Our Stories

North Dakota Volunteer Vacation crew makes progress

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Kate Lemon

This past week a small crew of AHS’ Volunteer Vacation participants and NCTA staffer Matt Davis & volunteer Brian Pavek worked on some projects on the NCT within the Sheyenne National Grassland in North Dakota. Interestingly, the three AHS volunteers all came from California. Who says that California has it all…it doesn’t have the tallgrass prairie or the NCT!

Here are some pictures from our week:

The crew in front of the Sheyenne Grassland sign

The U.S. Forest Service staff giving an orientation to the Grasslands — The U.S. Forest Service staff (at right) giving an orientation to the Grasslands to the crew (left)

The crew's lunch spot atop the old fire lookout hill

Ryan from the U.S. Forest Service installs a mileage marker on a post

Day one – we installed mileage marker posts on a 9.5 mile segment of the NCT

Day two – we cut willow stems and planted them by the NCT trail bridge over Iron Springs Creek to stabilize the eroding streambank

Volunteer Paul Plathe hauling willows to the truck

The soggy volunteers after filling the truck with willows

Volunteers hauling bundles of willows down to Iron Springs Creek

Brian Pavek "planting" a willow cutting in the streambank

Day three – we hiked on the Hankinson Hills loop trail and toured the “tri-state” area by visiting South Dakota and Minnesota and getting the $0.50 tour of the ND College of Science campus

Our off-day hike on the Hankinson Hills loop trail

Seeing "the sights" in downtown Hankinson, ND

Day four – we installed mileage markers and re-set marker posts knocked down by cattle on a 6-mile segment of the NCT

Brian stands by as the girls lift the trail marker post into its new hole

Thanks go to crew participants Lucia Prieto, Paul Plathe, and Jennifer Murillo for making the long trek from California and to NCTA Board Member Brian Pavek for coming up from the Cities. Our thanks also go to Colleen, Ryan, and Bryan from the U.S. Forest Service for all their help in pulling off the work projects.

As the crew discovered, the Sheyenne National Grassland is a magical place with an interesting history. The NCT is a great way to experience the beauty of the tallgrass prairie. More information on the Sheyenne (part of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands) is available online or by calling (701) 683-4342.