Supporting and Building a Community-wide Effort

     Although founded in Kayenta as an effort to build and maintain trails in the Kayenta Wash, the Desert Preservation Initiative quickly became a Kayenta-based nonprofit dedicated to removing invasive species throughout our beautiful Southern Utah community. That effort—to educate residents about why this is important and to motivate them to join our work—has seen multiple community involvements and successes.

     Most recently, DPI volunteers joined Ivins Department of Parks and Recreation personnel and other volunteers from across the city on Arbor Day in planting trees and shrubs around playing fields and recreational facilities at Unity Park.

     The event “presented a perfect activity for us after all our efforts trying to remove invasive species,” says DPI president Deonne Knill. She found the Arbor Day effort very fitting because “the City is really dedicated to planting trees that are native to our desert,” which is central to DPI’s work.

     The project also offered an opportunity for reciprocity. DPI got involved in part because Parks Department Supervisor Joseph Rawlinson, who ran the event, has also provided training for DPI volunteers. “For us to expand our efforts into the city we call home just feels right,” Knill adds.

     DPI volunteer Sara Dupre agrees. “It was a wonderful opportunity to support Ivins Parks with help planting trees, as they have been supportive of DPI. It was also a great opportunity to wear our DPI tee shirts, Hopefully people will be interested in what we’re doing!”

     All in all, DPI is committed to the health and beauty of the natural environment where we live in Southern Utah. Other community projects that DPI volunteers have been involved in include working at the Anasazi Trailhead across Highway 91, removing tamarisk along the Crescent Moon Trail near Fire Lake, and answering requests from Ivins and St. George homeowners in removing tamarisk from their properties.

     For more on the Arbor Day project see https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/life/ivins-community-gathers-to-bring-beauty-and-shade-to-unity-park/article_f34a7040-fa7c-434e-8ed9-3f47738cb718.html

DPI’s community partners and friends include:

• • Santa Clara/Ivins Fire Department, Chief Dan Cazier, Division Chief Con Fulde and Wildland Fire Coordinator Ty Hansen
  • Washington County Emergency Services, Heber Heyder, Fire Warden, and Tiffany Martineau, Community Wildfire Planner
  • Bureau of Land Management, St. George office, Stephanie Taylor, Wildlife Biologist
  • Ivins City, Mayor Kevin Smith, City Manager Chuck Gillette, Arborist and Parks Superintendent Joseph Rawlinson
  • Ivins Inspired Volunteer Program, Tiffany Wynn