They came from all across the state to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Approximately 60 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers poured into Custer State Park for a weekend of fun, food and boots-on-the-ground work to enhance habitat for elk and other wildlife.
The highlight of the South Dakota Rendezvous was a two-day work project to install the final two wildlife water guzzlers in the Elk Mountain Water Development Project. RMEF volunteers, including 11 children, joined forces with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, U.S. Forest Service and Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
They removed one non-working guzzler tank and replaced it with a new one. Workers also dug up and repaired a pipe between the holding tank and drinker. They replaced a broken stock tank guzzler with a new one and fixed gutters on the rain water-gathering trough. Volunteers also repaired fencing around each guzzler and repaired 1.5 miles of fencing in Custer Stake Park.
“It was a great event, one of the largest Rendezvous we have ever had in South Dakota,” said Mason Cooper, RMEF regional director. “I was shocked in how many people we had RSVP and join us for the weekend. This was my first event as the regional director of South Dakota. I look forward to growing this event and building off the many years of success they have already had.”
(Photo source: South Dakota RMEF Facebook page)