Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—1

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

JUNIOR RANGER SERIES

Sammy’s Quest

To Save the West
2—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

The Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a federal government agency 

that takes care of nearly 245 million acres of public lands containing over 

half of the sagebrush community of plants and animals in the United 

States. These lands, primarily in the western states, belong to you and all 

Americans. The BLM also manages a number of smaller public land sites 

in the eastern United States.

These lands provide habitat for wildlife, food for livestock and timber. They provide many 

other natural resources, too, such as coal, oil, natural gas and minerals. The lands contain 

evidence of the past, such as dinosaur bones and plant fossils. Archaeological sites on 

public lands help us learn about people who lived here long ago. Today, people like you 

enjoy exploring the vast open spaces on public lands.

The Junior Ranger Program

The Junior Ranger 

Program introduces 

young adventurers to 

public lands and the 

resources they contain. 

After you complete the 

activities in this booklet, clip out the Junior Ranger Certificate 

on the last page, recite the Junior Ranger 

pledge and sign your name. Then, keep 

the pledge as you continue to explore your 

public lands. 

This publication is part of the BLM Junior 

Ranger series of the BLM Division of 

Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships.

Visit our website to learn more about the 

BLM Junior Ranger Program at

www.blm.gov/learn/youth-and-educators/

junior-ranger-program.

For answers to the activity pages or a copy 

of this Junior Ranger guide, visit our website at www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammysage-grouse.html. 

M. Meier
BLM Fire and Aviation

Idaho State Office

1387 South Vinnell Way

Boise, ID 83709

208-373-3963

Sammy’s Quest

To Save the West

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

JUNIOR RANGER SERIES
Coeur d’Alene

Lewiston

Cottonwood

Grangeville

Sandpoint

Riggins

New Meadows

McCall

Council

Weiser

Payette

Boise Caldwell

Emmett

Nampa

Marsing

Grand View

Mountain Home

Faireld

Ketchum

Stanley

Carey

Hailey

Shoshone

Riddle Rogerson

Challis

Ellis

Salmon

Leadore

Mackay

Howe

Arco

Atomic

City

Dubois

Mud

Lake

Blackfoot

Idaho

Falls

Island

Park

St. Anthony

Swan

Falls

Burley

Minidoka

Pocatello

Jerome

American

Falls

Three

Creek

Malad

City

Preston

Montpelier

Soda

Springs

Kooskia

Bliss

Twin Falls

Owyhee

100 miles

75

50

25

0 

The Quest in Idaho

The green areas on the map are Idaho’s sagebrush

community where all of the sage-grouse live, along 

with 350 other types of plants and animals. 

The sagebrush community burns most 

frequently in wildfires, not only in Idaho 

but in all western states.

Is your town near sagebrush? Have you 

seen sagebrush, wildflowers and wildlife in your backyard or at the edge of 

your town? Have you seen coyote, 

deer and elk in the sagebrush? 

Have you seen a wildfire? 

Join the Quest.

SCALE
Greater sage-grouse males have a white collar, black belly feathers and are less colorful during the summer, fall and winter. Tom Koerner, USFWS
Sammy, a Greater Sage-grouse male, is very colorful during the spring mating season. Tom Koerner, USFWS
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—7

Hello, Junior Ranger!

My name is Sammy. Sage-grouse like me and over 350 plants and animals call sagebrush 

lands home. We need sagebrush and the insects and other plants found around it to 

survive. We live nowhere else on Earth but western North America—including Idaho—

which gives us a chance to get to know each other. 

Our sagebrush home...

• serves as a nursery that protects young elk, golden eagles, mule deer, pronghorn 

antelope, pygmy rabbits and sagebrush lizards so they can grow into strong adults. 

• is home to tribal nations, who hunt, fish and gather plants and minerals. 

• provides beautiful open spaces where people find fun, recreation and renewal. 

• yields food for livestock and materials for roads, schools, homes and cars. 

• contains energy resources to fuel the country’s economy.

• is part of America’s western heritage.

Why care about our sagebrush home? 

• Wildfire burns more of it every year than any other kind of place in the United States. 

• It is only half the size it used to be, because of wildfires, invading plants and other factors. 

• Many partners are working together to restore healthy plants to benefit wildlife and people. 

I can’t wait to show you around and introduce you to all the interesting places that 

you’ll find here. We’ll do some fun activities

that explain how we sage-grouse meet 

various challenges to our survival and will 

help you find ways to protect the sagebrush lands and all of us who live here. 

