Ribbon cutting to celebrate new PSW welcome shelter
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
Kaniksu Land Trust and the Rotary Club of Sandpoint invite the public to celebrate the grand opening of the new Rotary Welcome Shelter at Pine Street Woods with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 14th at 4 PM. The event will include project highlights, community recognition, and light refreshments.
Photo courtesy KANIKSU LAND TRUST
The community is invited to joining in celebrating the grand opening of the new Rotary welcome shelter at Pine Street Woods.
Kaniksu Land Trust and the Rotary Club of Sandpoint are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 14. The event will include project highlights, community recognition, and light refreshments.
The beautiful timber-framed structure, located at the main trailhead of Pine Street Woods, now stands as a timeless and functional centerpiece of the popular recreation and education site. The idea for the shelter was sparked when Sandpoint Rotary approached Kaniksu Land Trust with a desire to support a placemaking project that would benefit the community for generations to come.
The shelter was brought to life through an ambitious fundraising campaign led by Rotary. The club donated $15,000 in Presidential Project Award funds and received generous contributions from individual members.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Sandpoint Rotary for seeing the potential of this project and staying the course to make it happen,” said Katie Cox, executive director of Kaniksu Land Trust. “This shelter will welcome the more than 850 students who participate in our nature-based education programs each year, along with the 20,000+ visitors who explore Pine Street Woods annually.”
The Rotary Welcome Shelter also stands as a symbolic and literal gateway to the rapidly expanding Syringa Trail Network, a growing system of multi-use trails made possible through partnerships with the Sandpoint Nordic Club and Pend Oreille Pedalers. Last year alone, the Nordic Club introduced 750 school children to cross-country skiing at Pine Street Woods, while Pedalers continue to host youth mountain bike clinics on site.
“What began as a simple idea for a gathering place has become a central hub for community connection, outdoor education, and recreation,” said Cox. “We couldn't have predicted just how integral this shelter would become to the greater trail system and to the spirit of Pine Street Woods.”
Community members are encouraged to join the celebration, meet the project partners, and see firsthand the craftsmanship and purpose that now anchor the trailhead.
For more information about Pine Street Woods or Kaniksu Land Trust, visit kaniksu.org.