This Greater Yellowstone crew spent a hitch in South Dakota building Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) with The Nature Conservancy.  These low-tech, process-based restoration techniques are vital to watershed reparation.  In an effort to create safe, welcome environments for beavers (a keystone species), they constructed beaver dam analogs and post-assisted log structures. These structures are meant to slow down the flow of the stream, thereby raising the water table, controlling erosion, and promoting biodiversity.   Here is what one of the Crew Members, Ella, had to say about their project:

"We were beavers for the week! On May 31st we made the 8-hour journey to Hot Springs, South Dakota where we were introduced to our project partner with the South Dakota Nature Conservancy. She taught us the basics of low-tech, process-based restoration and the importance of watershed reparation.  Over 7 days we waded through waist deep water (only occasionally wearing waders), lugged around an 80 pound hydraulic post pounder, and almost lost a rain boot in the mud all in the name of conservation. And it was so worth it! We were able to see the effects of our BDAs almost immediately and observed evidence of beavers all along the bank. We're hopeful that the biodiversity of Cottonwood and Spring Creek will continue to improve from our mesic restoration efforts."

Thanks to Ella and crew for all the hard work!

This Central Divide crew worked with the National Wildlife Federation to restore riparian habitat around Winifred in Eastern Montana.  This involved Putting fence posts in the ground and using willows and other material to create artificial beaver dams. They are not meant to stop the water completely, but rather help slow the water down and increase the water table level and increase drought resilience.

This Wildland Restoration Team, called Silver Crew, worked closely with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust and the Rocking 406 Ranch to spray a variety of noxious weeds.  They spent the majority of their time on thistle and hound's tongue, and covered over five hundred acres of the Rocking 406 Ranch. The ranch is strictly for conservation and is owned by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. The removal of weeds and restoration of these lands allow for over one hundred species of birds and wild game to reside there, providing much needed wildlife habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Emily, a Crew Member on the Silver crew, said "under the guidance of Mike Ellig, a board member of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, we learned the ins and outs of fungi and bird species identification. Mike's dedication to conservation inspired us to continue our efforts of wilderness restoration, and we are looking forward to working with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust in the future. We take on the knowledge we learned from Mike with us as we travel to Little Big Horn National Battlefield to spray more noxious weeds!"

Thanks to the silver crew for protecting so much of our vital habitat!