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Latest News From the Foundation Blog...
Wildlife Complex
Construction of the proposed Wildlife Education Center at the Montana Wildlife Complex is the Foundation’s current major project. This is a $2.6 million undertaking and we are actively raising funds that will provide a site for the public to gain an appreciation for the history, the wildlife, and the land that make up the story of Montana’s rich conservation heritage. We invite you to join our partnership and support this very important project.
Cradled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Montana Wildlife Complex at Spring Meadow Lake State Park on the outskirts of Helena, will soon be expanded to include an Education Center. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Foundation is once again working in partnership with the Foundation for Animals (formerly the Mikal Kellner Foundation for Animals) on this building campaign. The historic Stedman Foundry building adjacent to the rehabilitation facility will be stabilized and restored to function as a wildlife education center, with work beginning in Spring 2006.
At the Education Center, students, teachers, families and community groups will be offered a wide spectrum of learning opportunities and information about Montana’s native species and wildlife heritage. The Center will be dedicated to teaching the public how to live with wildlife and understand the need for management and conservation of our wildlife resources. It will enable the expansion of established conservation education programs statewide and the creation of an interactive distance-learning program for rural schools and communities.
The Education Center will feature interpretive displays presenting Montana’s conservation heritage and include an interactive Living Stream aquarium with native fish. The theatre/multipurpose room will offer visitors high-impact audio-visual experiences and be used for presentations, workshops and community meetings. Classroom space with a reference library will be available for local teachers and students to explore the world of wildlife, while remote viewing stations will allow visitors to watch animals under care at the Rehabilitation Center without intrusion. A trailhead will be built to connect with the Mt Helena trail system and a nature trail for wildlife conservation tours will be developed allowing access for people with disabilities. An outdoor amphitheater will be created to be used as an outdoor classroom as well as a day or evening performance space.
The Education Center will be a place for teachers to expand their knowledge of wildlife and conservation issues, a place where families can come and learn together, a place where school and youth groups can use field-based activities to link math and the sciences to the world around them.
The Department of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is mandated by law to manage the fish and wildlife resources of the state. With that mandate comes the responsibility, in some instances, to care for orphaned, sick and injured animals. A wildlife rehabilitation center is currently operated in Helena, Montana, with the purpose of caring for such animals.
The first phase of the Montana Wildlife Complex was a Rehabilitation Center which opened in 2002. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Foundation, the Foundation for Animals and the USDA Forest Service worked together to raise the necessary funds for this state-of-the–art facility at the Montana Wildlife Complex. The Center is a temporary home for these wild animals, not a zoo.
In addition to the day-to-day care of wild animals, the center’s objectives are to:
- Stress the importance of wildlife management and habitat protection to the long-term well-being of Montana’s wild animals.
- Emphasize that young animals should not be disturbed or removed from their natural environments.
- Provide experience for volunteers who are interested in assisting with wild animal care and releases.
- Encourage understanding and support for wildlife conservation in Montana.
and help us preserve the magic that is Montana!