Message from the Board

May 2025   Erika Mittermaier

May is inherently one of the busiest months at Camas NWR. Between de-winterizing refuge facilities, conducting maintenance of fence and garden, spring weed treatments and hiring interns…the refuge staff (Andrea) have a multitude of tasks to take care of. Despite several extra barriers to opening up this year, the refuge got into full-on spring mode and several events went forward with gusto. With so many recent happenings, this View From the Board is going to be quite a bit longer than most posts.

There are few times in the year that can bring as much joy in birding as that when Camas Creek gets flowing, spilling into the prairie to recreate the marshy stopover just as the wave of spring migrants descends upon Eastern Idaho. The anticipation of which passerines and waterbirds will show up drives people out from their city abodes to appreciate Camas’ habitat. Yet, Camas is not all about birds! The unique habitat that Camas NWR offers is also an important part of the spring migration routes of birds and ungulates (i.e. moose, pronghorn, deer and elk). Even a couple of species of bat migrate to/from the Camas area (hoary and silver bats) so, evenings could hold some entertainment as well!

Pollinators are central to the ecology of, well, almost everywhere!? Thus, Camas is really ramping up the focus on pollinator habitat. Andrea wrote several grant proposals to obtain funding for pollinator habitat improvement and strategic surveying. The pollinator garden is starting to fill out with many new plantings. (North Fork Native Plants donated many – a big thank you is warranted.) One of the grant-funded projects underway is geared towards enhancing the native stock of trees and shrubs from propagated cuttings. The refuge aims to build a mini nursery of sorts so native plant species can be grown “on site” (growing natives on site ensures better survival rates at Camas and is more economical than purchasing maladapted plants raised elsewhere). Thanks to Andrea and crew, there will be cover for wildlife even as the large cottonwoods senesce and fall in the future.

Events for May included a pollinator garden workday, the Portneuf Environmental Fair (Pocatello), Migratory Bird Day (MBD) at Market Lake and a private birding tour for the Golden Eagle Audubon Society (GEAS) from Boise (see pictures below). There were two field trip events as well! Highlights from each include:

-            Garden workday: productive weeding, planted chokecherry, transferred starts and built a cold frame box.

-            Environmental fair: Hordes of people attended, we made seed bombs and seed tape and shared information about SJM 104.

-            MBD: We had one heck of a display and activity table (made window stickers to decrease bird window strikes), led bird walks and chatted with the few families that showed up about the importance of this area to migrating birds.

-             GEAS tour: Boise birders got to witness banding up close and saw nearly 90 species observed including willet, black-bellied plover, and long-billed curlew.

Other news:

-            The Board has been working hard on getting the upcoming events to be promoted in a more up-to-date fashion. Volunteer organization is also something that will be professionalized as our volunteer base grows.

-            “Keeping public lands public” has become a slogan that many of you may have heard on the tongue recently. The SJM 104 issue is still ongoing. This last month brought out the best in The Board with an incredible level of dedication displayed in our fight for Camas to remain a USFWS run NWR.

-            FOC approved funding more research propose din a document titled, “INVESTIGATING MIGRATORY SONGBIRD USE OF REGIONALLY IMPORTANT STOPOVER HABITAT AT TWO SITES ON CAMAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE”.