Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently received a generous donation from the Jean Smith Estate that will help enhance bird conservation education across the state.

Smith was an ornithology professor at Carroll College in Helena and an avid sportswoman who enjoyed hiking, fishing, hunting and bird watching. Her donation provided the funding for the development of birding trunks that will be distributed statewide.

Each trunk contains a minimum of 20 pairs of Vortex 8.5x32 Raptor binoculars with harnesses that can easily be adjusted to fit children and adults. The trunks also contain copies of “Sibley’s Birds West” and “Flying WILD, An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds.”

The trunks will benefit classroom teachers, youth group leaders, resource agency personnel, and outdoor recreational group leaders interested in providing birding experiences for youth and adults. To reserve a trunk contact one of the FWP offices below.

In addition, binocular trunks already exist in FWP regional offices in Great Falls, Glasgow, and Miles City.

The trunks will be distributed to:

•Bannack State Park

•Travelers’ Rest State Park

•Fort Owen State Park

•Painted Rocks State Park

•Chief Plenty Coups State Park

•Flathead Lake Ranger Station within the Wayfarers Unit of Flathead Lake State Park

•Makoshika State Park

•Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park

•Lone Pine State Park

•Missouri Headwaters State Park

•FWP Region 1 Headquarters

•FWP Region 2 Headquarters

•FWP Region 3 Headquarters

•FWP Region 5 Headquarters

•FWP Butte Area Resource Office

•FWP Lewistown Area Resource Office

•FWP Havre Area Resource Office