{{ recipient.first_name_or_friend }},
We hope you are as excited for the extended Memorial Day weekend as we are. As the school year ends for students and warmer temperatures descend on Nevada, our stewardship season is going into full swing. We are currently training our trail crews and signing up volunteers to assist us in the field this summer. As we prep for on the ground projects all throughout the Silver State, we ask if you would consider joining us - we would love to see you at our next event! Thank you for your continued support in our mission to keep Nevada Wild.
Desert Refuge: 82 Years of Protection
A few days ago, on May 20th, we celebrated 82 years of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. But the history of the Desert Refuge goes far beyond its designation. Petroglyphs, cattle corrals, trails, and agave roasting pits tell the tale of a land abundant with life and cultural significance spanning thousands of years. Now that the military has expressed their intentions of expanding bombing exercises further into our beloved Desert Refuge, we unite to keep access open and military exercises out. We invite you to preview our #DontBombTheBighorn campaign video to Save the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Please sign the petition. Donate. Get involved!
Click below to view
Read more on our website.
Senator Heller Attacks BLM's Wilderness Study Areas
 Senator Dean Heller will soon be launching an all-out attack on Nevada’s Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). He is planning on introducing legislation that will remove Congressional protection for most of Nevada’s wildest and most beautiful WSAs. Places like the Park Range, Robert’s Mountain, Goshute and Morey Peak could see mining, oil and gas leasing or power-lines. These WSAs are some of the most remote, beautiful and sensitive landscapes, all managed for us by the BLM in Nevada. They are truly the best of the best and the BLM was directed by Congress to protect these areas' Wilderness values until Congress determined whether or not to designate them as Wilderness. Nevada has about 63 Wilderness Study Areas remaining, totaling 2.5 million acres scattered throughout the state. We must keep them as Wilderness Study Areas until a public lands process carefully reviews each and every area with full public involvement. Our Congressional delegation has done this many times in the past working in a bi-partisan manner to involve us all. Heller’s attempt to circumvent public involvement is shameful!
(Photo: Red Spring Wilderness Study Area (WSA) / Jamie Pyles)
Take Action now: Call Senator Heller’s office in Reno at (775) 686-5770 or in Las Vegas at (702) 388-6605 and tell him that you do not want him to get rid of the BLM’s Wilderness Study Areas!
Patagonia to Host "Take Action for Public Lands"
Friends of Nevada Wilderness is honored to be part Patagonia's “Take Action for Public Lands” event on Thursday, May 31, at 7:30 pm at the Patagonia Outlet in downtown Reno. The panel of very special guests will include Senator Catherine Cortez Masto; former BLM Director, Neil Kornze; former Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Chairman, Norman Harry; and our fearless leader, Executive Director, Shaaron Netherton. Patagonia’s Environmental Activism Manager, Ron Hunter, will moderate the roundtable discussion which will focus on how to become a stronger public lands activist and why it’s important to do so. Local land and water organizations will also be present to provide an outlet for action.
We’d like to extend a big thanks to Patagonia for inviting us to participate in what is sure to be a memorable night for the northern Nevada conservation community. We hope to see you there!
Northern Nevada's Seasonal Crews Hit the Ground
May is the kick-off for all of our seasonal stewardship crews in Northern Nevada. Once again we will have a team of Friends’ staff and AmeriCorps Members spending the summer re-wilding the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge. This year we also are happy to be hosting two trail crews that will be working across the state on maintaining forest service managed Wilderness trails. All crews will be in full swing in early June and we look forward to reporting on their stories throughout the summer. Stay tuned!
Updates From the Field: National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance
 This winter, volunteers were hard at work marking Wilderness boundaries in the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area. Volunteers came out to help us restore an area of Rainbow Mountain Wilderness that burned in the 2016 Lovell Canyon fire. In the La Madre Mountain Wilderness, volunteers installed four directional signs to keep hikers on trail where Schaefer Springs Trail weaves in and out of a wash. Our awesome volunteers also installed Wilderness signs along the Lovell Canyon and Griffith Peak trails, welcoming hikers to the Wilderness as they begin their back-country treks. All of these projects will help future visitors know when they're in Wilderness areas while exploring Wild Nevada. Good job guys! The se improvements were made possible with the support of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance through the Wilderness Stewardship Performance Grant!
 
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument: Past, Present and Future
 Join us as we welcome our June Wild Speaker Series speakers, Protectors of Tule Springs’ Directors, Sherri Grotheer and Stan Nudelman. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument captures a prehistoric time in rock with fossils of extinct mammoths, lions, camels, horses, bison, dire wolves, and several other creatures that roamed what were once the wetlands of the area. Our speakers will share the history, importance and development of the Monument, the work their organization is doing to protect its resources, and how you can help their efforts. Come learn more about this hidden treasure in the northern part of the Las Vegas valley!
