PROGRESS: Kaniksu Land Trust: A year on the land, together

This year wasn’t about any single project. It was about momentum. The kind that looks like boots on trails, kids in outdoor classrooms, conserved acres stretching out under big skies, and neighbors showing up for each other in ways that make this region feel like home.

Land and conservation

We closed two conservation agreements totaling nearly 600 acres across North Idaho and northwestern Montana in 2025. These working lands, wildlife corridors, and wide-open views are now protected from subdivision and development, ensuring that the character of this place stays intact for generations to come.

And sometimes conservation makes headlines in unexpected ways: the giant quaking aspen at Kids Camp in Pine Street Woods was officially recognized as the largest in Idaho, standing 97 feet tall and 11 feet around. A quiet witness to Pine Street Woods, now with a well-earned spotlight.

Community and housing

All six homes in the Village at Riverview Ridge Community Land Trust are now occupied by local working families. That means six households putting down roots in a place where housing stability is increasingly rare, and where community still feels like something you can count on.

Pine Street Woods and public access

Pine Street Woods welcomed a new front door this year with the completion of the Rotary Welcome Shelter, a beautifully crafted timber frame structure built with support from the Sandpoint Rotary Club. It’s more than a shelter. It’s a gathering place, a landmark, and a warm invitation to step onto the trail. 

Out on those trails, navigation just got easier. The updated Summer and Winter Syringa Trail Maps, redesigned by local cartographer Lee France, now include QR codes linking to Avenza Maps so users can find their way with confidence. 

Sled Hill improvements

Following community input and approval from Dover City Council, work began on key elements of the Sled Hill Master Plan. Improvements include expanded parking capacity, a new vault toilet, upgrades to the access road, and a new perimeter trail around the pond, making the space more accessible, durable, and enjoyable for everyone who uses it. 

Growing something new: Aster Garden Center 

This spring, we planted a different kind of seed with the opening of Aster Garden Center, a mission-aligned nursery designed to support conservation, connection, and community. With Cara Johnson at the helm as Nursery Manager, the grand opening in April was a joyful kickoff to what’s already becoming a vibrant community hub. 

Education and ReWilding

At Kootenai Elementary, the ReWild project is nearing completion, with outdoor classrooms, trails, and nature-based learning spaces already in use by students, teachers, and the broader community.  

At Washington Elementary, a permanent timber frame outdoor classroom is on deck for installation later this year, thanks to generous support from Equinox Foundation, Innovia Foundation, Stimson-Miller, and a whole lot of community backing. It’s one more step toward making outdoor learning a lasting part of everyday education. 

People power: interns and team growth

This year, we mentored three interns through our Conservation, Connection, and Community program, investing in the next generation of land stewards. One of those interns, Gabriella Meglasson-Barbieri, stepped into an official role as our ReWild coordinator.  

Another familiar face, former intern Emerson Kanning, joined the team as Water Projects Coordinator, leading efforts to publish an Action Plan for our  Sand Creek Connections project and create a map of Lake Pend Oreille water access points. It’s the kind of full-circle story we love to see. 

Tools that make the work possible 

Thanks to a generous donation from Idagon Homes, KLT now has a 2013 GMC in the fleet (well, it is the fleet). It is already proving its worth hauling gear, reaching project sites, and helping staff and volunteers show up where the work is. 

In Montana news

In Montana, collaboration continues to thrive. Alongside Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, MSU Extension, and Montana Farmers Union, we co-hosted a 30-mile ride connecting eight agricultural properties. Participants didn’t just pedal; they learned the stories of the land, the people who care for it, and the food it produces.

How does our small crew accomplish so much? In a word, you. This work is built through shared effort between donors, volunteers, landowners, teachers, kids, local businesses, and community members who show up again and again. 

The work of Kaniksu Land Trust isn’t just about protecting land. It’s about shaping a future where people and place stay connected. This is where trails lead somewhere meaningful, where kids learn outside, where working families can afford to live, and where the landscape still feels like the one you fell in love with. 

We’ve covered a lot of ground this year. And if the past twelve months are any indication, we’re just getting warmed up.

Now, back to the trail. 

    Young mountain bikers make their way along a trail near one of the Pine Street Woods' meadows. Located near Sandpoint, the 180-acre community forest has become a popular spot for local residents and visitors alike regardless of the season.

Marcy Timblin is the director of communications for Kaniksu Land Trust.