17th Annual TNT Benefit Celebration… Join us or Make a Pledge

To inspire, educate, and demonstrate conservation in action. Spring 2011
17th Annual
TNT Benefit Celebration…
Join us or Make a Pledge
For more information visit page 3.
Inside
Conservationists are Made, Not Born. . . . . . . . . . 2
$30,000 Funding Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
New Board of Trustees Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Falconry in the Bitterroot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Teller Habitat Enhancement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Volunteer at The Teller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
NAWCA Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
www.theteller.org
Notes from the Teller
Conservationists Are Made, Not Born
To inspire, educate,
and demonstrate
conservation in action.
Board of Trustees
Keith Johnson, Chair
San Diego, CA/Darby, MT
John Talia, Vice Chair & Treasurer
Corvallis, MT
Allen Bjergo, Secretary
Corvallis, MT
Nader Shooshtari, Missoula, MT
Anne Teller
Glen Ellen, CA/Hamilton, MT
Paul Thomas
Rancho Santa Fe, CA/Hamilton, MT
Lucy Tompkins
Portola Valley, CA/Hamilton, MT
Bill VanCanagan, Missoula, MT
Board Emeritus
Grant Parker, Missoula, MT
Steve Powell, Hamilton, MT
Staff
Dan Walker, Executive Director
Kim Vietz, Director of Operations
Lauren Ghiloni, Development Coordinator
All photos Teller file photos unless
otherwise credited.
Post Office Box 548
Corvallis, Montana 59828
Phone: 406.961.3507
Fax: 406.961.4489
www.theteller.org
2 The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011
Like most fathers, my family is the
center of my universe. While dinner
conversations are precious and attending
Chase and Davis’s sporting events is
nerve-racking,
my most favorite
domestic relations
time is floating in
our raft, perched
on a mountain
top or sitting by a
campfire. There is
a special, difficult to
describe bond that
happens between
each of us when we
are together in the outdoors.
As another spring nears, I’m worried
that our experiences together will be
compressed. My boys have become
teenagers I’d swear overnight. Chase
is ready to now row me down the river.
My passions are now proudly being
passed on to the next generation. Davis
finally joined his brother and me in the
duck blind this past season. How proud
he was holding his first Mallard drake.
My boys are blessed. They are
growing up in an outdoor recreation
paradise with parents who would gladly
trade work and school for living in an
Alaskan cabin off the grid. They are
learning important lessons about life
and death, for that matter, by spending
time in the outdoors. Mother Nature
is an incredible teacher. Another lesson
I’m working with them on is giving
back to society.
For the past few years, they have
attended the Ducks Unlimited
Greenwing event here at The Teller,
learning about waterfowl and bird
conservation. Chase participated a few
years back in the “Bitterroot Buggers”
youth fly fishing program sponsored by
Trout Unlimited. Each boy volunteers
many hours here at The Teller doing
By Dan Walker, Executive Director
odds and ends jobs for me to earn the
opportunities afforded to them.
I’m fairly confident that my boys
will grow up to become leaders in
conservation, at
least I hope so.
The seed has been
planted, and it is
our parental duty to
nourish it for years
to come. But, what
about the other
kids in Corvallis,
Hamilton, or as far
away as Missoula?
As for the city
kids who think playing in front of a
fire hydrant during the summer is an
outdoor experience…I’m concerned.
In our little corner of the world,
kids and many adults for that matter,
do not have or are losing a connection
to the land. The list of reasons has
been well documented and our society
has changed dramatically in just one
generation. My boys don’t know what
a computer punch card is and they
laughed when I told them pinball at the
local arcade was the game of choice for
me as a kid.
It is time we do something to
change the trends, or at least give it a
try, and embark on a wonderful new
journey here at The Teller. I’m in the
process of proposing to our Board a
new Strategic Direction. Like my boys
are learning how to become men and
we are adapting as parents, we must
change (adapt) the way we do business
and conduct our cornerstone program,
education.
As I enter the last chapter of my
career, my goal and new dream is to
develop a community-based outdoor
education program at The Teller.
