Jennifer Mohler admires a pot of Prairie Smoke, a native plant, before it gets planted in the new Crail Ranch Native Demonstration Garden. The garden consists entirely of native plants. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER
BIG SKY – Even after two full days of planting, Jennifer
Mohler, executive director of the Gallatin Invasive Species Alliance, was chock
full of vitality. After all, the alliance had finally carried out plans two
years in the making: Mohler, along with a handful of other volunteers, planted
some 700 plants, all entirely native to the area, in the new Crail Ranch Native
Demonstration Garden.
The precarious dilemma that inspired the garden was Big
Sky’s excessive water consumption. Ron Edwards, general manager of Big Sky
Water and Sewer District, said when looking at past statistics, some years
showed summer water usage was seven to eight times what it was during the
winter months, despite population trends indicating greatest visitor and
resident occupancy during the winter.
“The biggest consumptive use of water is [irrigation for]
landscapes,” Mohler said, explaining the discrepancy. Native species, after
their initial growing period, don’t require additional watering because they
are accustomed to the water sources naturally occurring in the area, according
to Mohler. “This [garden] is to show the community that you can plant a
water-wise garden that is still beautiful.”
John Councilman, chair of GISA, said the Big Sky homeowner’s
associations require homeowners to put in irrigation systems. This mandate
originated years ago, when there were few homes and fire was the chief threat
to the community’s safety in the summer months. Now, Councilman said, it seems
the community’s present circumstances have outrun these antiquated policies.
In addition to being a flagship method in preserving Big Sky’s
water reserves, the garden also serves the principal mission of the Gallatin
Invasive Species Alliance: keeping invasive species out of the area’s
landscapes.
“In that setting,” Mohler said, gesturing toward Yellow
Mountain, “. . .we have such an impact on the environment.”
Mohler acknowledged that Big Sky is lucky to have a
relatively healthy ecosystem, but she also warned that it takes very little to
tip the scale. The key, she believes, is taking a proactive approach that saves
the community from eleventh-hour action down the road.
Mohler said she often feels like a “Debbie Downer,” having
to tell property owners that some of the flowers they count as beautiful are
invasive and ought to be removed. She is grateful for the colorful and diverse
new garden; a tangible and beautiful way for her organization to showcase what
they do.
Volunteers gathered July 10 and 11 to bring long-time garden plans to life. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER
The garden, which is a collaborative effort between GISA,
BSWSD, Gallatin River Task Force and Big Sky Community Organization will use
greywater and a water-wise irrigation system to hydrate the plant and vegetable
gardens until the root systems are developed. Seventy more species of plants
will be introduced to the garden in the fall, including a native species of
grass to replace the invasive species that currently surrounds the Crail Ranch
property.
“This demonstration project is two-fold, education being the
primary one,” said Edwards, alluding to a prospective plan of using the garden
as an outdoor classroom space. “It [also] helps answer questions and remove
fear.”