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)

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

Wild Kids for the Sheldon

Kids are our future land managers. Friends of Nevada Wilderness involves children in the work required to manage our public lands. Here, they are removing invasive halogeten from Duferrena Ponds campground. The kids worked harder knowing cookies were waiting after they were done. By Brian Beffort

Happy Birthday to Jim Yoakum.

We were honored by having renowned pronghorn biologist Jim Yoakum celebrate his 83rd birthday with the group. Jim first came to the Sheldon in 1954 and has been a strong voice for protecting pronghorns ever since.
'When Jim was asked by Dave Rice for an article for the RGJ in 2005, what he likes to do to relax, his answer came quickly.“I like to study pronghorn,” he said.'

Link to the 2005 interview with Jim Yoakum https://secure.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=107179