Hailey Nonprofits and Charities

Papoose Club supports many youth programs in our county. They are organized and creative with their fundraising. The members and leaders of the organization put a lot of effort and energy in donating their time. This group is very community minded and generous to programs like Robotics and Girls on the Run to name a few. Blaine County is lucky to have a group like this to support our youth!

Wood River Land Trust is an accredited land trust. Accreditation means Wood River Land Trust meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Wood River Land Trust has demonstrated to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission its commitment to excellence. Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. These land trusts demonstrate their commitment to excellence by adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, and meeting the accreditation requirements drawn from them. Learn More: http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about.

I have been a part of this organization for many years and they are truly a small (but growing) group of citizens committed to changing the world for the better!

WWP is unfortunately a rare group doing the work that mainstream organizations shy away from. Their style is open, honest, brave and just. If you hike, backpack, bird, hunt or fish western lands or care about the watersheds you should be thanking this unique and fine organization for their tireless work at bringing the renegade livestock industry to abide by laws and regulations on the books. The industry has always had their way by way of threats and intimidation. WWP doesn't buy the threats. They meticulously document the damage, go to court and win.

Each summer, my husband and I live on our wilderness property in a wild canyon not far from Hailey and Sun Valley, Idaho. A nearby sheep rancher and his men bring a large band of sheep to our mountain valley for summer grazing. We have been able to see up close how hard and amazing the life of the rancher is, and the effort and skill of his Peruvian herder, his dogs and horse. This is difficult, often thankless work, and we have seen the dedication of the men and their amazing herding dogs and fascinating guardian dogs. In fact, we have as a pet an Akbash dog from the rancher. The Trailing of the Sheep festival brings the spotlight to this life, to the great effort involved in raising livestock. The Festival has showcased the colorful costumes, music and dance of the ancient Latin American heritage from which these herders come. It brings to children and 'city folk' the beauty of the horse and dogs and the wildness of the sheep, as they race through the town of Ketchum. It brings Basque food and delicious lamb. It highlights the wonders of wool, often forgotten in these days of synthetics. The Festival, the genius of Diane Peavey, a sheep rancher's wife and a well-known author, has exploded into a multi-day, multi-faceted celebration of the glory and difficulty of living with nature. In its color and vibrance, it celebrates our multi-cultural America. It celebrates all that is wild and real.