Spend a weekend in the beautiful and pristine Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge while working on restoration projects that will help improve wildlife habitat and re-naturalize the area. This project will directly help improve the natural area, wildlife, and their habitat. This project will require 4-6 miles of hiking along the No Hunt Zone boundary in the Northwest corner of the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge to find, replace, and repair the No Hunting Zone signs. 

The Sheldon is a vast and rugged land that provides year-round habitat as well as major wintering areas for the Oregon-Nevada interstate pronghorn herd. This is the largest protected landscape in Nevada, managed exclusively for native wildlife species. The Sheldon Refuge contains some of the highest-quality sage-grouse habitat remaining in North America. Protecting this habitat and enhancing its health is an important part of minimizing the possibility of an Endangered Species Act listing of the sage-grouse. The area's sparse vegetation is dominated by sagebrush, grasses, and other shrubs with local areas of juniper or patches of mountain mahogany. Along the wetter drainages at lower elevations, you can find willow, cottonwood, and aspen. Away from the creeks, water sources are rare, and due to the underlying rock and soil, most upland areas are remarkably dry.

Photos from our Sheldon projects last year!

Check out our Stewards of Sheldon video and Sheldon Story Map.

Information:

Difficulty: Moderate - See our difficulty rating here.This project is suitable for individuals in good physical condition who participate in a semi-exercise routine. Most people who are physically active can participate at this level. This project will include hiking 4-6 miles daily with signs and tools off trail with little to no elevation gain. 

Location: Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

Dates: Thursday, July 9th - Sunday, July 12th

Travel: An AWD vehicle and high clearance is recommended to reach the campsite. We will leave Reno on Thursday Morning, returning Sunday afternoon. A limited number of spots are available in Friends trucks from the Sparks Office to transport volunteers, and carpooling is also an option. 

Food: Breakfast and coffee are provided on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and a big group dinner (with dessert) on Friday and Saturday nights. Volunteers must bring their own lunches and snacks.

Gear/Clothing: Long sleeves, long pants, sturdy work or hiking shoes. Camping equipment: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad. Camping gear is available for loan. Check out our suggested Packing List.

More Details: In-depth information, such as camping location, weather, and project specifics, will be sent out about a week before to those who have RSVP'd.

Want to bring a friend? All participants must RSVP individually (even partners, spouses, children, etc). Please send them this link and tell them to sign up.

Questions?: Check out our FAQ page here or email [email protected].

RSVP is required to participate.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness and our partners put a great deal of time and resources into organizing volunteer projects. When you RSVP you are committing to join us on that project. We understand circumstances may arise where you need to cancel. So, if you’re no longer able to attend, please cancel your RSVP as soon as possible so other volunteers can join the project. You can cancel your RSVP through the cancellation link in your project confirmation email or by emailing [email protected].