Lake Helena and its amazing ducks

"Helena is very ducky," says Mark Mariano. The Butte-based ecologist has been watching fall duck migration on Lake Helena for two years now. In early October, I went along with Mark on one of his duck surveys. From Mark, I learned about Lake Helena and its importance to tens of thousands of coots, ducks, and snow geese. We talked about the problems common carp pose for duck habitat - and what we can do about it. This story is a little snapshot of the spectacular, continent-wide tide of fall waterfowl migration. Enjoy!