Do you love hiking and camping? Do you ever think to yourself “I wish I could survey some springs with some cool people while I am out camping”? Well good news, you can! Join the Spring Stewardship Team (Chantal, Tara, and Tali) on a weekend of spring monitoring fun! We’ll be surveying up in Mack’s Canyon, a beautiful canyon chock full of springs that is a popular camping destination. We will meet at the top of Mack’s Canyon Road on July 17^th at 10AM and work together to survey the many springs at the end of the road or within a 1.5-mile hike from the end of the road. Volunteers will be able to choose whether to survey farther or closer springs, but should be comfortable walking on loose surfaces and working at high elevation. At the end of a day of surveying, we’ll gather for a delicious meal prepared by the Springs Team and camp out. In the morning, we’ll make breakfast and then do some trash cleanup/pipe removal of the springs and camping area to keep it in good condition before heading out.

This is a great opportunity to freshen up on spring monitoring techniques, get a little more guided practice, meet some of your fellow volunteers, or learn how to use the flow and water quality meters. This trip is open to anyone that has watched the spring monitoring volunteer training video (if you haven’t, shoot us an email at [email protected] and we’ll make sure you get it!), but space is limited.

When: 10AM July 17-10AM July 18

What: Group spring surveying, camping, a little bit of trash cleanup and spring restoration, and some delicious meals in the company of your fellow volunteers!

Where: We’ll be working and camping at the end of Mack’s Canyon Road, a spur off of Lee Canyon Road. The unpaved, 4 mile road is most suitable for SUVs or trucks that have at least medium clearance, but 4WD is not necessary. The Mack’s Canyon turnoff is about a 45 minute drive out of Las Vegas and the 4 miles up Mack’s Canyon take about half an hour more (Google Maps will lie to you about the time it takes!).

We will camp at the end of the road and hike past the vehicle barrier to springs upcanyon along a trail for 1.5 miles maximum.

What you need: Bring clothing and shoes suitable for hiking outside in variable mountain summer weather, and camping clothing warm enough for the night. You’ll need your regular camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, toiletries, cup and bowl, etc.), some snacks, at least 3 LITERS of water, and a daypack for hiking. Also don’t forget a hat and sunscreen!

What we’ll bring: We’ll provide dinner and breakfast. Both meals will have vegan and gluten free options available, but if you have other dietary restrictions you may want to bring your own food to supplement the meals (or email us to ask for more details!). We will also bring extra water and lots of snacks for the workday. We’ll have all the necessary surveying equipment and field sheets, and gloves and plastic bags for trash pickup.

More info about the event will be sent to RSVPs the week of. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, or want to join the waitlist after the event fills, feel free to email us at [email protected]!