It's no secret that Boise residents love their Foothills. On any given day, you can find many Treasure Valley residents jogging, hiking, biking and walking their dogs there.

The Foothills are also home to the state's largest wintering mule deer herd, as well as elk and a resident herd of pronghorn antelope. Raptors and songbirds rest along the foothills peaks before continuing on a long southward migration that could take them as far away as South America. Rare plants, some found nowhere else on Earth, can be found blooming in the spring.

The Nature Conservancy's conservation work has resulted in lasting conservation protection in the Foothills. Those projects include:

• Purchase of a foothills property slated for development, located across from the Hilltop Diner on Highway 21. This property was later transferred to BLM, and remains as winter range for deer and elk.
  
  
• Facilitating land exchanges in the foothills between Idaho Department of Lands and the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. As Department of Lands properties must be managed for their highest use, these lands were at risk of being developed. The land trades ensure the continued protection of the lands and allow continued recreation access on some of the most popular hiking and biking trails in the Treasure Valley.
  
  
• Funding for the Foothills Learning Center, located in the Hulls Gulch Reserve off the 8th Street Extension. The Conservancy paid for the interpretive signs, native plant landscaping and educational materials. The Conservancy believes that one of the best ways to protect the foothills is by educating students and residents about the foothills, and how everyone can stop the spread of invasive weeds and prevent too-frequent fires. The center provides a great resource for the community to learn more about this special place.

Nature picture credits: Photo (Foothills Learning Center) © William H. Mullins.