The Yellowstone River Parks Association has worked to support access and use along the Yellowstone River for more than 30 years.
Volunteers play a big part in that effort—something 92-year-old Don Wirth has been doing for a long time.
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“I was just always available, I guess,” he said recently.
On this day, Wirth is cleaning up and putting out bags for dog walkers on Norm’s Island in south Billings along with another volunteer, Doug Dubos.
They come out every Tuesday, rain or shine.
Wirth has been volunteering for YRPA for more than three decades—since this 130-acre nature retreat along the Yellowstone River was in its early stages of development.
“This is all named after Norm Schoenthal. He’s the one who started the development of the trails,” Wirth said as he gives a quick tour of the island.
“There were no trails, nothing developed, no access. It didn’t have a bridge, so YRPA built it-- so that was the big thing,” he says.
Wirth has played a big part, cutting and clearing the trails over the years.
“We put a lot of trucks of gravel out here. It was all done by hand, initially, a shovel full at a time,” he says.
There are about two miles of well-manicured trails on the island.
Wirth served in the Army in the early 1950s as the Korean conflict came to an end, and later became a geologist.
“I was a geologist for the (Bureau of Land Management), a hard rock geologist. I worked with mining claims primarily back when I was kind of proud to say I worked with the BLM,” he says.
So, it’s not surprising that he loves being out here in working in a natural setting.
“I like the earth, I like trails, I like climbing mountains,” Wirth says.
A super senior, who is still going strong and still making a difference.
Click here to nominate someone for Q2’s Super Senior segment.
