Other Bridger Raptor Festival Supporters for 2008:

Sportsman's Warehouse

Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Daniel J. Cox/NaturalExposures

18 Miles to the Border

Word of Mouth Catering

The BoZone

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

ArtSplot

Children's Museum of Bozeman

Hawkwatch International

Bozeman Public Library

Raptor Fest Hosts

Bridger Bowl

Skiing enthusiasts have enjoyed using the area now called Bridger Bowl since the mid 1940’s.The outstanding effort and support of local volunteers, association and board members, businesses, staff, and dedicated pass holders over the past 50 years have enabled Bridger Bowl to grow from one rope-tow and a quonset hut to a major ski area with 1,500 acres of terrain, 7 chair lifts, 2,600 vertical feet, 3 lodges and a plan for expansion as needed. Bridger Bowl has become a cornerstone for Bozeman’s recreational community and a major contributor to the area’s vibrant winter tourism economy. Bridger Bowl’s original mission still stands to this day: to plan, develop and maintain facilities and services in a financially sound manner which provide the best possible skiing experience at a reasonable cost to local, regional and destination skiers.

Montana Outdoor Science School
Montana Outdoor Science School is a southwest Montana non-profit dedicated to promoting an awareness, appreciation and understanding of the natural world through quality educational experiences. Founded in 1994, MOSS now serves almost 6,000 participants annually through hands-on, student driven and inquiry-based science experiences for students of all ages. Courses include day and residential nature camps, year-round outreach and field based school and after school programs, teacher professional development workshops, family outings and free festivals.

Gallatin National Forest
Gallatin National Forest personnel have been involved with the raptor migration along the Bridger Mountain Range since the early 1990s. Forest Service district wildlife biologists have facilitated the annual raptor counts by helping to provide logistics for HawkWatch International volunteers and even participating in the counts. Ron Krager, Wildlife Biologist at the Bozeman Ranger District, and Doug Wales, Marketing Director for Bridger Bowl decided to invite the public to participate in the raptor migration event by organizing guided hikes to the National Forest System Lands migration count site on the ridge. The original hikes were very popular with the general public, so other local groups were contacted and a partnership was formed, Public involvement was expanded into a Raptor Festival. District Wildlife Biologist Bev Dixon has assumed the Forest Service role in the Bridger Raptor Festival since 1997.

Montana Raptor Conservation Center
Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC) was established in 1988 and became a private, nonprofit, 501 (c) (3) corporation in 1991. Our mission is to promote the conservation and restoration of raptor species through the rehabilitation and release of injured raptors and public education. Our primary goal is to successfully rehabilitate and release injured raptors, as well as other avian species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern. The injuries incurred by these birds are most often human related, the most common causes being vehicular collision, window collision, electrical contact, toxicity, gunshot and caught in fence or trap. In 2004, MRCC admitted 128 birds. The strength of MRCC depends strongly on its dedicated volunteers who consistently donate their time to feed and care for the birds, as well as retrieve injured birds and transport them to the center. MRCC’s educational outreach team has been active in Montana since 1992. In 2004 we reached over 3200 people, from preschool to adult age groups, with a variety of programs about Montana’s raptors. Through the outreach program, MRCC promotes community stewardship for raptors and their habitat.

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Friends of the Fest

For information about how to become a Raptorfest sponsor please
contact Frances Graham at fgraham@outdoorscience.org