On a sunny Sunday morning in late April, 19 volunteers gathered at Willow Lane to perform some maintenance tasks at the site of the Wetland Peace Preserve in Boise. This crew of overachievers included employees, spouses, children, and a couple odd Rotarians to direct their efforts. The R/S team was led by Chase Cresto, Rachele Klein, and Margaret Mingura. They were joined by Gia Allen, Bruce Smith, Brian Courtright, Tyler Parrino, and Minstey Ankney. Rotary participants were Kevin Learned and John Lodal.
The wetland at Willow Lane has dozens of nascent high desert perennials that have been planted in the last 4-5 years. These desirable plants were being crowded by extraordinarily tall feral grasses and this became the team’s primary task. They cleared an area about 2’ wide around each perennial and then mulched that area so it would retain water better. Tools and mulch and even some new plantings of Louisiana Sagebrush were provided by Boise Parks & Rec.
The team went to work and enjoyed the delightful weather and the company of colleagues to give these plants an advantage over the encroaching grasses. The Wetland Peace Preserve (WPP) was a recipient of one of Republic Services’ National Neighborhood Promise (NNP) grants in 2026 and the park is scheduled to be built this summer. It will be a handsome addition to the riverside parks along Boise’s Greenbelt and will celebrate peace and natural preservation. More information about the WPP can be found on their webpage at www.wetlandpeacepreserve.org.
Another volunteer event will be scheduled for June and the theme of that work will be defined by the progress of the WPP build. Stay tuned. Thank you to everyone who joined us for some weeding and mulching. The plantings look robust and this TLC will ensure that they remain in this aspirational category.
A new park is coming soon to Boise. R/S is central to this plan and a terrific crew of volunteers showed up today to keep it moving forward. Bravo!
