Tucked away in Deary, Idaho, the Olson Family Conservation Preserve is a living legacy of the family’s multi-generational history and connection with nature. Gifted to Palouse Land Trust to protect this cherished property, the preserve now offers a space where the local community can engage with the outdoors and build meaningful connections to the land. While public access is limited, the preserve is already serving as a place for children, students, and neighbors to experience nature, fostering curiosity, appreciation, and a sense of shared responsibility for the environment around them.
Recently, Palouse Land Trust collaborated with partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the local Deary eighth grade class to plant native milkweed in the preserve’s open meadows. By planting these native seeds, students helped provide essential habitat and food sources for monarchs, which are considered a species of greatest conservation need in the area. This project brought students, teachers, and conservation professionals together for a hands-on learning experience, giving many students their first opportunity to directly contribute to wildlife conservation. Not only did students provide direct benefits to native species, but everyone involved also had the chance to explore and appreciate the preserve’s meadows, forests, and creek areas, which offer a unique home for wildlife in North Central Idaho.
Over the next year, Palouse Land Trust and the Deary community will be visioning out the future of the Olson Family Conservation Preserve with support from Rural Initiatives Manager, Kara Maplethorpe, who will facilitate community surveys and conversations.
(Photo courtesy of Palouse Land Trust)
About Heart of the Rockies Initiative’s Rural Initiatives Program
Vibrant, independent rural communities in the Rocky Mountain West are the heart and soul of this iconic region and are inextricably linked to a thriving landscape. Heart of the Rockies Initiative’s Rural Initiatives program, when invited by community partners, such as local individuals, organizations, land trusts, and landowner-led groups, supports community-led projects and initiatives that benefit quality of life, economic opportunities, and outdoor experiences throughout the region.
