Happy Earth Day!!

This Is Nevada...

The foothills surrounding the Black Rock playa (photo by Darcy Shepard)

This Is Nevada...

Tracks in the sand (photo by Brian Beffort)

Restoration: Before and After

Cow Camp - Desert National Wildlife Refuge, April 2011

Before the team begins work, an illegal road threatens archaeological sites (photo by Kurt Kuznicki)

During the restoration process, 185 feet of roadway was restored (Kurt Kuznicki)

An additional 5,400 feet of track is cut off from the legal road and left to naturally remove itself (Kurt Kuznicki)

After the group finishes (Kurt Kuznicki)

This Is Nevada...

Capturing clouds as a storm rolls into the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Kelli Belmont)

Removal: Before and After

Desert National Wildlife Refuge, April 2011

Before the team takes down 2,920 feet of fence (photo by Darcy Shepard)

The fence ran along a series of rocky ridges the team climbed to reach the site. The fence was approximately 2.5 miles from the cars with an elevation gain of 750 feet. (Darcy Shepard)

Equipment to remove the posts had to be hauled in, then the removed materials hiked back out (Kurt Kuznicki)

After the team cuts down the sheep wire, barbed wire, and pulls out the posts (Darcy Shepard)

2011 National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance Conference

This Is Nevada...

Close-up of Joshua Tree in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Darcy Shepard)

Alternative Spring Break with Friends of Nevada Wilderness

Here's a taste of the work our awesome team of volunteers put in over Alternative Spring Break in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge! (all photos by Kurt Kuznicki)

Thanks again for all your hard work!!

Before and After: Construction

Highland Ridge Wilderness, September 2008

Materials for the exclosure are laid out before the crew begins work (photo by Brian Beffort)

After the team finishes the exclosure (Brian Beffort)

This Is Nevada...

Winter in the Mt. Rose Wilderness (Photo by Brian Beffort)

This Is Nevada...

Desert National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Brian Beffort)

Spend Spring Break in Wild Nevada

March 13/14 - 18/19: Enjoy a rewarding spring break in the outdoors! Spend 5 enjoyable days and 4 glorious nights under the stars in the spectacular wilderness just north of Vegas. Teaming up with our southern Nevada staff we will be carpooling from Reno down to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. We will leave Reno on Sunday, March 13, work Monday through Friday and return to Reno on Saturday, March 19. We will also set aside a day during the week to visit the Red Rock National Conservation Area for people who want to explore.

A more rugged area of the fence

Your stewardship work will consist of pulling out barbed wire and fence posts, rolling up barbed wire strands and possibly hiking some of the material out. We will camp at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge about 5 miles from the project staging area. Some hiking (up to 4 miles roundtrip each day) will be involved depending on what portion of the fence we are working on. Be prepared to work full days in a rugged and relatively remote location - a place where you can soak up the grandeur of the desert.

Please join Friends of Nevada Wilderness and meet like-minded people for a unique opportunity to enhance habitat on the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48!

For more information please contact:

Reno
Wes Hoskins, Forest Project Coordinator: 775-762-6730, wes@nevadawilderness.org

Las Vegas
Kurt Kuznicki, Southern Nevada Director: 775-745-3119, kurt@nevadawilderness.org

SCA Interns Learn to Leave No Trace in Gold Butte

Having a little fun while learning to Leave No Trace (photograph by Kurt Kuznicki)

The crew's camp (Kurt Kuznicki)

Happy hikers (Kurt Kuznicki)

Taking a study break (Kurt Kuznicki)

Decoding the Petroglyphs (Kurt Kuznicki)

Holding up the Leave No Trace standards! (Kurt Kuznicki)

Grand Opening of the Bird Song Loop Trail

Friends of Nevada Wilderness volunteers joined folks from the Southern Nevada Conservancy, Friends of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, and the Red Rock Audubon Society in Fall 2010 to construct the Bird Song Loop Trail. On January 22, 2011, the official ribbon cutting and blessing of the trail was conducted.

A guided bird hike (photo by Kurt Kuznicki)

The trail being enjoyed (photo by Kurt Kuznicki)

Thanks to everyone who came out for the construction and the celebration - wilderness warriors will enjoy the trail for decades to come!

This Is Nevada...

View from the Bird Song Loop Trail in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Kurt Kuznicki)

Restoration: Before and After

Lovell Canyon, January 2011

An illegal off-road track before volunteers start work (Photo by Chris Hensley)

Volunteers bring in wood and other material to form a natural barrier to keep vehicles out of restricted areas (Chris Hensley)

The final touch (Chris Hensley)

After the group is done (Chris Hensley)

2011 NWSA Conference in Las Vegas

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:

Lovell Canyon Restoration - Day Two

Another successful day in Lovell Canyon!