Restoration of the
Sleven’s Island Riparian Area at Fort Missoula, Montana
Thomas Alan Duster, Montana Natural
History Center
The riparian forest community of Sleven’s
Island at Fort Missoula, Montana is heavily disturbed due to exotic vegetation
invasions, drastic alterations in the hydrological processes, and large amounts
of debris deposited by the United States Army. In a joint venture with the
Integrated Pest Management Program at the University of Montana (UM), the
Montana Natural History Center (MNHC) has recently initiated efforts to restore
the island. The MNHC is a
non-profit organization affiliated with the UM Division of Biological Sciences
and focuses on environmental education. They
involve school children, University students, and community members in the
restoration efforts through service learning projects.
In doing so, their objective is to increase awareness of basic ecological
concepts as well as present the importance of restoration projects.
Currently, area school children assist with native plant cultivation and
conduct field trips to the island. In
addition, UM interns conduct vegetation surveys, remove exotic weeds, and lead
the school groups. The overall goal
of the project is to restore the structure, functional integrity, and resilience
of a typical riparian system of West Central Montana.
Eventually, Sleven’s Island will serve as an accurate example of an
indigenous riparian ecosystem for educational and recreational purposes.