Thanks for letting me share this unique 

world with you! 

Your friend, Sammy

Greater Sage-grouse:

• weigh about five pounds, about as 

much as a chicken

• have white speckles on brown and 

black feathers

• stay on the ground most of the time 

because of their large size 

• can fly at speeds of up to 50 miles per 

hour, to escape predators or wildfire

Volunteers watch a biologist from the Idaho Fish and Game demonstrate 

how to plant a sagebrush seedling in an area burned by wildfire.

Photo BLM
8—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

At Home in the Sagebrush Steppe

Many wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and 

cactuses grow where I live. There are also 

trees like mountain mahogany and juniper. 

This community of plants and the animals 

they support is called an ecosystem. The 

ecosystem shown below is called the 

sagebrush steppe. “Steppe” is a word for 

a large, flat grassland. In Idaho, sagebrush 

steppe is the area between rivers and 

forests. It is usually hot and dry in the 

summer and cold and windy in winter. 

We sage-grouse rely completely on sagebrush and other plants of the steppe for 

our health and survival. Sagebrush is our 

favorite food and just about the only thing 

we eat in the winter. In other seasons, we 

eat native grasses, leaves, flowers, buds 

and insects that also live on these plants. 

A. Hedrick, BLM
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—9

The sagebrush and taller grasses also shelter us from weather and predators. This is 

especially important for female sage-grouse 

(hens) and our young (chicks). Their gray 

coloring helps them blend 

in with the plants. 

Can you find my hen and chicks hidden in 

the sagebrush stand below? 
10—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Plants Growing in the 

Sagebrush Steppe

DRAW AN ARROW TO MATCH EACH PLANT 

NAME TO THE CORRECT PHOTO. 

 

Bluebunch Wheatgrass

grows in large grassy bunches and is 

named for its bluish-green coloring.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

has yellow flowers that look like sunflowers 

with large, pointed leaves.

Lupine

has purple flower clusters and grows 10-15 

leaves from a single center point.

Indian Paintbrush

has bright red leaves that grow taller on a 

stalk than the green leaves.

 

Did You Know? 

There are about 200 kinds of plants 

in the sagebrush steppe.

Matt Lavin, MSU
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—11

DRAW AN ARROW TO MATCH 

EACH PLANT NAME TO THE 

CORRECT PHOTO. 

 

Juniper

is a bushy-looking tree that has 

very small blue berries.

Wild Onion

has white to pink flowers and 

small underground bulbs.

Rabbitbrush

is a shrub that grows in a mound 

with small yellow flower clusters.

Mountain Mahogany

is a tree that grows on steep 

slopes and provides an umbrella 

for shade.

Western Yarrow

has white flower clusters and 

leaves that look like ferns. 

Matt Lavin, MSU
12—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

What’s for Supper?

Sagebrush—my favorite!

Of the 21 different types of sagebrush, the 

low-growing kind feeds me during the 

winter. I also eat my favorite wildflower, 

sulfur buckwheat, western yarrow, leaves, 

buds and some insects.

I cannot survive without sagebrush. This is 

true for other animals like pygmy rabbits. 

We are called sagebrush obligates.

Did You Know? 

There are 35 different types of insects that 

live in sagebrush, more than 55 types use 

rabbitbrush and 25 types that like sulfur 

buckwheat? How many types of 

insects is that in all?

A. Hedrick, BLM | Matt Lavin, MSU

Sulfur Buckwheat

Yum!
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—13

Watch My Steppe

We sage-grouse can fly, but we prefer to 

walk to get around. Moist biocrusts give us 

hiking paths and walkways. Biocrusts are 

like multi-colored carpets made of algae, 

moss, lichens, fungi, bacteria and minerals—the building blocks for soil. They hold 

moisture that can be scarce in sagebrush 

steppe. Without biocrusts, soil wears down 

or erodes, and native plants die for lack of 

water or a place to take root. That leaves 

us sage-grouse with nothing to eat and no 

walking paths. 

Biocrusts can also be crushed or trampled 

in areas heavily traveled by people or other 

animals. Then, weeds can fill in, grow very 

tall, take moisture out of the soil and make 

it hard for me to move around. Weeds also 

burn very easily in wildfires, making fires 

happen more often and allowing them to 

move faster over more area. 

