Volunteers Needed to Plant Bitterbrush

If you've ever wanted to "do something for wildlife," Fish and Game has a golden opportunity for you. "We are seeking volunteers to help us plant bitterbrush again this year," Fish and Game volunteer coordinator Mary Dudley noted. Five weekend planting dates are currently scheduled: March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. To sign up for this project or for information about this and other volunteer opportunities with Fish and Game, call 327-7099. Bitterbrush serves as a major winter food source for mule deer; in harsh years, the plant can mean the difference between life and death. Each spring, hundreds of people of all ages and from all walks of life put on their boots and gloves and plant thousands of bitterbrush seedlings. "This spring, volunteers will work to restore critical deer and elk winter range that burned during the past two summers," Dudley said. "This effort will build on the past five years of work during which time volunteers planted more than 200,000 bitterbrush seedlings." To learn more about this and other volunteer projects with Fish and Game, contact Dudley at 327-7099.