Owl Research Institute, Inc.
Owl conservation through research and education
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Many owl species populations are declining, some dramatically; Long-eared owls, for example, have experienced a 91% population decline in North America since 1970 (Partners in Flight).
Understanding root causes behind these declines draws clues from a variety of factors. Most insightful, however, are the trends and patterns revealed from long-term research and monitoring. To this end, the ORI actively monitors 11 species and continually expand some of the most robust data sets on owls in the world. Many of our studies represent over 25 years of field data and have contributed to a multitude of conservation projects.
As a research institute, we believe in the power of data. We know that lasting changes to policy and conservation efforts must develop from a scientific platform. While all our work comes back to owl conservation, as researchers, we play a specific role in this complicated process.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Quantifying Climate Change Effects on Snowy Owls and Arctic Ecosystems
The value of long-term research is best observed when an old project starts to tell a new story. Such is the case with our Snowy Owl study based out of Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska. The study began to understand the relationship of Snowy Owls to lemmings and the implications to breeding. Twenty-six years later we have examined and documented answers to many additional research queries.
We now embark on a collaborative project that utilizes this existing data in a new way. The project will work to better understand the effects of climate change on the declining Snowy Owl and lemming populations of our study area. This is a project is a partnership with climate change researchers and statisticians to execute the analysis - the first of its kind for the Snowy Owl, the avian icon of the Arctic.
We know that climate change is real; during our time in the Arctic we have observed warming temperatures: ice is thinner, permafrost is deeper, there is less snow. The data to confirm and explain this process is exhaustive. However, while we have data illustrating a Snowy Owl population in decline, we don’t know why: why are the declines occurring? Our project seeks answers to this question, casting new light on how climate change affects arctic species, their ecosystems, and leading us to informed remedies.
In addition to the described analysis, our long-term research and monitoring continue. The field season, which occurs for three months in late summer, is our most costly: travel, lodging, 4-wheeler maintenance, and field equipment, are annual costs attached to the project.
Great Gray Owls and Models for Snag Conservation
Similar to other species projects, we are conducting long-term monitoring of nest sites, banding chicks, collecting data, and surveying new areas. In conjunction to our base study, we are also interested in learning more about their nesting needs.
Similar to cavity nesting owls, Great Gray Owls depend on very specific site characteristics in order to nest. While obligate cavity nesters need to find the holes of woodpeckers, natural tree holes, or nest boxes; Great Grays look to large, broken-topped trees, or snags, and occasionally abandoned nests of other large birds. The owls nest on the top of the snag where the tree has broken and, due to the owls' massive size, trees have to be large enough to accommodate them.
A special focus of our Great Gray project is to record the measurements of successful nesting sites. In doing so, we can develop a predictable model for identifying these suitable snags. This data will be passed on to forest managers to provide an easy method to preserve and manage for these trees. As with all studies, sample sizes must be large enough for meaningful results, so we will continue to collect data for this special project. Do you know of a Great Gray nest? Please let us know. We are following up with as many leads as we can in order to grow our sample size.
Long-Eared Owls: Understanding Drastic Population Declines
Since 1970, Long-eared Owl populations are estimated to have declined by 91% in North America* - more than any other owl species. The Owl Research Institute has studied Long-eared Owls in western Montana for 32 years, the longest of its kind in the world. We are proud to have revealed much of what is understood about these elusive owls today.
While our long-term research and monitoring on Long-eared Owls remains active, we now look to understand root causes behind these alarming trends. Similar to our work with Snowy Owls, an upcoming project will synthesize existing data with climate data to identify correlations, if any, between population declines and temperature increases. The analysis will also look to identify other environmental factors that may be associated with declines as well.
With such robust data sets, the Owl Research Institute is in a good position to influence Long-eared Owl conservation. We hope that our data - which has revealed so much about the behaviors and characteristics of these owls - can now be used to help explain drastic population declines. We also hope to generate interest from other states and groups to conduct more widespread monitoring for this species.
