They came from across South Dakota. Thirty-four Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers, including eight children, from five different chapters descended on Custer State Park in mid-June 2020.
Crews split up into two groups and got to work. They rolled up their sleeves to repair fencing around two enclosures that protect aspen stands and allow them to grow and strengthen. Volunteers also removed encroaching pine from the immediate area. Additionally, they removed old, dilapidated fencing from an old enclosure, filled up the back of pickups with the debris and took it all to the dump.
In the end, the enhanced habitat will benefit elk and other wildlife in the Black Hills.
“We were missing some of our South Dakota RMEF family this year that normally join us, but we know they were with us in heart,” said Mason Cooper, RMEF regional director. “We hope that this is the first step of getting South Dakota RMEF back up and going after the COVID-19 shutdown.”
(Photo source: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)