By Weekly Sun Staff
A team of eighth and ninth graders at The Sage School in Hailey recently teamed up with the Wood River Land Trust (WRLT) to help remove old barbed-wire fencing found throughout the region that endangers wildlife and dogs.
After seeing so much old fencing in the Valley, the group reached out to the Land Trust to see if there were any places they could help remove these dangers. The WRLT suggested the group tackle the newly opened Quigley Canyon easement, which is littered with barbed wire that challenges and even harms wildlife like deer and elk and the occasional dog out for a walk with its owner.
Earlier this fall, The Sage School Fence Removal Team began to tackle this major project.
Once a week, the students have been going out in the sun or snow to remove hundreds of yards of barbed wire. The students have found the labor-intensive work to be not only impactful, but rewarding.
“It is strangely satisfying, and you know what you’re doing is for a good cause,” said ninth-grader Maddox Nickum.
“It’s really fun,” said ninth-grader Lila Fenn. “You feel kind of powerful and you sure know you’re making a difference for migrating animals crossing the Valley floor.”
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I loved the teamwork and seeing that we’re making definite progress,” said ninth-grader Nora Blamires.
The work has included using lopers to clear sagebrush from buried wire, wire cutters to remove the long strands between fenceposts, and nippers to untwist the loops that wrap the wires to the vertical posts.
“It’s terrific what the students are doing,” said Jim Keating of the Blaine County Recreation District, one of the partners involved in the Quigley Canyon easement. “It’s inspiring.”
While the work on the ground will slow down during the winter months, the team will use this time to plan for more community involvement once the snow starts melting.
They are planning weekly Business Volunteer Days and will also hold a Community Barbed Wire Removal Day late next spring, as well. They have been recycling much of the old barbed-wire fencing into wreaths that will be given to those who help support this important mission.
“We’re really excited about this project and its possibilities,” said Cameron Packer, stewardship coordinator for the WRLT. “We’re very impressed with this team of students for making this happen. They’re making a big and positive impact.”
To find out more about the project, contact the Wood River Land Trust at (208) 788-3947 or Nancy Linscott at The Sage School at (208) 788-0120.