Missoula, MT – Protecting local watersheds and sustainable water use are of growing concern in urban settings, including Missoula. To enhance local water quality at the community level, the Montana Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) has awarded a grant to the National Wildlife Federation to develop the Missoula Urban Water Quality Experience. This outreach effort will engage Missoula community members and provide them with tips for best practices and resources to enhance local water quality and protect nearby watersheds from stormwater pollution.

“This project is a great way for National Wildlife Federation to connect with the community and show them how small actions, such as installing rain barrels, sustainable water use, and avoiding pesticides can have big impacts in protecting our local watershed. We are so grateful to the Montana Association of Conservation Districts for supporting this work,” said Kassie Robakiewicz, the National Wildlife Federation’s Big Sky Watershed Corps member who manages the Garden for Wildlife™ program and is designing the project. 

The project will consist of two guided walking tours in August that display different Certified Wildlife Habitats throughout the city of Missoula with examples of best management practices to help keep our watershed clean. A virtual option of this tour will also be available and can be explored independently with the help of a downloadable PDF or on the National Wildlife Federation’s Montana Education Programs website. It will also include the installation of a demonstration rain garden followed by a rain garden workshop in September that will educate community members on how to install a rain garden in their own space. 

“Rain gardens are a great way to reduce storm runoff and help reduce pollution and we can continue to strengthen our local water quality, one garden at a time,” Robakiewicz added. 

Funded through the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s 319 program, the goal of the MACD mini-grants is to help fund local education and outreach efforts that address nonpoint source water quality issues.

For more information on these upcoming events and to find out how to get involved in the project visit our website at https://www.nwf.org/Northern-Rockies-and-Pacific-Region/Education/Montana or email Kassie Robakiewicz at MtEducation@nwf.org or call (406) 542-6708. Follow us on Instagram @gardenforwildlifemissoula or on Facebook at Missoula Community Wildlife Habitat.

Visit the National Wildlife Federation Media Center at NWF.org/News.