Where we work
Awards
Chandler S. Robbins Award for bird conservation and education 2018
American Birding Association
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our overriding goal is owl conservation. We accomplish this goal by providing sound and comprehensive data documenting how owl populations behave over time.
While this isn't the flashiest of biological pursuits, long-term research and monitoring is the key to understanding how species respond to their environment. This includes changes in climate, habitat loss, prey species fluctuations, and more. Without this documentation, we cannot fully understand species needs, vulnerabilities, or population trends; we are just guessing.
While our focus is on owls, our research extends to their ecosystems and bears relevance to other species as well: owls are bio-indicators of environmental health on a much greater scale. The idea that everything is connected is certainly not a new one, but our research helps to define how and why.
Long-term research and species monitoring is at the heart of everything we do; however, from these base studies, conservation-focused projects develop. These projects have very specific analytical goals. Currently, these include: Project WAfLS - assessing Short-eared Owl population status, trends, and threats in a changing climate; Long-eared Owls: understanding drastic population declines; Snag conservation models - for owls that rely on cavities or the broken tops of snags for nesting; Quantifying climate change effects and Snowy Owls and Arctic ecosystems.
We share findings our with resource managers, scientists, conservation partners, and the public, to improve environmental decision making. Our data assists with forest management plans, habitat conservation efforts, and the listing and de-listing of critical species.
Our mission includes educating the public about owls, our work, findings, and about the scientific process. We are committed to transparency in research and, as result, developed our Day in the Field Program. To date, hundreds of participants have followed us into the field to observe, and sometimes assist, with our research. This program, and other educational channels, allow us to accomplish our educational goals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
In a world that has come to expect fast results, the dedicated field biologist has become a bit of an outlier. But this is what the Owl Research Institute does, and does best. We focus our time in the field with the owls, making observations and logging data: survey, observe, collect, log, repeat. And we've been repeating it for over 30 years. It is from this basic strategy that the magic emerges: the data takes shape, the patterns surface, and the picture becomes clear.
Our brand of research is rooted in natural history and requires patience, dedication, and a vast awareness of ecosystems at large. Denver Holt, ORI Founder, describes the process:
"Boots on the ground research: it's one of the core tenets of the ORI. We spend hundreds of hours each year in the field and pride ourselves on the ability to operate in a variety of landscapes, uncertain conditions, and the ever-present logistical challenges that accompany working outdoors with wild animals. We often experience exhaustion, frustration, and exasperation. Things break, cars die on the side of the mountain, essential equipment gets stolen, and weather can stall our efforts at any time. Sometimes it all seems to happen at once.
But when it's all said and done, we love what we do. For all the challenges that we face in the field, we have at least as many moments that inspire us to look further and to go farther. We are grateful for the opportunity to study these owls in their natural environments and are compelled by each and every one of these species to continue to try to understand them."
Although our approach may be old-school, we utilize resources that enable us to do the best work possible. As leaders in owl research, we use scientific, technological and creative methods to accomplish results; for example, we were the first researchers to track Snowy Owls by satellite. Today, our data is revealing new insights about some of today's most vexing questions.
When assessing findings, it is important to understand the context from which they are generated. All our studies are conducted in natural, uncontrolled habitats in Montana and Alaska. Wild owls are extremely difficult to find, not to mention capture, for research – none of our research is conducted on captive owls and we are very conscious of handling times. Study sites are always subject to change, due to owl behavior, migration, or human encroachment, and are unpredictable. Though we support the work of several raptor rehab organizations, we are not a rehab facility and keep no owls at the Institute. Our work is entirely field-based so we are constantly travelling to and from study sites.
Researchers we are; policy makers we are not. As a result, our conservation strategy is very simple: produce the very best data on owls in the world and share these findings with the decision makers of today to influence thoughtful land management decisions.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Owl Research Institute has been producing trusted data for over 30 years and are responsible for many of the longest running studies of their kind in the world. The Owl Research Institute is one of the premier owl research organizations in the world, just as Denver Holt, ORI Founder, is one of the leading experts.
