Kit Hubert / Special to the PVT The tree crew after a hard day's work. Advertisement

BEATTY -- Beatty Habitat Committee members and friends recently planted 25 mesquite trees between the Amargosa River and the fence on the south side of the state Department of Transportation yard near the Highway 95 bridge.

The trees, as they mature, are intended to beautify a section of the planned recreational trail and obscure the view of the heavy equipment in the NDOT yard.

They were donated by the Nature Conservancy, which purchased them with a grant from the High Desert Resource Conservation and Development Council. NDOT donated fertilizer for the project and will provide irrigation water.

Friends of the Amargosa Toad paid for the drip system and the rental of the trenching machine used for installation. Albert Verrilli dug the holes for the trees with his backhoe, and Mike Aragon provided his botanical expertise and advise and transported the trencher from the rental agency in Pahrump and back.

The Jan. 17 planting was part of the Habitat Committee's ongoing river clean-up and trails project.

The goal is to provide recreational opportunities for residents and tourists and to improve and maintain habitat for the Amargosa toad population.