Save the Date: 13th Annual Black Rock Rendezvous
 Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and for northern Nevada that means it’s once again time for our annual Black Rock Rendezvous! Grab your kids, camping gear, and Dutch Ovens and head out to the Black Rock Desert with us for another weekend of fun and giving back to our beautiful public lands.
This year again, we will be partnering with the Winnemucca BLM, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Friends of Black Rock-High Rock, and Nevada Outdoor School who will be hosting a Kid’s Camp that will help your little ones learn about the desert while also having plenty of fun. Volunteers will have the opportunity to clean up the area surrounding a hot spring, to delineate a road at Sulphur Cabin, and to restore critical dune habitat.
We plan to camp on the playa, below Cassidy Mine - though this is subject to change due to weather and runoff. Evening discussions will cover topics such as outdoor ethics, pikas, dark skies, rockets, art, and pollinator seeds. Tours will include visits to hot springs, photography adventures, hunting for geodes, and hikes. And back for the 3rd year in a row, we will be offering a Dutch Oven 101 class which is the perfect opportunity to prepare for the great Dutch Oven Competition!
Visit our Calendar of Events page here to find out more details or to RSVP. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming Events
We hope to see you at one of our next events! You can find our full Calendar of Events here, and you can RSVP for individual events in the links found in the list below. If we don't have anything scheduled during your times of availability, respond to this e-mail or call our office in Northern Nevada at (775) 324-7667 or in Southern Nevada at (702) 515-5417 to be placed on a shortlist for future volunteer opportunities.
May 25-28: 13th Annual Black Rock Rendezvous - Join us over Memorial Day Weekend for one of our favorite, family-friendly, weekend stewardship projects. The weekend will include opportunities to give back to our public lands, as well as evening discussions, tours, a Kid's Camp hosted by the Nevada Outdoor school, and the ever famous Dutch Oven cook-off!
June 1: National Trails Day - Help us celebrate National Trails Day at beautiful Steven's Camp just north of High Rock Canyon. The weekend will involve some fun trail work, maintenance of the historic public-use cabin, delicious food, and good company!
June 6: Mt. Rose Wilderness Weed Warrior #4 - Help us work on removing invasive weeds from the Mt. Rose Wilderness. We start each weed pull at Hunter Creek Trailhead with a 2-3 mile hike and spend the cool hours of the day digging up Musk Thistle Rosettes. If you haven't experienced Mt. Rose Wilderness, this is the perfect introduction!
June 13: Mt. Rose Wilderness Weed Warrior #5 - The work of removing invasive weeds from the Mt. Rose Wilderness continues. Same project and same place, just a new date and another opportunity for you to get involved.
June 15-17: Santa Rosa Bull Thistle Extravaganza - Join us for a weekend in the backcountry of the beautiful Santa Rosa Mountains, camped near a peaceful waterfall tucked into the back of Falls Canyon. We will be hiking through the canyon, removing the noxious weed 'Bull Thistle'. There will be food, there will be laughter, there will be beautiful scenery and meaningful work.
June 20: Mt. Rose Wilderness Weed Warrior #6 - Help us work on removing invasive weeds from the Mt. Rose Wilderness. We start each weed pull at Hunter Creek Trailhead with a 2-3 mile hike and spend the cool hours of the day digging up Musk Thistle Rosettes. If you haven't experienced Mt. Rose Wilderness, this is the perfect introduction!
June 27: Mt. Rose Wilderness Weed Warrior #7 - The work of a weed warrior is tireless, but ever important. Don't miss another chance to get involved taking care of Reno's backyard Wilderness!
South
June 2: National Trails Day 2018 - Join us in celebrating National Trails Day by beginning the effort to re-open Griffith Peak Trail! This 5-mile trail connects to South Loop trail and leads hikers to Griffith Peak. Unfortunately, Griffith Peak Trail has been closed since being damaged by the Carpenter One Fire and successive flooding in 2013. Let's work to get this epic hike open to the public again!
June 21: Bonanza Extravaganza Part 1 - Join us in Mt. Charleston Wilderness to leave the trail better than you found it! Trail work is one of the most fun and rewarding ways to take care of these places we all play - and we need your help! We'll be camping along the trail in the evenings and maintaining Bonanza Trail during the days. There's no better way to get to know Mt. Charleston Wilderness!
Follow us!
There's a lot going on in Wild Nevada and monthly e-newsletters aren't enough to keep up with it all. Head on over to our social media pages to get all the latest news, favorite photos from wild places, giveaways, and more.
     
Thanks for reading, 
|
