Wild Wings Festival and Committee Mission Statement:
"Enhancing community-based partnerships through stewardship and conservation education
opportunities emphasizing the spring waterfowl migration through Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area."
The purpose of the event is to celebrate the annual light goose migration at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located between Choteau and Fairfield. Each year, hundreds of thousands of light geese, swans and other waterfowl migrate through central Montana on their way north to nesting destinations. A large concentration of these birds stop at Freezout Lake WMA, providing a few weeks of phenomenal birding in mid-March to early April.
In 2018, a Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) assessment was completed in the Choteau community where the annual light goose migration was identified as an asset to the community and possible tourism revenue during a slow shoulder season. From this assessment, a committee was formed, and in 2019, we held our first Wild Wings Light Goose Festival! The first event was well received and has since grown. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the event in 2020 and 2021. The 2nd and 3rd annual events were held in March 2022 and 2023, each year showing a significant increase in interest, participants and funding. The event is important to the Choteau community as it brings in revenue to the hotels, restaurants, local non-profits, and other local businesses during a time of the year when tourism is down. Additionally, educational presentations during the festival provide an opportunity for participants to learn more about the migration that happens in their very own backyard. Celebrating our public lands and sharing this marvel of nature with people in and outside of rural Montana is an important opportunity to spread the message of conservation, land stewardship, education and community support.
The Festival is put on by the Wild Wings Committee, a group of local residents and state partners looking to promote the spring migration. The committee works with the Rocky Mountain Front Community Foundation whose mission is to invest in the future of our communities through a permanent endowment.The Rocky Mountain Front Community Foundation Board has been building a permanent endowment since 1999. Contributions to this fund will remain invested in perpetuity, and a portion of the earnings will be used to make charitable grants in communities along the Rocky Mountain Front. The RMFCF prefers projects that demonstrate visible and recognizable impact(s) on the overall community and contribute to a community vision with long-term benefits.
The Festival also has many other non-profit and for-profit partners and sponsors that make the event possible.
2024 Committee Members:
Bonnie Griffis, co-chair
Erin Fairbank, co-chair
Ali Marshner, Secretary
Corlene Martin, Treasurer
Nancy Milewski, FWP
Brent Lonner, FWP
Ellie Fitzpatrick
Maggie Carr
Connie and Mike Schwitters
Brian Schutt