So, watch your step in the steppe, and stay 

on trails when you’re on wheels. 

Jimmye Turner, USFS

BLM
14—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Sagebrush 

Protects Me

Ravens, coyotes, hawks, 

eagles and other predators

can’t see me because my 

colors blend in with the 

sagebrush. 

Sagebrush also shelters 

me in cold or stormy 

weather. 

A. Hedrick, BLM
Pronghorn antelope live in the sagebrush steppe. Tom Koerner, USFWS Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—15
16—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Pushy Grasses Invade the Steppe

After a wildfire, there is a good chance that plants like cheatgrass, medusahead and other noxious weeds will sprout. 

They can take the place of native plants that keep the sagebrush steppe healthy. These invaders grow quickly and steal 

water, sunlight and space from native plants. 

Soon, these invaders are the only thing growing, and the sagebrush steppe becomes a monoculture. No more bluebunch 

wheatgrass, lupine, wild onion, western yarrow, 

Indian paintbrush, rabbitbrush or sagebrush 

to feed and shelter me and other wildlife, 

or wild horses, cows or sheep, either! 

And once these invaders have taken 

over, the steppe burns over and over 

again, year after year, because these 

pushy plants burn and return more 

easily than native plants.

Did you Know? 

Mono = one, only, or single 

Culture = group or species

Cheatgrass

Medusahead

Medusahead forms a thick mat that chokes out natve plants.

Cheatgrass takes over afer a wildfre.
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—17

We like

to push out

all the other 

plants!

A. Hedrick, BLM

Bushy, Pushy Trees

Juniper trees are a beautiful, natural part of 

sagebrush lands. But their seeds spread, 

sprout and grow downhill onto the flat 

steppe. These new trees push out sagebrush and other native plants that we 

sage-grouse and other animals need to 

survive. 

Too many junipers soak up all the 

water in the ground, block out 

the sunlight for wildflowers and 

grasses, and give predator birds 

high perches from which to hunt 

me and other small animals and 

birds.

Junipers are also very 

volatile meaning they 

burn very hot and fast 

during a wildfire. 
18—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Animals in My Neighborhood

Unscramble the words to find birds, reptiles, insects and mammals.

Here are a few to look for:

sage sparrow mule deer coyote pronghorn 

pygmy rabbit harvester ant sage-grouse golden eagle

badger ground squirrel rattlesnake raven

ootcey = ___________________________________________________________________

nrohrongp = _______________________________________________________________

lsetnatkear = _______________________________________________________________

gesa reogsu = _____________________________________________________________

gympy abirtb = _____________________________________________________________

druong reiulrqs = ___________________________________________________________

deglno aeegl = _____________________________________________________________

lume reed = ________________________________________________________________

vsetrerah tan = _____________________________________________________________

drbgae = ___________________________________________________________________

gase rwopsar = ____________________________________________________________

vrena = ____________________________________________________________________
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—19

Walk Me Home

Now that you know which plants and animals are good for me, guide me along the safest 

path to my family at the center of the maze. Keep to routes with good sagebrush, wildflowers, insects and native grasses. Avoid predators and plants that I don’t like to eat. 

start 

here

 

 end

 peep!
20—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

True or False

You’ve learned a lot about plants and animals in the sagebrush steppe. 

Think about each statement below and write “t” next to the ones that are true and “f” next 

to the false statements. 

____________ Sage-grouse, like Sammy, prefer walking to flying.

____________ Steppe is a name for a large, flat grassland.

____________ Coyotes, ravens, hawks and eagles hunt sage-grouse.

____________ Only 5 animals live in the sagebrush steppe.

____________ Sagebrush provides protection and shelter for Sammy.

____________ Arrowleaf balsamroot has purple flowers that look like sunflowers.

____________ Sammy loves to eat cheatgrass and medusahead grass.

____________ Sammy loves to eat wildlfowers, insects and sagebrush.

____________ Pygmy rabbits and ground squirrels live in the sagebrush steppe.

____________ Algae, moss, lichen and fungi are part of the soils that nurture plants. 

____________ Algae, moss, lichen and fungi are some of the biocrusts.

____________ Biocrusts are moist carpets where Sammy walks between grasses and shrubs.

____________ Juniper trees are a natural part of Sammy’s home.

____________ Juniper trees can takeover other plants’ growing areas.

____________ More than 350 plants and animals live in the sagebrush steppe.

____________ Sage-grouse can fly.
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—21

Did you know? 

