Just Add Water – Ospreys in Western Montana

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Location: Montana Natural History Center
Cost: $10 MNHC members, $15 non-members

Ospreys are unique fishing raptors, and we are lucky they are so abundant along the rivers and lakes in Montana. Since they are at the top of aquatic food chains, they can tell us a lot about the health of our rivers and streams. In this talk, we will give an overview of the biology of this fascinating bird, and tell you about their migration patterns, longevity, and summarize our long-term studies on heavy metals in Ospreys, and what that tells us about the clean-up of the Upper Clark Fork River – largest EPA Superfund site in the US.

Meet our Guest Speakers

Rob Domenech, Executive Director: Rob began exploring much of western Montana during the 1990s to locate a suitable site for establishing the first mountaintop raptor migration banding study in Montana. He founded RVRI in 2004 to facilitate this ongoing in-depth research of Golden Eagle and other raptor migration ecology. Rob graduated from the University of Montana in 2002 with a Wildlife Biology degree. When not in the field, you can find Rob promoting awareness of raptor ecology to youth and community groups. Rob enjoys whitewater kayaking, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking and bird watching.

Adam Shreading, Senior Research Biologist: Adam graduated from the University of Montana in 2009 with a degree in Wildlife Biology. He began working exclusively with raptors in 2007 and has monitored populations of various species across Montana. Adam first came to RVRI as a seasonal field biologist during the fall migration of 2010 and became increasingly involved in our field studies over the next two years. Since becoming a full-time member of our team in August 2012, Adam has been a valuable asset in the planning, execution, and reporting of our field-based activities.

Brian Busby, Research Biologist: Brian first joined RVRI as a seasonal field biologist in 2015 after graduating from SUNY ESF with a degree in conservation biology. He left after four years to earn his Master’s in Raptor Biology at Boise State University studying Barn Owls but returned full-time to RVRI in 2024 to help run research projects, coordinate education programs, and manage, analyze, and publish data. Outside of work, Brian enjoys spending time either in the mountains or in his vegetable garden.

Erick Greene is Professor Emeritus in the Division of Biological Sciences and in the Wildlife Biology Program at The University of Montana. He grew up in Quebec, Canada, with twin passions for music and nature. Erick dropped out of high school and lived for a year in the Galapagos Islands, working as a researcher on Darwin’s Finches. He then worked on seabirds 800 miles north of the Arctic Circle with the Canadian Wildlife Service. He returned for undergraduate studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he studied biology, music and mathematics, and then received a PhD from Princeton University. He was the Director of UM’s Bird Ecology Lab, and has broad interests in ecology, evolution and conservation.

Cost: $10 members / $15 non-members