Simply speaking, I want to teach kids
Continued on page 3
www.theteller.org
Notes from the Teller
$30,000 Funding Challenge Issued for TNT Event
Within the last year, I have received invitations to or
attended nine auctions in the Bitterroot Valley alone. It
occurred to us recently that maybe we need to change what
we do at The Teller. After 16 years of hosting an extremely
successful TNT dinner, raffle, silent
and live auction, we are rolling the dice
and starting a new trend. It is time to
break the traditional fundraising model
used by many charities.
Our rationale is simple.
First, we are extremely
sensitive to the high
number of solicitations and
demands on local businesses
that have been impacted
negatively by the economy.
Secondly, according to an
in-house survey of past
TNT attendees, we learned
that while our friends love
supporting our mission, and
it is a terrific social event,
many are tired of auction
formats. Therefore, we are
dropping the live and silent auctions from the TNT event.
The risk is substantial financially, so to manage our
downside, we hope our trusted friends from around the
country will stand shoulder to shoulder with us on a brand
new event format. Recently, two special friends did just
that by offering to make a substantial gift of $30,000
($15,000 each) to kick off this year’s TNT on June 11, 2011.
To meet our funding needs and dreams, if you help us raise
$30,000 we will receive the $30,000 CHALLENGE GIFT
as a match...a double bonus for The Teller mission.
However, our goal is much higher…we believe you can
help us raise $75,000 or more in just two hours of time
without ever raising a numbered bid card. While the details
are still in the final planning phase, we envision the format
Conservationists, continued from page 2
and adults, who have never spent time with Mother Nature,
how to identify a bird, catch a fish, shoot a duck, and skin a
deer. As stewards of The Teller, I believe it is our obligation
to share the lessons learned in the field with “first timers.”
I’m convinced now more than ever after 25 years in this
business that we will protect what we love, but only if we
teach individuals how and where to love.
Conservationists are made - not born. If you love to fly
fish at the age of 40, you likely have invested money in water
406-961-3507
to work something like this:
Step One - If you can’t attend the TNT this year,
we understand, but we ask you to help us meet the
CHALLENGE by simply
completing the enclosed
newsletter pledge card. Fill
in the amount you wish
to contribute toward our
challenge grant, and mail us
your donation. Every dollar
counts!
Step Two: If you plan
to attend the TNT, first
purchase your ticket ($75
each) or sign up as an Event
($500) or Table ($2,000)
sponsor. To date, we have
already sold 6 tables, with
only 4 remaining.
Step Three: To raise the
balance of funds, we will be inviting each
attendee to make a pledge or contribute
cash the night of the event. Since this
is a FUN – D – RAISER, maybe think
about what you might have spent on raffles, silent or live
auction items or would contribute in our traditional fund
the need item.
During the event, donors will be invited to drop their
pledges or gifts in special gift baskets. We will be tallying
up the contributions/pledges received throughout the
night and following dessert, we will draw special prizes
from the pledge buckets. It’s simple…you pledge and
win, and we win while you are investing in The Teller
mission. We guarantee the 17th Annual TNT will be the
most unique social and fundraising event you attend this
season, and we thank you in advance for helping The Teller
celebrate the gift provided to us by Otto Teller (“T”) – n –
Phil Tawney (“T”).
conservation or a cause benefiting trout. A dedicated hunter
belongs to any number of critter-based groups doing speciesspecific habitat work, and most birders I know are members
of Audubon. My vision is to teach our students about the
outdoors so that they grow to love the experience…maybe
someday from the lessons we taught them at The Teller they
will return to their conservation roots or pass on a lesson to
their daughter or son.
The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011 3
Youth
Fly Fishing
Class on
Thomas Pond
The Teller hosted the Bitterroot Buggers on the
Thomas Pond on May 1st. Thirty-five kids learned how
to cast as part of Bitterroot Trout Unlimited’s (BRTU)
free fly fishing class for young anglers 8-13 years old.
The class focuses on fly tying, entomology, regulations,
conservation, etiquette and casting.
LODGING AT
Planning for a wedding or a special vacation?
