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RACING TO MORE CONSERVATION
The race is on! Between the loosening of restrictions and last year’s rediscovery of the outdoors, more folks are flocking to Montana’s beloved mountains, rivers and lakes. At PPLT, we are racing to be as proactive as possible in our efforts to expand and conserve lands to offset the effects of increased use.
We are working with public land partners to help manage recreational land for everyone to enjoy. After 25 years of community support and momentum, PPLT has permanently protected many cherished places to play and lands vital to agriculture, clean water, and wildlife.
Together, we can do it all.
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FIELDS OF DREAMS
PPLT VOLUNTEERING COVERS A LOT OF GROUND
If you protect it, they will come. When PPLT acquired the Sevenmile and Tenmile Creek properties, we made a big gamble that the community would fall in love with them. And the community delivered. And continues to deliver - providing these properties with the necessary TLC. While keeping pace with our biggest trail work years in the South Hills, this year volunteers are also providing the muscle necessary for stream restoration efforts as well as grassland restoration. At Sevenmile, volunteers have already logged 250 hours and installed 1.5 miles of wattles.
One area that has been incredibly helpful is this year’s Weekly Work Day at Tenmile Creek Park. Every Tuesday evening at 6:00pm, volunteers arrive at Tenmile to help with whatever is needed at the park, from cleaning the place up to helping in our slow and steady native grassland restoration. All are welcome!
Email [email protected] for more information and to be added to an email list with details on weekly projects, cancellations, etc.
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VOLUNTEER FORECAST
STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT WITH MAJOR EVENTS ON THE HORIZON
Saturday, June 5th is National Trails Day
For National Trails Day this year we thought we’d celebrate, like usual, with a big community volunteer event!
We’ll be meeting, 9:00 a.m., at the Spring Meadow Resources pavilion near the creek crossing leading into Tenmile Creek Park. From there we’ll split up and head out to three different trails in need of work. We’re taking on a number of projects with varying skill and intensity levels, so there will be a way for everyone to participate!
- Tenmile Creek Park - short, flat hike and light workload
- Mount Helena - Daisy Hill Drains. Moderate hike and moderate workload
- Mount Ascension Park - Pay Dirt Reroute, short, steep hike, heavy workload
We’re expecting everyone and their moms to be there, so grab everyone you know (and their moms) to celebrate your trails with a little work, a little BBQ and a lot of community.
Monday June 21st, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location and project to be determined. We’ve been capping these events at 20 volunteers, so act fast and email [email protected] to RSVP.
We are hitting full stride with groups that want to help outside of our regular workdays, and there are plenty of opportunities to plug into our trail work! If you have a great group of folks that want to help on the trails, email [email protected].
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RESTO WRAP-UP -- SEVENMILE SEEDS ARE SEWN
The dirt-work is done, the wattle barriers are installed, the new seeds and vegetative plugs are leafing out and greening up. Sevenmile’s fourth and final stretch of restoration is complete. After a several-year process, million-dollar-plus effort with dozens of partners and funders, and hundreds of volunteer hours, one major chapter in Sevenmile’s story is now closed.
By recharging the floodplain and filling the new ponds, the creek can now, on its own, restore the vibrant riparian (riparian = in and near water) life along its banks. Just as the heavy machinery was preparing to depart the property, PPLT also received word that the organization was selected for the American Fisheries award for Landowner of the Year.
The greatest reward for the project though, is the amount that we have learned about the resiliency and innate wildness of our valley. This project proves how big an impact a little community can have on their local habitat.
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FROM OUR MEMBERS- WHY SUPPORT PPLT?
Preservation and access to open space is a huge benefit to the entire community. PPLT has improved, and continues to, Helena and the surroundings.
Gordon Levin, PPLT Member
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RACING TO THE TOP
As a group, we’ve logged nearly 3,000 miles and over 381,000 feet of elevation gain! We’ve already had at least one grandmother-granddaughter pair finish their Trail Bingo blackout.
The team challenge is heating up, with teams like Peak Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab and the NUTritionists from St. Pete’s trying to overtake PPLT’s own Happy Snails running club, who are leading the pack. And Ryan Usey is leading the individual standings with over 200 miles!
With two weeks left, it’s definitely not too late to sign up! In addition to the miles and elevation challenge, you could do the 5k, 12k, 20k, and/or 30k virtual timed races or complete the Trail Bingo game. And remember, kids 17 and under always register for free!
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GIVE A LITTLE (OR A LOT!) TO TEAM PPLT
With such a groundswell of community support, PPLT staff is motivated daily to grow and care for our community open space parks and trails. This year we wanted to show our commitment by going the extra mile, so we have gathered as a race team to log our miles and raise money for the open space and trails we all love.
Will you give a little (or a lot!) to support our team efforts?
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25TH ANNIVERSARY BLOCK PARTY IS ON
JOIN US JULY 15
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