RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH, Idaho — As the sun rose on the Rinker Rock Creek Ranch Thursday, over a dozen volunteers showed up to get a little dirty — all in an effort to restore wintering range for wildlife across Southern Idaho.
WATCH: Idaho Fish and Game and volunteers are planting sage and bitterbrush across Southern Idaho to restore wildlife habitat burned in the 2024 Glendale Fire.
The goal was to restore the sage and bitterbrush habitat throughout the burn scars from the 2024 Glendale Fire.
"It burned a lot of the sagebrush and bitterbrush on the hillside behind us — and what we're doing is planting about 2,500 sagebrush and bitterbrush plants — give that ecosystem a restart," John Guthrie said.
Guthrie is the regional Fish and Game habitat manager. He says the two plants are crucial for a healthy Idaho and its wildlife.
"Sagebrush and bitterbrush are just an incredibly important species to the wildlife in the Magic Valley. Mule deer can eat almost 100% sagebrush and bitterbrush — the Greater Sage Grouse, which lives in these areas and raise their babies in these areas — for most of the year they're eating only sagebrush," Guthrie said.
Over the last three weeks, Guthrie says they have planted nearly 100,000 plugs across the region — an accomplishment that would not be possible without volunteers like Hailey neighbor Jay Dorr.
"I helped them last year a couple times and I'm retired forest service — so, my whole career was taking care of the public lands," Dorr said.
Loaded up with a bag full of plants, Dorr took me through the simple planting process.
"The idea is to have it deep enough for the plant to go in without cramming it into the hole and bending the roots — the idea is to not have any airspace around the plant ... so it's good and tight around it and then move off and do another one a little ways away," Dorr said.
For other volunteers like Susan Heaphy, the work is personal.
"It's my backyard and I've got to protect my backyard and public lands in Idaho," Heaphy said.
Fish and Game says if you want to learn more about volunteer habitat restoration projects in your area, contact your local Fish and Game office.
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