Volunteers vital to success of National Public Lands Day

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  More than 180,000 volunteers were expected to participate nation-wide in Saturday's celebration of National Public Lands Day and members of Team Malmstrom were among those contributing.

Those who came out and rolled up their sleeves helped with several projects planned by Jason Gibbons, chief of the conservation program for the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron.

"This year we decided to focus on two or three potentially labor-intensive projects versus five or six smaller ones," Gibbons said.

Those projects included tree planting in the vicinity of Pow Wow Park; more tree planting at the on-base portion of Whitmore Ravine and the construction of a split-rail fence to outline the parking area at Pow Wow Park.

In all, 75 ponderosa pine trees and 50 forsynthia shrubs were planted in a five-acre area of the Ravine; 25 were planted at Pow Wow Park; and 450 feet of split-rail fence was erected.

Boy Scouts from Malmstrom's Pack 43 of varying ages tackled the tree project at Pow Wow. There were 23 youths who participated and in doing so, they earned credit towards their World Conservation Award, according to Pack Leader Jeff Gobel.

The 5/6 Alliance, Airman's Council, Cascade County Conservation District, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wildlife Services, and Weston Solutions; along with individuals from the 819th RED HORSE, 341st CES, 341st Comptroller, 341st Missile Maintenance and Maintenance Operations Squadrons also came out in support.

"Weston Solution is currently working on base on a project and we are thankful for this work," said Darren Fike, Weston employee, who volunteered with others from his company and member s of the 819th RHS to construct the fence. "We wanted to know what we could do to give back so we volunteered for this project. We are happy to be here to support the military and Malmsmtrom."

In his third year of spearheading this event, Gibbons relies on resources he procures via a grant from the DoD Legacy Resource Management Program.

"Events such as NPLD enhance outdoor awareness and an appreciation for land stewardship," Gibbons said. "There is typically a sense of pride in volunteers and the projects they perform. Whether it's planting and watching something grow over the years, improving outdoor recreational opportunities or habitat restoration, future generations of children and families will benefit from the volunteer efforts performed on National Public Lands Day."

National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Now in its eighteenth year, it is the largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States, according to the website www.publiclandsday.org.