WINNEMUCCA - Dedicated Winnemucca community members volunteered their time out on the Santa Rosa Ranger District in Paradise Valley on April 21 and had tremendous stewardship success. Six hardworking volunteers came together just in time for Earth Day to help revive land seriously damaged by a wildfire that took place in 2011 out on Tom Basin.
The project was designed to ensure the restoration of habitat for mule deer, sage grouse and native plants in this fire-damaged area. Although numbers were much smaller on this day event than the Tom Basin's opening weekend where 18 volunteers participated, the same amount of work was completed! The six incredible volunteers accomplished the planting of 700 bitterbrush plugs, and over 150 Great Basin and Wyoming Big Sage.
The project of tackling Tom Basin will keep volunteers from Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Lovelock and surrounding communities busy for one final weekend as efforts continue to aid the damaged land. The project is scheduled to continue today through Sunday, with stewardship being done on Saturday. There will be vegetation to plant, and there will be a focus on cutting and replanting native willows to rehabilitate the area. Although there have been two very successful weekends dedicated to this important project, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and its partnering organizations are looking forward to continuing the efforts.
There is a great deal of work still to be done on this damaged land, so if you would like to come together in this effort with your family, friends, organization or group, please contact them to contribute to tackling Tom Basin. The classification of this project is "Family Friendly" which means it's one of many projects open to anyone and everyone, despite age or skill levels.
Wes Hoskins, a staff member for Friends of Nevada Wilderness states this about the projects to be done in the Santa Rosa Wilderness this season, "Paradise Valley in northern Nevada is one of the most verdant, beautiful places I have seen in this state. It has something for everyone - from birdwatchers to hunters to hikers seeking the solitude of the Santa Rosa Range. I'm looking forward to the series of projects we have scheduled in the Valley this year and I can't wait to get people out there who have never had the opportunity to experience this awesome place."
For project details visit www.nevadawilderness.org or contact Brenna Archibald at brenna.archibald@nevadaoutdoorschool.org to join the volunteer efforts and aid this land in recovery for future generations.
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