This Shoshone-Paiute 

dancer is moving like

a sage-grouse. 

The Shoshone, Paiute 

and Bannock people use 

over 100 kinds of plants 

from the sagebrush 

steppe for food, medicine, 

basket weaving, clothing, 

winnowing trays for pine 

nuts, and plantings after wildfire. 

Kit Julianto—Owyhee Combined School Art Teacher, Nevada

Grouse Dance 
22—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Smart Words

As you explore the sagebrush-steppe, get to know these words.

Match each word in the left column with its correct definition in the right column. 

Find clues in this book. 

Biocrusts

Community

Hen and Chick

Predator

Monoculture

Erosion 

Native

Sulfur Buckwheat

Steppe

plants and animals sharing the same place

algae, moss, lichen, fungi and bacteria

hunter

name of female and baby sage-grouse

wearing away 

one group or species

Sammy’s favorite wildflower to eat

large, flat grassland 

natural
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—23

You Can Help Us!

Keep our young safe and sound

We need...

• a roof of sagebrush overhead. 

• moist biocrust carpets to use for 

escaping coyotes that find our nest. 

• a nearby lunch line with wildflowers 

and insects. 

So please...

• stay on trails—don’t crush our carpets 

and sidewalks of biocrusts. 

• be very careful and safe with campfires 

and fireworks.

• keep wildflowers, sagebrush, grasses, 

and other plants from burning.

• learn how plants affect your life.

• look for opportunities to volunteer

planting sagebrush or other seedlings.

Thank you, Junior Ranger A young student writes about his experiments planting sagebrush 

seedlings in native and commercial soils in Owyhee, Nevada.

Drew Nash, Times-News Photo 

Gerrit Vyn, Cornell Lab
24—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Wildfire is the Biggest Threat to

the Sagebrush Steppe.

Wildfires are a huge threat to me, 

my friends and the sagebrush 

steppe plants. Sagebrush grows 

very slowly. It can take 75 years 

for a single sagebrush to grow 

into a large, mature bush that supports wildlife. 

Many wildfires in Idaho are caused by lightning. 

Many wildfires are caused by careless people.

NIFC
A. Hedrick, BLM Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—25

Be Very Careful With Fire and Fireworks

Carelessness causes many wildfires every year.

• Put out your campfire and fireworks completely, and 

use them only in places where they are permitted. •

• Keep your fire away from grass, brush and trees. •

• Use a fire pan and have water nearby. •

• Before you leave, drown your fire with water. •

• Stir the coals. Add more water, and stir again. •

• Feel the coals to be sure your fire is out cold. •

• Fireworks threaten the health of the sagebrush 

steppe, forests and the wildlife within. 

“I hope you’ll help 

prevent fires in the 

places where you 

and I live.”
26—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Washington

Montana

Idaho

North Dakota

Oregon

South Dakota

Wyoming

Nebraska

California

Utah

Nevada

Colorado

Kan

Arizona Ok

New Mexico

Texas

A. Hedrick, BLM

The red dots on this map 

show reported wildfires 

on public land in the 

past 10 years.

The green area shows

the sagebrush steppe

community of plants

and animals.

Each fire consumed 

from 299 acres up 

to 653,000 acres.

One megafire

burned from 

Nevada into Idaho. 

Its area was the

size of 500,000 

football fields of

sagebrush-steppe

plants!

What states have the 

most wildfires on 

public land?

Draw an outline around 

your state.

Draw a simple picture of 

your home or where you 

live on a piece of paper. 
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—27

Minnesota

Maine

Wisconsin

Michigan

New

Hampshire

Vermont

New York

Iowa

Massachusetts

Illinois

Pennsylvania

Connecticut

Ohio

Indiana

New

Jersey

West

Virginia

Missouri 

sas

Delaware

Maryland

Virginia

Kentucky

klahoma

Tennessee

North

Carolina

Arkansas South

Carolina

Alabama Georgia

Mississippi

Louisiana

Florida

Wildfire burns more in the sagebrush steppe

than any other area of the 

United States.
28—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

What Feeds a Fire?

Fires need heat, fuel, and oxygen. If any one 

of the three is eliminated, the fire will go 

out. Remember this fire triangle.

Lightning, fireworks, campfires, wood 

stoves, your furnace at home or a burning 

cigarette provide heat that can easily start 

a wildfire. 

