Keeping Nevada Wild: Alternative Spring Break

Showing posts with label Alternative Spring Break. Show all posts

Friday, March 29, 2013

Friends in the News: Thank You to Alternative Spring Breakers!

Kurt Kuznicki, Southern Nevada Program Director, wrote to the Reno Gazette-Journal about the hard work and long hours volunteers put in over Alternative Spring Break in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge! Check out the Letter to the Editor here: http://www.rgj.com/article/20130330/OPED02/303300025/Student-volunteers-helped-protect-public-lands?nclick_check=1

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 14 University of Nevada, Reno, students and other volunteers for making a difference to Nevada’s public lands and wildlife habitat during their Alternative Spring Break volunteer project last week.

These intrepid volunteers put aside thoughts of beaches and margaritas, hopped in the van and drove over 400 miles to make a difference for our public lands by working with Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Great Basin Institute and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to remove obsolete fences and protect critical wildlife habitat in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge near Las Vegas.

These volunteers worked hard, laughed a lot and watched as spring burst forth from the trees around us in camp. Along the way, they explored giant sand dunes and contemplated prehistoric rock art.

Thank you all for donating your time to make Nevada a better place.

Kurt Kuznicki
Southern Nevada Director
Friends of Nevada Wilderness

Monday, March 25, 2013

Alternative Spring Break: Smile for the Camera!

All photos by Jose Witt

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Alternative Spring Break: The Final Day of Stewardship

After our morning stretch and safety circle, we hit the road for our final day of projects. We split into two teams, one team worked on pulling out old t-posts, while the second team worked to naturalize an illegal trespass.

Team one pulled over thirty posts and team two naturalized over a quarter of a mile of trespass - go spring breakers!

Tomorrow we're looking forward to a fun day exploring Cathedral Gorge State Park - with almost 2,000 acres of rock spires and cave-like formations, we are in for a quite a wild Nevada sight!

Stretch for safety's sake!

Kickin' butt and takin' names - the final day of stewardship ends in triumphant smiles!

Dawn admires a Joshua Tree, found exclusively in the Mojave Desert!

Double the hands make the job easy and fun!

Hip hip hooray for big horns!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Alternative Spring Break: Pictographs and Petroglyphs, Oh My!

Day three started with a trip to Eaglehead to remove the rest of the rusty old fence. We happened to run into a refuge archeologist, who gave us an impromptu lesson on petroglyphs. Do you know the difference between a petroglyph and pictograph? Find out at the bottom of this post!

We then headed to an area just around the corner from Eaglehead to remove some more old rusty fence, which our awesome volunteers made quick work of.

For the last project of the day, spring breakers naturalized an illegal trespass using vertical mulch and rocks to disclose the track.

Dinner is now on the stove, smelling delicious. I can't wait to eat!

Wilderness stewardship - a bonding experience you'll
remember (and feel in your muscles!) in the morning!

All in a day's work!

Pictographs are painted or drawn, while petroglyphs are carved into the surface!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Alternative Spring Break: White Sand and Rusty Fence, or Day Two of Work

Our twelve Alternative Spring Break volunteers had fun today at the white dunes of the Desert Refuge by restoring an illegal trespass. After the dunes, we headed to Eaglehead, removing rusty barbed wire fence and spending a few moments learning about the people who called the refuge home centuries ago.

Spring Breaker and Board Treasurer Larry smiles for the camera!

Definitely not natural! Our volunteers are doing others a favor by picking up their left traces.

The team spent the afternoon working in Eaglehead to remove old fence obstructing
wildlife water access and migration paths. The area is also home to petroglyphs and historical artifacts - little bits of Nevada's past. Native Americans have called the refuge home for over 5,000 years, with the Las Vegas Paiute Reservation visible from Corn Creek Station on the west side of the refuge.

Time to tuck in after a long, hard day of work and a Dutch oven dinner of pork and beans with
ginger apple cake for dessert - yum!

Alternative Spring Break: Birdsongs in the Morning

Waking up to swallow songs - is there anything better? We'll have video next week, but for now here is a clip from YouTube so you can share in a little natural music!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Alternative Spring Break: Day One

Volunteers working hard on day one of alternative spring break!

Safety first! Great Basin Institute's Matt Flores talks hydration, helmets, and heat.

No waves in sight, but plenty of sand and sky for Spring Breakers!

Un-creating an illegal track: volunteers use rocks and dead brush to camouflage an illegal route, and turn up dirt to encourage new growth.

Alternative Spring Break: Lake-Side Accomodations

What a view! Spring Breakers are stationed northeast of Las Vegas at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Desert Refuge Complex system. The spring-fed refuge - founded in 1963 and comprising almost 6,000 acres - offers a scenic vacation spot for migrating birds, with over 250 different species spotted on the refuge. (photo by Kurt Kuznicki)

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Alternative Spring Break: Ready to Hit the Road!

Spring Breakers smile for the camera before loading up for the long drive to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge and the third annual Alternative Spring Break with Friends of Nevada Wilderness. Did you know? The Desert National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect the bighorn sheep, Nevada's state mammal.