“’You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’
That line from Joni Mitchell’s 1970 hit, Big Yellow Taxi, was in the air when a group of Missoulians gathered one evening in the winter of 1972, hoping to establish a system of parks and connecting trails along stream corridors in the Missoula Valley. Contrary to the line from the song, the Missoula residents who gathered that night knew full well the beauty and abundance of the natural world surrounding their valley and they were determined not to let it slip away.”
Five Valleys is thrilled to announce the publication of A Gracious Civic Enterprise, a non-fiction history about Five Valleys Land Trust and conservation in western Montana.
Co-authored by Greg Tollefson, who led the protection of Mount Jumbo as Five Valleys’ Executive Director in the mid 1990’s, and Lena Viall, current Conservation and Communications Manager, the book tells the story of western Montana’s settlement and how that growth spurred a grassroots effort to conserve and restore the landscape of the Five Great Valleys.
“When we were working on this book, I was reminded again and again how connected the Missoula and western Montana community is to the landscape, and how ready they have always been to take the necessary steps to protect it,” says Greg Tollefson. “The small group that formed the Five Valleys River Park Association were truly visionaries. But they were visionaries with their sleeves already rolled up, ready and willing to do the work that lay ahead.”
With a foreword by 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention Delegate, attorney, and former Five Valleys Board member, Mae Nan Ellingson, and published by Missoula’s own Mountain Press Publishing, the book celebrates its roots from cover to cover.
“The story of Five Valleys and how it has both supported, and been supported by, its community is truly inspiring,” says Lena Viall. “I’m excited to be able to share it in a way that future generations can learn from and enjoy.”
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Come celebrate the book's public premiere on Wednesday, April 9th at the Cooper Room of the Missoula Public Library, from 5:30-7:30pm. The event will include a reading by Greg Tollefson, reception, and Q&A. Books will be also available for sale. All are welcome!
Please help us plan by RSVP'ing to Lena at lena@fvlt.org.
Proceeds from the sale of the book will support Five Valleys' enduring work. Copies are $16 each, and will be sold at the premiere on April 9th, as well as at Five Valleys' office, through Mountain Press Publishing, and in Missoula area bookstores. Get yours today!
