2018 Bridger Raptor Fest announced for early Oktober
It’s back! The annual Bridger Raptor Festival returns for its annual event, Friday through Sunday, October 5th–7th. Events are FREE and open to the public. Raptor Fest centers on the largest known Golden Eagle migration in the United States. A raptor migration count takes place every fall at the top of the Ridge.
The weekend festival will be preceded by a kick-off keynote presentation by speaker Amanda Rodewald entitled “Coffee, Communities & Conservation: How Your Cup Can Make a Difference.” The event will take place at The Ellen Theatre on Friday evening, Oct. 5th beginning at 6:30pm in Downtown Bozeman. Sponsored by Yellowstone Forever, there is no charge for admission.
Tropical regions are famous for being biodiversity hotspots, but they also face widespread deforestation, land degradation, and poverty. As such, there is urgent need to identify creative ways to sustain biodiversity, protect ecosystem services, and support human health and well-being. Shade-grown coffee farms are well-suited to simultaneously meet economic, social, and ecological needs. When coffee is grown under trees, farms can supply a variety of products (e.g., coffee, fruits, firewood, lumber, and medicines), while at the same time provide forest cover, support biodiversity, and reduce erosion and chemical use compared to other intensive agricultural systems. Perhaps no other group better highlights the positive role that shade-coffee can play in conservation than Neotropical Migratory Birds, which heavily use shade-coffee farms. Unfortunately, traditional shade management has given way to intensive “sun coffee” monocultures. In her talk, Dr. Rodewald will discuss how shade-coffee and other agroforestry practices can support bird conservation, healthy ecosystems, and human communities in Latin America.
Rodewald is the Garvin Professor and Senior Director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University. She directs an interdisciplinary, international research program in ecological and sustainability sciences that seeks to identify conservation strategies that support both people and the environment.
Following the Friday night presentation, Raptor Festival activities will include two days of live bird talks, nature walks, educational programs, and entertainment for people of all ages. A highlight every year, Saturday will feature an Oktober Fest event from 3–6pm with live music, food, and beer in the Jim Bridger Lodge. Get the full schedule of weekend events at www.bridgerraptorfest.org. Skiers and snowboarders, please note: Bridger Bowl’s Season Pass Sale will unfold on Saturday and Sunday from 10am–3pm each day in Saddle Peak Lodge during the festival. Lesson program sign-ups and rental fittings will also be offered.
The Bridger Raptor Festival is sponsored by GCC and Bridger Bowl. It is hosted by the Sacajawea Audubon Society, Museum of the Rockies, the Bridger Bowl Foundation, Custer Gallatin National Forest, the Montana Raptor Conservation Center, Montana Outdoor Science School, Yellowstone Forever, and Yellowstone National Park. •
