Celebrating a Fence-Free Sheldon

Stewardship on the Sheldon Refuge: A Weekend of Smiles and Sunshine

A team of hard workers! The volunteers joined the Sheldon 2012 Fence Crew to remove barbed wire from pronghorn and sage grouse habitat in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Nevada.

Volunteer Chuck Thomas and Friends' Executive Director Shaaron Netherton clip wire in preparation for the rolling team.

Giving wildlife room to roam. Removing the barbed wire fence will open up migratory routes and water access for pronghorn. Rather than leap over the fence, pronghorn shimmy under, and can get entangled and injured in the old fence.

Getting out old fence posts...

...and making new friends!

Thanks to all the hardworking volunteers that came out - the pronghorn and sage grouse that call the Sheldon home thank you too!! But if you didn't get to join us this time, there's still opportunities to volunteer on the Sheldon this summer - contact Pat Bruce at pbruce@nevadawilderness.org for trip dates and details!


All photos by Graham Stafford

Sheldon Fence Crew 2012: Up and Running!

The 2012 Sheldon Fence Crew - from left: Paul Wood, Evan Lantto, Allen Gibson, and crew leader John Coleman - have begun their three-month stay on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge. The crew will be pulling barbed wire fence full-time this summer and living in a cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. (photo by Brian Beffort)

Paul handrolls wire while Allen clips in the background. Last year's crew got 76 miles of fence down, and the 2012 crew is tasked with removing the remaining 59 miles of barbed wire, along with assistance from volunteers and the Fish and Wildlife Service. (photo by Brian Beffort)

Badger Camp's namesake shows its curious face! (photo by Brian Beffort)

Join the crew on the Sheldon Refuge this summer - check out www.NevadaWilderness.org for trip dates!

2011: Year of the Volunteer!

In 2011, volunteers worked on 135 projects, totalling over 10,500 hours, and donating a total of $225,000 of in-kind labor. If Nevada's wild lands could thank you, they would!

Wilderness Wingding Gets Wild!

Attendees packed the Tahoe Room at the Grand Sierra Resort! (all photos by Marcial Reiley)

Membership Coordinator Richard Knox greets volunteers and supporters

Mingling...

...and munching!

Stewardship Director Pat Bruce takes the stage

While a rapt audience watches.

Susan Lisagor from Senator Harry Reid's office thanks volunteers

Partnership of the Year - US Fish and Wildlife Service (Sheldon and Desert Refuges)

Group Partner of the Year - Nevada Outdoor School

Special Recognition - Law Office of Demetras and O'Neill and Black Rock Bicycles

Blue Helmet Gals!

Volunteer of the Year Scott Hall

Agency Person of the Year - Carol Reott Hotchkiss, US Forest Service

Wilderness Wingding Awardees Announced!

Friends of Nevada Wilderness will be celebrating individuals and organizations who played a special part in our 2011 field season. These awardees will be honored at the Wilderness Wingding at the Grand Sierra Resort in the Tahoe Room. The celebration begins at 6 pm with an awards ceremony at 7 pm on Friday, December 16, 2011. This event is open to the public.

2011 Volunteer of the Year – Scott Hall
Scott was an integral part of the success of the 2011 stewardship season. This year alone, he completed eight projects, became certified in cross-cut saw use, attended two trail maintenance courses and obtained a government driver’s license. Scott, as a volunteer trip captain, led several trips. Friends is in the process of elevating volunteers to higher levels of responsibility within our stewardship program, and Scott’s dedication is the blueprint for the essential role that a volunteer can play in protecting our cherished places.

Agency Partnership of the Year – US Fish and Wildlife Service (Desert and Sheldon Wildlife Refuges)
The US Fish and Wildlife Service was instrumental in helping Friends of Nevada Wilderness lead an Alternative Spring Break trip for UNR students to the Pahranagat and Desert National Wildlife Refuges in southern Nevada and remove over 75 miles of barbed wire fence from the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.

Agency Person of the Year – Carol Reott Hotchkiss – US Forest Service
Carol Reott Hotchkiss, Recreation Planner for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, provided immeasurable support for developing a very successful interagency partnership with Friends of Nevada Wilderness. Her guidance and vision played a key role in setting up a crew of Student Conservation Association interns to do extensive wilderness monitoring in southern Nevada.