Fuel 

ASK YOURSELF what is burning: juniper or 

mahogany trees, sagebrush, grasses, wildflowers or homes? 

Heat

ASK YOURSELF where the heat comes from:

 A person lighting fireworks? 

 An untended campfire?

 A lightning strike? 

Oxygen

ASK YOURSELF where the fire

gets the oxygen it needs

to burn?
Test the Triangle

Experiment 1

Supplies: 7-10 toothpicks, 7-10 gumdrops

Step 1: Form a square using the toothpicks 

for the sides and the gumdrops to hold 

them together.

Step 2: Push gently on the sides. 

Does the square shape hold?

Step 3: Form a triangle using more toothpicks and gumdrops.

Step 4: Push gently on the sides. 

Does the triangle shape hold?

Step 5: Write down what you observed.

Which shape is stronger? 

Firefighters 

remove oxygen 

from the fire

by covering

the flames

with dirt.

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

A. Hedrick, BLM
30—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

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Firefighter Word Search

Letters may spell each word forward, backward or diagonally. 

Try to find each hidden word.

pulaski shovel hose firefighter dozer fire engine

retardant helicopter air tanker dispatch

radio water smokejumper hand crew chainsaw 
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—31

Working Together to Fight Wildfires 

Wildland firefighters put out unwanted 

wildfires as quickly as possible to save 

the plants and animals in the 

sagebrush steppe. 

Firefighters remove heat, remove fuel (plants) 

or remove oxygen by smothering the fire. 

Firefighters have many tools. 

• To remove heat or oxygen from the 

wildfire, they spray water, foam, or 

retardant on the flames using engines, 

airplanes or helicopters.

• To remove fuel from the wildfire, they use 

shovels, pulaskis, chainsaws, dozers, and

mowers to remove vegetation or reduce 

vegetation height. This creates a line, 

known as a fire break, that stops large 

wildfires from spreading.

A. Hedrick, BLM

 HEAT

FUEL OXYGEN
32—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Is Your Home Firewise? 

We sage-grouse can’t protect our home from wildfires, but you can 

protect yours. If you live near public land or a National Forest, your 

family should make your home Firewise. It’s easy! 

Clear brush, branches and fallen leaves away from your house. Make sure your 

grass stays green and moist. Trim tree limbs lower than six feet above the ground, 

and cover openings like vents and space under porches with a screen. These steps 

can help stop a wildfire from spreading to your home.

ZONE 1

<30 feet from house

• low-growing, fire-resistant plants

• no tall trees or shrubs

• irrigate regularly, prune plants, 

mow or weed-eat grasses, and 

use gravel or stone mulch

• widely spaced plants

ZONE 2

30-60 feet from house

• low-growing fire-resistant plants & shrubs

• thin or remove trees, 

remove excess plant 

litter & weeds, and use 

gravel or stone mulch

• space trees & shrubs 

2x their height

ZONE 3

60-100 feet from house

• most existing plants 

are acceptable

• keep well pruned and 

remove weeds

• minimize overlapping 

branches between 

plants

Fire travels faster uphill. If your house is on a steep slope, widen your zones.
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—33

15-20 

years

after 

fire.

5 years

after 

fire.

2 years

after 

fire.

What happens

when wildfire

consumes

healthy 

land?

We have to 

make a 

plan!

If there is surviving 

vegetation at higher 

elevations, then no action is needed: native 

plants will return on 

 their own. 

BAD NEWS

Cheatgrass and 

medusahead will push 

out all of the native plants 

if nothing is done. Then more 

wildfire will burn the same places 

every summer and we lose our home. 

 SADLY

 This is happening

 all over the West and

 we need your help.

GOOD NEWS

When native seedlings grow, we keep 

 checking on their progress during

 the year. If they do not survive, 

 we will replant new seedlings.

 If no plants 

 survive the fire,

 we have to reseed 

 and plant new seedlings.

A healthy West

has a mix of

sagebrush,

native

grasses, 

wildflowers

and 

respectful

people.

“Healthy native 

plants mean 

healthy wildlife.”

Healthy 

native 

plants

have 

more 

moisture 

and are 

resistant to 

wildfires.

With time,

native plants 

will grow taller

and healthy.