ORI intentionally maintain a small staff. Being small poses challenges, especially during the busiest times of the field season, but it also allows us to remain field-based and efficient. We rely on countless volunteers and employ seasonal staff as needed. Ranchers and community members keep us informed about what they see in their barns, fields, and creek beds; volunteers, interns, and seasonal employees contribute hundreds of hours every year to our projects; cam watchers send us important video highlights; and talented photographers capture the owls and our work in the most incredible ways.
Because we are small and field-based, we would be lying if we said we weren't stretched thin. Consistently monitoring 11 species, all at different study sites between Montana and Alaska, is demanding. As a result, we all wear many hats. And, of course, we love what we do.
Although much time is spent traveling to research sites, the ORI is headquartered out of a farmhouse near the small town of Charlo, Montana. Located on the Flathead Indian Reservation, we are surrounded by an ecologically diverse landscape containing unique habitat for most of Montana's 15 owl species. Important neighbors include the National Bison Range, FWP state lands, and the Ninepipe Wildlife Refuge.
The Institute houses office space, living quarters for visiting professionals, a lab and classroom, a writing hut, and many outbuildings and barns for equipment. From the ORI researchers have access to nearby field sites and program participants have the opportunity for in-the-field experience and wildlife observation.
As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, the Owl Research Institute is better than ever, expanding our voice and impact on the world of conservation research.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The ORI was established by Denver Holt in 1988. In addition to having a passion for owls, he wanted to freely conduct long-term field research on wildlife to get a true picture of how populations behave over time. In wildlife research, studies are often only 2-3 seasons in length, which he believed did not produce credible data. Long-term studies, conducted by the same researchers, with large sample sizes, are vital to establishing reliable results. Furthermore, Holt was dissatisfied that research findings were simply shared among the scientific community, but left the public out of touch. He knew that a conventional wildlife biology position, in academia or a government agency, would not afford him the freedom for his unique, boots on the ground, brand of research. Thus, the idea for the ORI was born. Holt envisioned an institute where he, and other wildlife researchers, could base their work out of, collaborating and pursuing an understanding of the natural world.
From its beginning, the purpose of the Owl Research Institute has been to conduct long-term research to understand owl species' needs, vulnerabilities, and populations. Twenty-nine years later, this remains the focus and the ORI maintains active research projects on many different owl species in various locations throughout Montana and Alaska.
ORI has revealed much is what is understood about many owl species today including things like growth rates, plumage development, stress response to research, nest defense behavior, activity budgets, synchronous vs asynchronously hatching, communal roosting, and so much more.
ORI researchers have published over 100 works, most of which are professional papers, but also include two children's books: Owls: Whoo are they? and Snowy Owls: Whoo are they? Our work has been featured in National Geographic (cover story), David Attenborough's Life of Birds, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Smithsonian magazine, and many others.
While our research quantifies a multitude of topics related to owl behavior and characteristics, the value of long-term research is priceless. Only over time can accurate population trends be revealed. This is especially true for open country species who often experience dramatic highs and lows from year to year in response to prey populations. As a result, it takes many years, through many peaks and valleys, before trends can be accurately detected.
Additionally, we continually work to utilize our existing data. For example, our 28 years of research from the Arctic is now helping to reveal insights about the effects of climate change to both Snowy Owls and lemmings. It's very exciting when an old project starts to tell a new story! After 32 years of research, it's less about discovering owls, more about protecting their future.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Owl Research Institute, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 03/13/2023
Denver Holt
Owl Research Institute, Inc.
Robert Erickson
Ronan Telephone
John Lortie
Stantec
Denver Holt
Owl Research Institute
Geoffrey Robertson
Robertson Realty
John Boyle
Independent Financial Consultant