alpenscapes
About
big sky, montana
What is Alpenscapes?
Alpenscapes is a community partnership dedicated to helping the Big Sky community create and maintain fire-safe, water-wise, and ecosystem-friendly landscapes.
Who We Are
Formed in 2023, Alpenscapes brings together the expertise of Big Sky Fire Department, Big Sky SNO (Sustainability Network Organization), Gallatin River Task Force, and Grow Wild - four organizations that share a similar vision for Big Sky's future.
What We Do
Together, we serve as the community's go-to resource for designing beautiful, alpine-appropriate landscapes. Alpenscapes provides property owners, managers, landscape professionals, and homeowner associations with the knowledge and support needed to make informed landscaping decisions that protect Big Sky’s mountain environment.
Why Big Sky Requires a Unique Approach
Located within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Big Sky sits in one of the largest nearly intact ecosystems on Earth. The choices we make in our yards and shared spaces, from plant selection to irrigation and wildfire preparedness, play a role in protecting the health of this landscape and long-term community resilience. Through education, resources, and collaboration, Alpenscapes empowers the community to create landscapes that work with nature, not against it.
Our Vision
Alpenscapes envisions a Big Sky where landscapes reflect the beauty of our alpine environment while remaining fire-safe, water-wise, and ecologically resilient. These landscapes sustain a healthy environment for generations to come.
Alpenscapes
Partners
The Big Sky Fire Department (BSFD) is devoted to protecting the lives and property of our community, our visitors, and our neighbors. BSFD performs building and development plan review/inspection, fire prevention and safety education, and provides defensible space education for properties in our wildland urban interface environment.
Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (SNO) preserves and protects Big Sky by advancing sustainability initiatives through programs and partnerships that inspire action, build resilience, and support the goals of the Big Sky Community Climate Action Plan.
The Gallatin River Task Force (GRTF) partners with our greater community to lead conservation and inspire stewardship of the Gallatin River Watershed. GRTF launched the Big Sky Water Conservation Program in 2016 and has since helped residents and businesses collectively save over 11.9 million gallons of water.
Grow Wild works to conserve native species in the Upper Gallatin Watershed through education, habitat restoration, and collaborative land stewardship. Since 2014, Grow Wild has assisted over 1,000 landowners by providing the tools and resources to manage noxious weeds and conserve native plants to restore ecological health.
Alpenscapes is not a nonprofit organization of its own, but a collaborative partnership project led by four organizations (Grow Wild, Big Sky Fire Department, Big Sky SNO, and the Gallatin River Task Force). Alpenscapes is funded through contributions from each partner organization and grants from the Big Sky Resort Area District, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, and Moonlight Community Foundation. We are grateful for the continued community-wide support that makes this collaborative work possible.
Community surveys show that the majority of Big Sky residents:
- Are interested in focusing on wildfire mitigation and risk reduction
- Highlight stream water quantity as a top concern
- Prioritize fish and aquatic life in water conservation
- Recognize the threat of invasive species to the Gallatin River
- Strongly support noxious weed management for natural resource protection
let's connect.
Get Involved
Ready to create a beautiful landscape that supports our breathtaking community? Connect with us today.
ready to dig in?
The alpenscapes Guidebook
Information and inspiration on everything from how to get started to how to maintain a thriving fire-safe, water-wise, and ecosystem-friendly Big Sky landscape.
we're here to help!
Free Site Visits
Interested in a free site visit from one of our partners to answer your questions?