Brothers Fence Trip #5

Spend a day building fences to support sage-grouse research!

listen

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

fact

Young Desert Horned Lizard

Young Desert Horned Lizard

In the summer these lizards begin foraging for food as soon as their body temperature rises as the heat of the day increases. They feed on slow-moving, ground-dwelling insects. In the fall they hibernate by burying themselves in the sand.

Latin name: Phrysonoma platyrhinos

voices

Sarah Graham, Sage Sustainers Member

Sarah Graham, Sage Sustainers Member

“I contribute to ONDA monthly because it adds up to a larger annual gift than what I’d be able to comfortably afford if I were to do a simple one-time donation annually. I’m able to give more to ONDA this way and have greater impact which is important to me, and my dog Polly.”

Organizer: Beth Macinko

Date and Time: January 26, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Place: Brothers, OR

Difficulty Rating: Level 3: Challenging

Maximum Group Size: 15

About the place

The fences will be built in Brothers, OR, within the Brothers – North Wagontire Sage-grouse Priority Area for Conservation (Brothers PAC). PACs were designated statewide to conserve 90% of the sage-grouse breeding population, meaning they are the core habitat areas. Like overall sage-grouse populations, the Brothers PAC population is in decline and this project will assist research into sage-grouse population recovery.

About a 45-minute drive from Bend, this day trip is a great way to spend a day out in the desert, enjoying the winter scenery and maybe even spot some sage-grouse.

About the stewardship work

This project is a partnership with the Institute for Applied Ecology and East Cascades Audubon Society; these groups are undertaking a study of understory forb (wildflower) cover, a key part of sage-grouse diets especially during early rearing. ONDA volunteers will build wildlife-friendly exclosure fences to keep grazing cattle out of the study plots. The tasks will vary slightly each trip but include: staging materials at each site, digging corner post holes and building H-brace corners, running and tensioning wire, pounding in t-posts, and clipping wire to posts.

Trip timeline

  • Wednesday, January 26 (10 a.m.): Meet at the project site in Brothers which is about a forty-five-minute drive from Bend.
  • Wednesday, January 26 (4 p.m.): We’ll work until 4 with the hope of getting people back to Bend by 5 p.m.

Camp

This is a day trip.

Difficulty

Level 3 – Challenging
The physical demands of this trip are moderate to challenging. Work involves carrying fence materials up to a quarter-mile, digging post holes, pounding t-posts, tensioning wire and clipping wires to posts. The work area is generally flat, but lumpy sagebrush terrain. Everyone will be able to work at their own pace and we will rotate jobs to pace ourselves. Cold and breezy weather is possible, but heavy rain or snow would postpone the event.

Participant responsibilities

Participants are responsible for their own food and water/beverages. Sturdy hiking boots and durable clothing are recommended, close-toed shoes and long sleeves are required (no sandals). Eye protection and work gloves will be required as well.

Gear provided

ONDA will provide all the tools necessary for the work as well as extra gloves and extra eye protection if needed. Coffee will also be provided to keep the chill off.

Registration

An ONDA registration application and medical form are required for this trip.

Apply Now

You only need to fill this form out once per year and can register for multiple trips. You will receive a confirmation e-mail within two weeks of submitting your form. The confirmation e-mail will provide information regarding which trips you are on the “participant list” for, and which trips are full, and therefore you have been placed on the “wait list.”

Six weeks before the start of the trip, the trip leader will send out an RSVP to make sure everyone is still able to participate. Based on RSVPs, open spaces will be backfilled with people from the waitlist.

Three weeks before the trip start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive driving instructions, maps, car-pooling options, and additional information in an email sent by the trip leader

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact the trip leader.