Steps to a Healthy West for Everyone
34—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

High school students plant sagebrush, bitterbrush and other native plants after a wildfire, started by illegal fireworks, destoyed houses and over 2500 

acres of native plants near Boise. Sagebrush seedlings were provided by high school students from Owyhee, Nevada. Deer, elk, pronghorn, birds and 

other wildlife have lost food and shelter for several years to come. Tetona Dunlap, Times-News Photo 

Care For This Unique Place

I hope you continue to learn about, enjoy and protect the over 350 plants and animals in 

the sagebrush steppe. Visit a Firewise garden near you in Boise at the Idaho Botanical 

Garden, Pocatello at Zoo Idaho or Twin Falls at the Breckenridge Endowment Farm on the 

College of Southern Idaho campus.

Because we are losing our home to wildfire and non-native invaders, we hope you will do 

your best to be careful with fire, obey fireworks restrictions and travel only on trails or 

roads when you are in the sagebrush steppe. 

You can volunteer to help re-plant areas burned by wildfire. You can work 

as a botanist, wildlife or fish biologist, firefighter, writer or teacher when 

you finish school. You can also be a wildlife artist or photographer, or 

learn to dance like a sage-grouse.
Sammy’s Quest to Save the West—35

True or False Two

You’ve learned a lot about wildfire and the devastating effects of pushy, 

non-native plants in the sagebrush steppe. 

Read the statements below, do your best thinking about them, and write a “t” next to the 

ones that are true and an “f” next to those that are false.

____________ Lightning, fireworks, campfires, stoves and cigarettes are heat sources..

____________The sagebrush steppe is the most frequently burned part of the U.S.

____________It is OK to light fireworks in the sagebrush steppe.

____________Planting seedlings in burned areas helps to restore the land after a wildfire.

____________Wildland firefighters use different tools to remove heat from a wildfire.

____________Chainsaws can be used to remove vegetation that fuels an oncoming wildfire.

____________All wildfires are started by careless people.

____________You can protect yourself by removing flammable plants near your house. 

____________Fire needs four elements to burn.

____________Making your home Firewise makes firefighting easier.

____________Juniper trees do not burn very easily.

____________After a fire, native grasses and plants always come back quickly.

____________After a fire, it can take 75 years for a single sagebrush to grow back to full size.

____________It is good to use toothpicks after eating gumdrops.

____________It’s good to ride your motorcycle off the road on biocrusts and native plants.
36—www.idahofireinfo.com/p/sammy-sage-grouse

Compare and Contrast

Sometimes, wildfires can’t be prevented. Land managers work hard after a fire to keep the 

soil from eroding, washing or blowing away. The plants needed to rebuild the sagebrush 

steppe can’t regrow without the nutrients in the soil. Native seed and seedlings are planted 

so that one day, the sagebrush steppe can flourish again. 

What are some differences between the two photos on the opposite page? 

Write some of them down, then explain to a friend what you see. 

Which place looks healthier for you, me and 200 other types of animals?

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Growing sagebrush to reestablish native vegetation for wildlife. BLM

38—A Quest to Save the West

Field Trip!

Visit an area where you can observe the sagebrush steppe. 

Sketch a picture of the land, a plant or animal you saw.

Remember to be part of nature by:

• respecting native plants, animals and people as a living community

• keeping campfires and fireworks away from Sammy’s home

• leaving nature as you find it for the next person to enjoy

• not littering—take your trash home to throw away
Trading Cards: Steppe into the Sagebrush

Tear along perforated lines to assemble your collection of trading cards. Use, share and remember the sagebrush steppe. 

Odocoileus hem oi nus

Mu el Deer

Canis latrans

Coyote

Pogonomyrmex occ di ental si

Western Harvester Ant

Aquila chyrsaetos

Go dl en Eagle

Oregon Fish and WildlifeNPS

Joseph BergerFHA
water and dirt.

put out your campfire with water and dirt. You can also They cool them down with imagery to find hot spots of fire. Firefighters use thermal nighttime Fire Prevention Tip: day. than humans, but not during the Mule deer can see better at night Fun Fact: 

Jimmye Turner, USFS

trash and yard waste.compost unwanted food, burning outdoors. You can Composting is safer than Fire Prevention Tip:will do. lizards, insects, or even garbage If it cannot find mice or voles to eat, A coyote eats a wide range of food. Fun Fact: 

