Where the Wild Places Are: Muddy Mountains Wilderness Trio

Just an hour north of Las Vegas lays the Muddy Mountain Wilderness, an area of outrageous geology and colorful Mojave Desert habitat (picture by Kurt Kuznicki)

About 300 million years ago, this area was sediment at the bottom of the sea; today, the area boasts limestone peaks that jut over 5,000 feet into the sky (picture by Kurt Kuznicki)

Fossilized sand dunes have eroded into intricately carved peaks and valleys painted in shades of red, orange, and yellow (picture by Kurt Kuznicki)

Start the Year Off Green by Repurposing Your Old Calendar!

Make cards and envelopes, turning each picture-of-the-month into an envelope and then matting the index images and affixing them to the front of blank greeting cards.

What You Need:

An out-of-date calendar

Colorful paper cut into 3x4 rectangles

Card stock (8.5x11 can be cut into half sheets)

Paper cutter or scissors

Double-sided tape or rubber cement

Optional: Envelope, carefully taken apart, to use as template

Cards

1. Using a papercutter or scissors, cut out each of the index images, leaving a white border around each.

2. With rubber cement, or double-sided tape, fix one of the index images onto a complimentary color square. Then affix the colored square to the greeting card.

Envelopes

1. Trim off the white edges of the picture-of-the-month.

2. Using the calendar grid on the back as a guide, cut a one-by-four rectangle out of each side. You can also take apart a greeting card envelope from the store - approximately 6x5 - and use that as a template.

3. Fold over flaps. DO NOT GLUE OR TAPE.

4. If desired, cut a notch, triangle, or other design under envelope flap.

5. Fold over and seal sides.

This Is Nevada...

Sunrise over Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness (photo by Brian Beffort)