Corporate Partner of the Year – REI
REI has been instrumental in supporting Friends of Nevada Wilderness over the years. In 2011, REI generously supported a two-week project to re-route the trail to the summit of Griffith Peak and many other wilderness stewardship projects throughout the state.

Ruler of the Spooler Award – Bill James
A long time supporter and wilderness volunteer, Bill James, designed, built and donated two ingenious barbed wire spoolers that were used to remove over 75 miles of barbed wire in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, improving wildlife habitat.

Group Partner of the Year – Nevada Outdoor School
Working in partnership with the BLM and Friends of Nevada Wilderness, the Nevada Outdoor School has hosted a "Kid's Camp" since 2006 to engage youth and allow parent-volunteers to work on stewardship projects during the Black Rock Rendezvous, National Public Lands Days and other projects.

Blue Helmet Awardees – volunteers who attended at least three trips over the 2011 season: David Book, Elyse Briski, Don Brown, Danielle Cotte, Larry Dwyer, Matthew “Metric” Ebert, John Fiske, John and Hermi Hiatt, Dorothy Hudig, Gordon Jackson, Paul Jackson, Dylan Kuhn, Martin Mace, Barry and Kathy Morgan, Susan Murphy, Anthony Rivera, Dick Ross, Darcy Shepard, Jim Switalla, Chuck Thomas, Mike Thorson, Joe Trujillo.

In 2011, volunteers worked on over 100 projects, giving 9,500 hours and donating a total of $223,236 of in-kind labor to Nevada’s wild lands. Please join us in celebrating the volunteers and members who made it possible.

This Is Nevada...

Tall Grasses at Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Darcy Shepard)

This Is Nevada...

The Top of Blowout Mountain in the Sheldon Refuge (photo by Brian Beffort)

This Is Nevada...

Rainbow Over Sheldon Refuge (photo by Darcy Shepard)

This Is Nevada...

Lunar eclise over Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (photograph by Don Brown)

Summer of Sheldon Part One

Over 30 volunteers came out to Badger Campground in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge to pull fence that was blocking antelope migratory routes and wildlife water access.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness teamed up with the Oregon Natural Desert Association to take out almost four miles of fence in five hours - most of the fence had five strands of wire - that's a total of 20 miles rolled and bundled!

After their hard work, the team was treated to bowls of Dutch oven Jambalaya, a hearty stew prepared by Sheena Britschgi.

Thanks again for all your hardwork - the antelope appreciate it!

Summer of Sheldon 2011

Friends of Nevada Wilderness is offering three opportunities to get out in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge and help Nevada's pronghorn antelope this summer! Our Sheldon Rendezvous has been so successful in the past, we've decided to triple it this year!

June 24-26, 2011

July 22-24, 2011

August 26-18, 2011

Volunteers will be pulling barbed wire fence out that obstructs pronghorn antelope migratory routes and water access under the direction of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. On Saturday evening, there will be a Dutch oven entree and volunteer potluck - Friends of Nevada Wilderness will provide the main dishes, just bring a side or dessert to share!

The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 570,000 acres of high desert sagebrush-steppe ecosystem and boasts wandering herds of pronghorn antelope and scatterd bands of bighorn sheep along with a variety of bird and butterfly species.

Call 775 324-7667 to reserve your spot - space is limited, so call today!

Happy Birthday, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge!

The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northern Nevada celebrates its 70th birthday this Wednesday!

Check out our video, "Sheldon Rendezvous 2010," to see some of the work we've done in the refuge:

Removal: Before and After

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, June 2009

Volunteers remove barb wire (photo by Kurt Kuznicki)

After the team finishes for the day (Kurt Kuznicki)

The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

The Sheldon Rendezvous June 21, 2009

After breakast Pat Bruce starts the day off with a safety meeting with rendezvous volunteers and members of Fish and Wildlife Service.

Volunteers Bob Milne and Jim Jeffress are removing metal fence posts after other volunteers stripped off the barbwire from unneeded fences. Removing this fence will make it easier for pronghorn to migrate freely within the Sheldon Refuge.

US Fish and Wildlife Service manager Paul Steblein joining volunteers to remove old fence that threatens wildlife on the Sheldon Refuge

Volunteer Liz Bell breaking apart a fence structure to improve wildlife habitat on the Sheldon Refuge