and to regional birding hot spots like Benton Lake National WildlifeRefuge and the Warm Springs Ponds.
Birdathon
This annual late spring event combines prime-time birding with fundraising for habitat protection.Teams of birders, novice and expert, obtainpledges and then spend a wonderfully franticday identifying as many species as they can.
Christmas Bird Count
Last Chance Audubon participates in thisnational effort to collect data on wintering birdpopulations. The Helena area is divided up intoten quadrants and during a single day inDecember teams disperse to document bothspecies and numbers of birds, concluding witha potluck to swap stories about sightings.
Chapter Programs
Monthly chapter meetings are open to thecommunity to share recent bird sightings and listento presentations about wildlife and habitat topicsoffered by state and local experts. Meetings areheld September to May at the Lewis & Clark Librarythe third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm.
Monthly Newsletter
From September through May the newsletterkeeps members informed about chapter programs,news, natural history, and conservation issues.Birdnotes is a regular feature that highlightsthe life history of birds.
Birding Classes
The chapter offers beginning bird classes inearly May, taught by members with extensiveknowledge about birds and birdwatchingtechniques. The class combines twoindoor sessions followed up by two weekendfieldtrips to practice techniques learnedin the classroom.
Habitat Protection
In 1995, the chapter established a fundto provide grants for projects that protect orenhance wildlife habitat. Since 1995, LCAS hascontributed over $20,000 to a variety of habitatprojects including: sharp-tailed grouse habitatrestoration; Helena valley wetland mappingeffort; a shelterbelt planting along the MissouriRiver near Townsend; a riparian revegetationproject along creeks in the Helena valley.In 2001, LCAS joined other Helena conservationgroups in purchasing a 2.2 acre wetlandnear the county fairgrounds.
Environmental Advocacy
The chapter responds to conservation issuesthrough letter writing and monitoring of local,state, and national policies that effect wildlifeand their habitat. The chapter has been activelyinvolved in the development of policies for the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds duck pond anda collaborative effort to conserve habitat on alarge cattle ranch in the Helena valley.