The Teller’s historic farm houses and rustic fishing cabins are
already booking for the 2011 season!
There are plenty of great dates remaining,
but the time to reserve is now.
For rates, details, calendars and online booking, please visit:
www.bitterrootcabins.com/teller
Teller Lodging is proudly managed by:
Bitterroot Cabins, LLC
866-992-2246
[email protected]
4 The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011
Welcome! New Members of The Teller’s Board of Trustees
Notes from the Teller
Bill VanCanagan – Bill joined the Teller
board in January 2011, though he has been
involved with The Teller
for many years. He is an
attorney and shareholder
with Datsopoulos,
MacDonald and Lind,
P.C. in Missoula,
Montana, with an
emphasis on land use
planning and real estate
law. Bill is committed
to the Teller’s mission dedicated to the preservation
and management of Teller property as private
land and conserving and enhancing wildlife
habitat along the Bitterroot River corridor, as well
as promoting education with regard to Teller’s
conservation objectives. Nader Shooshtari – Nader is a long-time
Teller volunteer who joined the Teller board
in April 2011. He is a professor of Marketing
and International Business at the University of
Montana in Missoula.
One of the reasons
that he supports Teller
is because it provides
hands-on educational
and volunteer
opportunities, while
embracing sportsmen
and women and their
contributions to
preserving wildlife and its habitat. Nader also
serves on the boards of Partners in Home Care,
Inc. in Missoula, and Five Valley Crimestoppers,
as well as being a member of the Missoula Rotary
Club.
Thank You ...
Our sincere thanks go to outgoing Teller board
members Ewing Philbin and Mike Canning. Ewing served on Teller’s Board of Trustees for five
years, and has been a lodging guest and supporter
since the early 1990s. Mike served on the board
for four years, and was a major donor to Teller’s
Gird Creek restoration. We are grateful for their
support of Teller over the years.
www.theteller.org
Notes from the Teller
A Bond with the Wild:
Falconry in the Bitterroot
By Kate Davis, Executive Director of Raptors of the Rockies
Like a missile from the sky, down
plummets the falcon in a vertical dive from
hundreds of feet above; the quarry selected is one of
vis
a dozen mallards flushed from a slough. Closing in with the final impact and an audible
whack, feathers are flying. A seemingly impossible upturn swoop by the raptor follows, and
then she lands on the drake, delivers the deadly bite to the neck and it’s over. The Peregrine settles
down to pluck as I close in to retrieve my trained bird and our dinner for the evening.
I shut the tailgate of the Subaru with
Sibley the falcon settled on her perch, hood
P
on her head, duck in the game bag, and Ducks
Unlimited sticker on the window, but no shotguns.
It’s the privilege of watching a raptor do what they do best,
and a glimpse into the 4000-year history of falconry - hunting
wild game with trained birds of prey. Vicariously enjoying what
could be months and years of training, this is spectator sport,
much like bird watching, but not for the faint of heart.
Maybe sport isn’t the correct term, as it is more like an allconsuming lifestyle with a rather small following, and rightly so.
A major player in the pastime was asked by his then-girlfriend in
college, “When will you get over this hawk stage?” which spelled
the end of their relationship. Most of us became enthralled with
birds of prey as kids, hooked for life, and the cliché and title as
“Enraptured with Raptors” is constantly applied in stories by the
press.
The origins of falconry can only be guessed,
but the idea is that early on, humans trapping
birds as food figured out that raptors also
kill, and that these birds could be trained for
human benefit. The earliest records are in
Asia, but falconry had its heyday in Medieval
Europe when everyone flew a bird, species
assigned by status in the caste system: Kestrels
for knaves, Gyrfalcons for kings. The invention
of firearms plus changes in land ownership and
trespassing laws put an end to this era of “the
Sport of Kings.”
