Et cetera : Oak 4 NCCC members work with wildlife in Spearfish, S.D.

Oak 4 has been working at the Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Spearfish, S.D. The weekend of their arrival, a wildfire ravaged over 18,000 acres of the western portion of the state of South Dakota while firefighters across the state fought tirelessly to control the blaze. Fires covered as much as 9,000 acres total, despite some overnight rain storms. Oak 4 is working with the San Bernadino County Firefighters’ squad and the U.S. Forestry Service to provide fuel modification to prevent such a blaze from reaching the Sanctuary. The team’s chain sawyers are targeting dead trees as well as trees that have split in two. They are attempting to leave a 50-foot radius between remaining trees in the areas adjacent to the sanctuary, as well as removing any brush that threaten to ignite in such a blaze. Oak 4 has also been busy guiding 500 visitors on educational tours of the sanctuary, which is crucial for public outreach, on the issues the sanctuary seeks to readdress. The team have learned the backstories of many of the creatures here. Stinky the Lion is infamous for ‘spraying’ visitors with his scent and has shared a cage with Butter the Beagle since he was a five-month old lion cub.