BOISE, Idaho — Boise Parks and Recreation made improvements to the North End Native Plant Preserve. Parks and Recreation added metal steps to the trail to help fight erosion.
- The preserve has plants that are specifically native to Idaho. Parks and Rec says some of their open spaces have been taken over by invasive species.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"Right now we're in the North End Native Plant Preserve," Said Lisa Duplessie, who is a part of the Open Space and Foothills Division of Boise Parks and Recreation.
This little hidden hill in the North End is just one piece of the vast trail system in Boise.
"It's not a huge trailhead but somewhere where people can come and connect to the back of their houses, down the street, it's just a great connection," Duplessie said.
But it's a little special, because of its plants.
"So in little pockets like this, it's great to have these native plants that thrive and aren't out-competed by the invasive species," Duplessie said.
She says a lot of Boise's open spaces have been taken over by non-native species like cheatgrass which is native to Europe.
But in the last month, the department has put a lot of work into it.
"Over the years lots of erosion happens and things, so our trail team was out here working on putting steps in," Duplessie said.
The steps make it easier to climb the trail, and they preserve the trail from erosion…
"We try to do as much as we can. This was a neighborhood-built trail, volunteers worked on it," Duplessie said.
As the weather gets warmer, more people start to recreate.
Boise Parks and Rec says projects like these help keep our spaces intact.
"The longer that you leave an unsustainable trail that's been eroding away, the worse it'll get, the more dangerous it'll get to use," Duplessie said.
