Boise River Enhancement Network Inc
About Boise River Enhancement Network Inc
Boise River Enhancement Network is for people who care about the river they live, work, and play beside. It brings volunteers, stakeholders, schools, and community members into projects that restore riparian habitat, improve water quality, and keep river knowledge moving through the community. If you want your support to go toward hands-on Boise River stewardship, this is the kind of work that shows up in seedlings, cleanup bags, and field data.
BREN stands out as a volunteer backbone for Boise River stewardship, with a community-written enhancement plan guiding the work. That means public education, scientific monitoring, and habitat projects are all moving in the same direction, instead of living in separate lanes.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Education and outreach
Shares knowledge about the Boise River through presentations, field trips, enhancement trainings, project coordination, stewardship coordination, and online meetings.
Black Cottonwood Gather and Grow Project
Volunteers gather black cottonwood seed, germinate the seeds, care for seedlings, and plant saplings along the Boise River to help build a genetically diverse cottonwood forest.
Crayfish Mercury Project
Volunteers collect crayfish along the Boise River for mercury testing to study mercury contamination and its distribution in the river.
Boise River cleanups
Community cleanup events that remove trash from the Boise River banks and support river stewardship.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
Promote the ecological enhancement of the Boise River through collaborative efforts.
Who they serve
People who live, work, and play in the Boise River watershed, including volunteers, stakeholders, schools, and community members interested in river stewardship.
Their impact
- In 2021, BREN partnered with 6 organizations and 37 volunteers to collect and plant about 4,500 black cottonwood seeds, producing over 130 viable trees.
- During 2020 and 2021, volunteers contributed over 200 hours to the Notch habitat enhancement project.
- In 2019, volunteers planted 259 willow stakes at the Charlie Wood Park site.
- In 2023, BREN reported planting over 50 two-year-old trees at two locations along the Boise River.
How your donation helps
- Trash bags and disposable gloves for river cleanups
- Germination trays for growing black cottonwood
- Tools and native plants for revegetation projects
- Support for a part-time position
- Sponsor opportunities such as Idaho Gives Party and BREN Friends events
Our story
BREN started with a big Boise River gathering in 2011, when more than 100 stakeholders came together and agreed the community needed an ongoing network and a river enhancement plan. The organization was created in response, and it later developed a community-written Boise River Enhancement Plan to guide its work.
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
Together we do hero’s work.
From little seeds grow mighty trees.
Events
Black Cottonwood Gather & Grow
annual, each JuneEach June volunteers collect black cottonwood seeds, germinate them, and care for the seedlings before they are planted along the Boise River.
Boise River Cleanup
almost year-roundVolunteer cleanup events remove trash from the Boise River banks and support river stewardship.
Your Mother Doesn’t Work Here Boise River Cleanup
annualAn annual community cleanup event that brings friends, families, and co-workers together to clean the river.
Riverside Chats
recurringEducational talks and presentations on Boise River topics.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Boise River Enhancement Network Inc has shared.
Volunteer opportunities
- Join a committee
- Help with Boise River cleanups
- Gather black cottonwood seed in June
- Plant and care for cottonwood seedlings
- Monitor vegetation at habitat enhancement sites
- Help with outreach events and presentations
- Cage willows and cottonwoods to protect plantings from beavers
Recognition & press
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How does the Black Cottonwood Gather & Grow Project work?
Volunteers gather black cottonwood seed in June, germinate the seeds in trays, and care for the seedlings for two years before they are planted along the Boise River.
What does the Crayfish Mercury Project do?
Volunteers collect crayfish along the Boise River so they can be tested for mercury and used to study how mercury is distributed in the river.
How can someone join BREN?
Joining is free, simple, and open to the public. People sign up with an email address to get Boise River news and event updates.
What happens at Boise River cleanup events?
Volunteers remove trash from the Boise River banks. BREN provides trash bags and disposable gloves, then hauls away the collected trash after the event.
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