Jimmye Turner, USFS

Dry vegetation can easily ignite. from spreading. circle to keep your fire will burn in a 10-foot remove anything that When building a fire,Fire Prevention Tip: so they are easy to spot. They remove all vegetation from an area in a circular pattern, Ants make their homes by digging nests in the ground.Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFS

 Jimmleave the area.call 911 andtell an adult, If you see a wildfire, Fire Prevention Tip: distances accurately. depth and judge allows them to see binocular vision that Golden Eagles have Fun Fact: 

ye Turner, USFS
Pronghorn

Centrocercus urophas ai nus

Greater Sage-grouse

Falco mexicanus

Prair ei Falcon

Brachylagus di ahoensis

Pygmy Rabbit

Antilocapra americana FWS

FWS | BLM

NPS

FS

Trading Cards: Steppe into the Sagebrush

Tear along perforated lines to assemble your collection of trading cards. Use, share and remember the sagebrush steppe. 
 A. Hedrick, BLM

main food.sagebrush, their digests tough stomach that a specialized Sage-grouse have Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFSadults are mowing.for sparks on dry grass when Be a fire lookout - help watch your hand can easily lose control. A spark or fire smaller than Fire Prevention Tip: sagebrush.99% of its food from hand. In the winter, it gets It fits easily in the palm of your rabbit species in North America. The pygmy rabbit is the smallest Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFSby a wildfire.and safely if you are threatened per hour in grasslands. Leave early Wildfires can move up to 14 miles Fire Prevention Tip: hiding places for their fawns. They depend on sagebrush for food and Pronghorn can run up to 55 miles per hour. Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFSsafely. way so they can do their job Keep your drones out of their water or fire retardant. fly close to wildfires to drop Helicopter and airplane pilots Fire Prevention Tip: skillful flying. to the ground with fast, chasing small prey close Prairie falcons hunt by Fun Fact: 

wildfires.source and home, by preventing Protect sagebrush, their food Fire Prevention Tip: 
Prairie Dog

Crotalus vir di is

Western Rattlesnake

Lepus townsendii

White-tai el d Jack Rabbit

Taxidea taxus

American Badger

Cynomis leucurus Oregon Fish and Wildlife

Oregon Fish and Wildlife

FWS

BLM

Trading Cards: Steppe into the Sagebrush

Tear along perforated lines to assemble your collection of trading cards. Use, share and remember the sagebrush steppe. 
 Jimm

wildfire.not cause a sleep, so it does before you go to sure it is completely out cool evenings, but make Enjoy your campfire on Fire Prevention Tip: until night when it is cooler to hunt.In hot weather, rattlesnakes hide during the day and wait Fun Fact: 

ye Turner, USFS

Dig, stir, and drown your campfire to make sure it is dead out. 

Fire Prevention Tip:make a break for it. This sometimes attracts coyotes, which wait nearby for prey to Badgers use their long, sharp front claws to dig for rodent prey. Fun Fact:  Jimmye Turner, USFS

 Jimmye Turner, USFS

news or posted in campgrounds.and follow all fire warnings in the high fire danger. Please read hot, dry and windy days signal Listen to nature’s warning—

Fire Prevention Tip:of danger with a warning bark. burrows, so they can alert others posts near the exits of their Prairie dogs have listening Fun Fact: 

campfire is always completely out before you leave.Protect their home by making sure your but finding a new home is not so easy. Jack rabbits can change their color, Fire Prevention Tip: white fur in the winter. with brown fur in the summer and The jack rabbit can camoflauge Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFS
Balsamorhiza sagittata

Arrow el af Balsamroot

Festuca idahoensis

dI aho Fescue

Cyanobacteria

B oi crusts

Castilleja chromosa

nI d ai n Paintbrush

BLMMatt Lavin

BLMBLM

Trading Cards: Steppe into the Sagebrush

Tear along perforated lines to assemble your collection of trading cards. Use, share and remember the sagebrush steppe. 
 Jimmye Turner, USFS

a wildfire.Dragging chains may spark your tow safety chain.your trailer, shorten When you hook up Fire Prevention Tip: after burning in a wildfire.but require 2-3 years to fully recover We are fairly tolerant of fire in autumn Fun Fact: 

yellow, white and and they come in many colors like red, pink,The colorful top of the paintbrush is actually leavesFun Fact: 

fuchsia.

