Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness, the BLM, UNLV, and other fantastic volunteers to celebrate National Public Lands Day by restoring Quail Spring in Gold Butte National Monument! Quail Spring provides some of the last habitat for the Relict Leopard Frog, a species on the verge of extinction. Some research suggests that there are only a couple thousand Relict Leopard Frogs left, and more than 200 of them are at this spring! We'll do some restoration and upkeep of the spring to maintain good frog habitat and keep their population healthy. If you want to do some meaningful restoration work to help our wildlife, learn more about springs, or see a unique corner of wild Nevada, this is the trip for you!

We'll meet at the Forest Service office (address below) at 7am on Friday, September 24th, load into vans, and make our way to southern Gold Butte (about a 3 hour drive through remote and wild country). Once we hit the end of the road, we'll hike about half a mile down into the canyon of Quail Spring. The terrain is steep and loose, so this can be challenging. At the spring, we will work for a few hours to deepen the pools and remove overgrown vegetation to keep the frogs happy (there will be some waders available, but have clothing you don't mind getting muddy!). Afterwards, we'll hike back out, enjoy some snacks and refreshing drinks, and return to town by 6pm.

What you need: Wear clothing that you don't mind getting wet or muddy and sturdy footwear suitable for hiking. You may want a towel or change of clothes for the ride back. You'll also want a daypack with at least 2 liters of water and lunch or snacks for the day. Also, don't forget sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses). 

What we'll bring: We'll provide snacks and water for the day, as well as all the necessary tools and spring surveying equipment. We will also have a limited number of waders available, but plan on getting muddy. 

Quail Spring is deep in the heart of the beautiful and wild Gold Butte. The roads are long and rough, so we will be providing a limited amount of transportation to and from our office on North Torrey Pines--RSVP to secure your spot in a BLM van. Those with a suitable personal vehicle (a jeep or truck) who are comfortable offroading on challenging terrain and willing to drive themselves, please email [email protected] for details and directions.

More details will be sent out to RSVPs in advance of the event, but please send questions to [email protected].