On this day in 1984, a handful of passionate wild Nevada activists started Friends of Nevada Wilderness. What started as simply a desire to protect the wildest places across our state quickly blossomed and grew into the statewide non-profit organization that we are today - encompassing advocacy, stewardship, education, and outreach...all to keep Nevada wild and protect the places we love!

32 years later, many of those same wilderness heroes still can't believe how far the organization has come - from building a nationally recognized, award-winning stewardship program to designating a total of 70 wilderness areas across Nevada. Of course, we couldn't work towards keeping Nevada wild without your help - signing hundreds of petitions urging the delegation to protect your favorite wild places, volunteering your time on a project to give back to the places you love, and donating to support our programs across Nevada - we would never have been able to make it this far without you!

We asked a few of our board members to say a few words as to what drives them to protect wilderness in Nevada and to share a favorite memory.
Reply to this e-mail to let us know why you work towards a wild Nevada and you might just make it in our next e-newsletter!

"My favorite memory of Friends of Nevada Wilderness was the celebration we held at Mt. Charleston honoring all who had worked on the passage of the 1989 Wilderness Bill, the first wilderness bill passed for Nevada.
-Marge Sill, founding member of Friends of Nevada Wilderness

"It’s those places secreted away, far from the muddle of technology, too much noise, traffic and too much congestion that hold my heart. Sacred places, wild and free, where I can go and see the handiwork of nature, hopefully unmarred by the hand of man. That’s why I believe, first and foremost, wilderness should be preserved. One of my personal heroes, naturalist Sigurd Olson, recognizing the perils of our expanding population and the decimation of the land, said it best, 'Wilderness we can hold onto now will become the final bastions of the spirit of man.' More than anything and at this time, in our society, and especially Nevada, we need wilderness!"
-Roberta Moore

“Friends of Nevada Wilderness has the best people doing the best work of any organization I’ve been associated with. And, to top it off, they’re saving our wild lands!” 

-Larry Dwyer

"I climbed Mt Wheeler with my father in 1969 and have been advocating for Nevada's wild things and wild places ever since.  FNW is the best organization ever to come along for the preservation of the Great Basin."
-Pete Bradley

Thank you for helping us reach thirty-two years of keeping Nevada wild! We're looking forward to a lot more years of protecting the places you love.