 Jimmye Turner, USFSat all times. Watch where flames are and caution are necessary. is used to start a fire, safety Whenever an open flame Fire Prevention Tip: 

 Jimmstrikes a rock.serviced or the tip of the bar spark arrestor is not properly wildfire if your chainsaw Sparks may fly and ignite a Fire Prevention Tip: in the ashes.ready to use the nutrients I sprout very soon after a fire, Fun Fact: 

ye Turner, USFS

out for me, too.is very harmful. Please watch down for a very long time and Your footrpint can smash me Fun Fact: 

safety while enjoying the outremember wildfire and hunter During hunting season, Fire Prevention Tip: 

-

Jimmye Turner, USFSdoors.
Juniperus

Jun pi er

Artemesia tr di entata

Sagebrush

Cercocarpus montanus

Mounta ni Mahogany

Crepis acum ni ate nutt

Tapert pi Hawksbeard

Matt LavinMatt Lavin

Matt LavinBLM

Trading Cards: Steppe into the Sagebrush

Tear along perforated lines to assemble your collection of trading cards. Use, share and remember the sagebrush steppe. 
 Jimmye Turner, USFS

underneath your vehicle.Make sure no metal parts are dragging bearings, brakes and muffler. Before your road trip, check your wheel 

Fire Prevention Tip:heading to town.as a deodorant beforeCowboys used sagebrush Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFS

are in place for your area. fire rules and restrictions on public land, know what When you go out to play Know before you go.

Fire Prevention Tip:Native Americans ate raw stems.Fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFSwildfire safety.roads. Think about Use established trails or at the first sign of wildfire.When hiking, leave the areaFire Prevention Tip: in the front photo.into the flatter sagebrush area of juniper. Notice how they spreadIdaho has at least three species Fun Fact: 

weather conditions.Before building a camp fire, verify local fire restrictions and 

Fire Prevention Tip: long time.live for a very bonsai tree and I resemble a Fun Fact: 

Jimmye Turner, USFS
Achillea millefolium L. var. occ di ental si

Western Yarrow

Allium nevadense

Wi dl Onion

Bromus tectorum

Cheatgrass

Taeniatherum caput m- edusae

Medusahead

BLMBLM

Matt LavinMatt Lavin

Trading Cards: Steppe into the Sagebrush

Tear along perforated lines to assemble your collection of trading cards. Use, share and remember the sagebrush steppe. 
 Jimmye Turner, USFS

safe with and around it.and outdoors, be responsible andcooking or just enjoyment indoors Each time you use fire for warmth, Fire Prevention Tip: spaghetti sauce.your kitchen like when you’re cooking My entire plant smells like the onions in Fun Fact: 

of animals who eat it. Seeds can cause injury to eyes, noses, and mouths eat it because it has a high level of silica (glass). Medusahead has little value for wildlife. Most wildlife will not Not-so-fun Fact: 

Medusahead typically takes 

 A1,200 degrees; it can easily ignite dry grass or debris.A sparkler tip burns at a temperature of more than at the edge of your town! Please do not ignite fireworks on public land orFireworks burn very fast and have destroyed homes. Fire Prevention Tip: destroyed by fire or eaten up.over sites where the native plants have been 

. Hedrick, BLM

communities. We are found in many native plant Fun Fact: 

We are a food source for 

 Jimmye Turner, USFS

forests.do not ignite fireworks on public land or Wildlife depends on these plants, so please destroy valuable plants every year. Accidental fires caused by fireworks Fire Prevention Tip: heavily on our foliage as food.Sage-grouse and other upland birds rely bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope and deer. 

grass or debris.it can easily ignite dry than 1,200 degrees; a temperature of more A sparkler tip burns at or at the edge of your town! ignite fireworks on public land have destroyed homes. Please do not Fireworks burn cheatgrass very fast and Fire Prevention Tip: We are sometimes eaten by grazing animals when we are green.We are an invasive, noxious weed not eaten by sage-grouse.Not-so-fun Fact: 

 Jimmye Turner, USFS
As a BLM Junior Ranger, I promise to

• Do all I can to help protect and preserve natural and cultural resources on public lands.

• Be aware of how my actions can affect living things and evidence of our past.

• Keep learning about the importance of nature and our heritage. 

• Share what I have learned with others.

Congratulations!

you sign here

date here

Pledge

Join the Quest
Join the Quest!

—Be a friend to wildlife in the west.

—Volunteer to help gather and plant.

—Healthy native plants = healthy wildlife.