Falconry has found a niche in the United States with about
5000 licensed men and women practicing today. Permits were
formally issued by the U.S. Wildlife Service but now in Montana
are dealt with by Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The waterfowl season
y
ob
hot
te
Ka
406-961-3507
Da
has the same opening and closing dates as those that hunt with
firearms, but upland game bird season lasts seven months, from
the 1st of September to March 31st. Bag limits are the same, but
either sex may be taken as it would be impossible to have your
hawk or falcon discriminate between a “hen or rooster” as they
hunt. We have about 90 licensed falconers in Montana, most on
the east side of the divide.
In order to become a falconer, a sponsor must be found,
written test passed, facilities built and inspected, and a bird
secured. Birds may either be trapped as youngsters or purchased
from breeders, and positive reinforcement is the key in training.
The bond between bird and handler may rival any relationship
possible, as the raptor is released to hunt and expected to
perform, or at least come back, which may not happen.
Lightweight radio telemetry transmitters attached to the bird
help the falconer find a raptor that has strayed, or killed game in
thick cattails or brush.
I started with kestrels as a
teenager and bought Sibley
the Peregrine from a breeder
in Bozeman when she
was three weeks old. Now
at eight years of age, she
flies over 100 times a year
plus provides 90 education
programs; a dual personality
bird. She joins 16 other
hawks, falcons, eagles and
owls in “Raptors of the
Rockies,” the education project active since 1988 and located
in Florence on the banks of the Bitterroot. Let us know if we
can hunt the skies near where you live, and be a spectator in this
sport of the ages.
The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011 5
NRCS Once Again Supports
Teller Habitat Enhancement
The Teller’s Board of Trustees
Notes from the Teller
Working in partnership with the local Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), Teller was approved for
a Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) project.
The project involved three habitat treatments all aimed at
improving wildlife habitat on Teller’s main property.
The first phase of the project involved the installation of
deer-proof fencing around degraded aspen stands. Aspen
have been long recognized as providing critical foraging
and nesting cover for many bird species in addition to
adding to the aesthetic appeal of The Teller. Unfortunately,
the majority of aspen stands on Teller and throughout the
Bitterroot are in poor condition due to impacts of white
tailed deer and the aspen boring beetle. Virtually 100% of
young aspen regeneration attempts are quickly browsed off
by hungry deer. The older age class trees have insect disease,
and bucks who rub their antlers on the trees have negatively
impacted the aspen stands. In 2009, an aspen exclosure was
installed by volunteers of Teller’s Earth Day Celebration and
today the recovery of young trees is very impressive. Based
on the success of that treatment, three additional exclosures
will be installed this spring, protecting over 6 acres of aspen
habitat.
The second and third components of the WHIP project
involved the planting of 750 native shrubs in the grassland
community on Teller’s main property. The Golden Currant
and Woods Rose shrubs will provide much needed wildlife
foraging and escape cover for bird species. One species of
Teller wildlife, the ring-necked pheasants, depends upon
woody shrub vegetation in the winter as escape cover from
hungry predators lurking overhead. It is not uncommon on a
cold day in January to flush 10 to 25 pheasants from healthy
Golden Currant stands on Teller. As a requirement of the
grant, all of the shrub plantings will also have protective
fencing preventing deer from browsing on the new plants.
All in all, Teller will have 10 to 15 newly established shrub
plots, all within close proximity of the wetland enhancement
projects, adding to the overall habitat diversity of the
landscape. Teller would like to recognize the support of
our outstanding partners in this project - NRCS, Vern’s
Landscaping and Hillbilly Fencing.
Volunteer at Teller this Summer
The 2011 Volunteer Schedule is set! Thanks to Teller’s 250
or so volunteers donating time and talent, Teller continues to
save thousands of dollars annually. In 2011, we will continue
the program established last year with a calendar of volunteer
projects (plantings, fence removal, duck blind dressing, etc.)
and a minimum amount of time that must be volunteered to
qualify for walking and hunting benefits. You may sign up for
these volunteer projects on a first-come, first-served basis.
Benefits
In addition to the benefit of helping local wildlife and
conservation education efforts, volunteers will be able
to apply for limited recreational opportunities including
sightseeing and wildlife viewing walks on The Teller.
Waterfowl, pheasant and whitetail deer archery hunting
opportunities are also available.
