I recently returned from a volunteer trip to the American Prairie, a nature reserve in the grassland prairie region of north-central Montana. Much of the lands in this project are adjacent to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, creating a large expanse of open area for bison, prairie dog towns, pronghorn, and many other birds and animals.
Burrowing Owl at Antelope Creek Campground
The trip included a night at Antelope Creek Campground, which has a 2-mile interpretive trail circling it. Prairie dogs all around, I enjoyed afternoon and morning walks, plus an evening wandering among meadowlarks and burrowing owls. One of the interpretive signs is a favorite resting spot for a burrowing owl.
From our lodging at Enrico Center, we spent three days removing fences and marking the top lines of others with flags to protect sage grouse and other animals traversing this area. Our group of about a dozen staff and volunteers removed over 2 miles of fence, flagged another mile or more, and enjoyed great conversation and hospitality.
I took a few extra days driving to and from the coast, enjoying roads I knew well from years living in Montana, and exploring portions of the prairie I have never visited. It was a dramatic change of views and temperatures from my normal coastal environment; and a very rewarding experience to get as much done as we did in the short time we were there.
A map of north central Montana, showing the Charles M. Russell NWR and portions of American Prairie lands (dark green). Photos on right were along the Missouri River at James Kipp Recreation Area, just south of Antelope Creek Campground (left-center on map). Enrico Center is south of Buffalo Campground (near the center of the map north of the Missouri River;). For scale, it is about 60 miles (or a 2-hour drive over gravel roads) from Antelope Creek to Buffalo Camp.
Black Cottonwoods
Eastern Phoebe
Butterfly at James Kipp
We had plenty of opportunity to watch the prairie dogs at Antelope Creek and Enrico Center. Here are a few of the many photos I shot while wandering on and off trails -- they were in small groups, grooming young or standing solo on their mounds.
The trail at Antelope Creek is an easy, 2-mile loop around the campground and a small pond, with frequent interpretive signs. It offered good visibility of the prairie dog mounds, meadowlarks and blackbirds, and an old homestead cabin.
In inquisitive songbird out my cabin door
Western Meadowlark
Redwing Blackbird
Campers walking the trail near the pond
Prairie cactus
Enrico Center is in the middle of a large expanse of open prairie where we often saw bison from the veranda. Staying here enabled us to easily reach worksites and spend full days in the fields. Evening walks were great along a dry creek bed, on the roadway, or over the open prairie.
Bison on an afternoon walk
Cactus
Storm approaching at Enrico
Prairie Dog on mound near Enrico
A great work crew!
Removing fence clips
The line we've already done
Working with bison watching
Adding flags to alert grouse and other animals
Looking at the line still to go
Enjoying the view
An evening birding, with an approaching storm
Flagging Team
Learning to wrap wire
Full crew
Fence wrapping, made easier
Group photos of crew and CAT wire-wrapper provided by Jess, our wonderful volunteer coordinator at American Prairie