Glacier National Park will host volunteer training for its annual Hawk Watch Program on August 26 and September 22.
The training session on August 26 will run from 9 am to 1 pm in West Glacier in the Community Building. Trainings will provide an in-depth introduction to raptor ecology, identification, migration and teach volunteers how to conduct migration counts at both the Lake McDonald and Mount Brown Hawk Watch sites during the months of September and October.
Once trained, volunteers can hike to an observation point and count migrating raptors just below Mount Brown Lookout, alongside trained raptor migration counters. This is a hike of about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) one-way (about 9 miles (14.5 km) roundtrip) with an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet (1,220 m).
The September 22 training will be an in-the-field training day for volunteers interested in participating in the Lake McDonald Lodge Hawk Watch during the end of September through October. This field training will take place from noon to 4 pm in Jammer Joe’s parking lot adjacent to Lake McDonald Lodge.
To join the Hawk Watch Team, participants will learn from park biologists on how to identify and count migrating raptors. Park biologists will answer questions and share information about the integral role of raptors in our ecosystems, risks they face, and why Glacier started the Mount Brown Hawk Watch Program.
Volunteers interested in registering for either or both training days should email the Glacier Citizen Science Office, GLAC_citizen_science@nps.gov, for additional details.
Each year in the fall, golden eagles migrate from northern breeding grounds to warmer climates. One of the most important North American golden eagle migration routes passes directly through Glacier National Park. Large numbers of other raptors also use this migration corridor during the fall and spring months.