6 The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011
Hours Required
We have developed the following volunteer hour benefits
matrix for hunting and sightseeing opportunities:
• Volunteer a minimum of 4 hours on approved project(s) - eligible
to attend Teller sightseeing/wildlife viewing walks.
• Volunteer a minimum of 8 hours on approved project(s) - eligible
to attend Teller sightseeing/wildlife viewing walks and eligible to
apply for one waterfowl or pheasant hunting day with two guests.
• Volunteer a minimum of 16 hours on approved project(s) – eligible
to attend Teller sightseeing/wildlife viewing walks and eligible
to apply for one additional waterfowl or pheasant hunt day (two
days total) with two guests.
Please visit www.theteller.org or contact Lauren at 9613507 or [email protected] for a 2011 Volunteer
Program Guide with project dates and benefit information.
Be sure to check out the available volunteer projects and
reserve your spot as soon as possible!
www.theteller.org
Notes from the Teller
Teller Completes
Second NAWCA
Project
On a cold February morning, the heavy equipment from
Advanced Earthworks, Inc. began mobilizing on Teller to
complete wetland restoration and enhancement work for
Teller’s second North American Wetlands Conservation Act
(NAWCA) project. Nearly a year before the permitting
phase, numerous days in the field were
required to design the project, which
included ground water monitoring
and topographic surveys. In January
of 2011, The Teller received approval
for the work from the required
County, State and Federal permitting
authorities and contracts were
developed for delivery of the project.
In a project area spanning 172 acres,
six separate projects were developed,
which included previously completed
restoration and enhancement activities as well as new
activities. NAWCA requires a minimum of a 1:1 funding
match of non-federal dollars to leverage the funds obligated
from a successful NAWCA applicant. Teller was able to
demonstrate a match in excess of the 1:1 requirement leading
to an award of $75,000 in new NAWCA funds.
The project involved restoration of the Menager wetlands
located near the south end of Teller’s main property. This
wetland was in poor condition due to degraded water control
406-961-3507
structures, eroded dikes, and nearly 100% cattail dominance
with no open water component. NAWCA funds were used
to replace the water control structure, repair the dike and
excavate cattails to restore several open water features. The
project was a great success, leaving roughly 50% of the cattails
in place for bird nesting cover as well
as winter thermal cover for deer and
pheasants. Shallow excavations were
made creating seasonal “dug outs” that
become inundated with ground water
during late spring. The dug outs provide
important waterfowl and shorebird
habitat until freezing occurs.
These wetland enhancement features
were similar to last year’s Natural
Resource Conservation Services
wetland project that added a total of 12
restored or enhanced wetlands. The spoils removed from each
site were transported to upland sites containing poor soils.
The spoils were than disked and seeded to perennial grasses
as well as planting of 750 Golden Currant and Woods Rose
shrubs.
All in all it was a very successful project and this summer
it will be difficult to discern that equipment was even on site.
The recovery of these systems is remarkable and the response
from wildlife will undoubtedly be awesome!
The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011 7
Post Office Box 548
Corvallis, Montana 59828
Phone: 406.961.3507
Fax: 406.961.4489
www.theteller.org
To inspire, educate,
and demonstrate
conservation in action.
Please DONATE NOW to help us achieve our $30,000 Challenge Grant.
Check out page 3 for more information about the grant. You can either DONATE
NOW with the form inside this newsletter or online at www.theteller.org
Earth Day Celebration 2011
THANK YOU to the 60 volunteers that attended The Teller’s 2011 Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 30! The
volunteers divided into groups to accomplish three different stewardship projects on the property. The projects consisted
of an Upland Vegetation Planting, Houndstongue Weed Removal and hazardous Fence Removal. The planting consisted
of 750 Golden Currant and Woods Rose shrubs (check out the NRCS article on page 6). A big thank you to Vern and
Lucas Eckstein of Vern’s Landscaping, Hillbilly Fencing and the Ravalli County Weed District for all their help with the
projects. The day was an outstanding success for The Teller due to the volunteers’ hard work and generous support!
8 The Teller Newsletter – Spring 2011
www.theteller.org