More than 100 volunteers are working to restore part of the landscape at the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge after it was torched two decades ago by wildfires. Volunteers from the Friends of the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge along with biology students from Boise State and NNU are planting over 3,000 native plants.
Crews focused their work Saturday on a 3-acre stretch near the visitors center. Invasive species like cheatgrass had taken over the landscape. Organizers hope the sagebrush and bunchgrass they plant will turn back the clock.
"It kind of had a monoculture now we are trying to restore some of the native shrubs here so people can kind of see maybe see close to what it looked like in a native situation," said Bob Christensen, President of the Freinds of Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge.
Crews will be paying close attention to seedlings to make sure they get enough water. They plan to start restoring other areas in the coming years.
