What's New at NOS- August 2023

Here at NOS August is always the month to squeeze in one last Summer adventure! And we did just that plus some. Check out our What's New at NOS for the month of August!

Our roadshow booths were seen in both Winnemucca and Carlin during National Night Out. Participants had the opportunity to spin the wheel of recreation, answer outdoor involved questions, and earn prizes. There were many people in these small towns that were informed of what NOS is and the programs that we have at little to no cost for young kids, teens, and even adults. First responders got to show off their equipment and vehicles, flight paramedics who flew in a helicopter directly onto the park, and even the BACA group (Bikers Against Child Abuse) joined in among many others. Police served up hamburgers and hotdogs during this free event. Although the wind and the rain caused some minor inconveniences!

And what would the end of Summer be without a walk and hike! In August we visited the Winnemucca Haskell Street Walkway, Sonoma Creek, the Water Canyon Overlook, and Winnemucca Mountain! Many community members and their dogs joined in on our walks to enjoy the sights, sounds, and creatures in the Winnemucca area.

Associate Director Karl Klein and AmeriCorps member Noah Clymens joined in on the fun in Midas, Nevada during the Midas chapter of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited Annual dinner! NOS helped run fundraising games during this event. Nevada Outdoor School and NBU Midas share the same missions of outdoor youth education and spending more time outside! Since 2013, NBU-Midas has donated $51,032 to NOS, and since 2022, NBU - Elko chapter has donated $10,500 to NOS as well.

Our Wildhorse Camp did not disappoint our 8 enthusiastic campers! Here is a write-up from our AmeriCorps member Stewart!

After loading up our truck and setting off, we arrived at the reservoir later that morning! We set up camp and got to know each other, before starting walking tacos for dinner and s'mores for dessert. We started learning all about Leave No Trace and played games involving the lessons. That night we were hit with a terrible storm that blew tents over. Thunder filled our ears as rain filled our tents. The next morning we collected ourselves and began our trip to the ghost town Jarbidge. After a long drive on a rocky road, we arrived at the town where we explored and got ice cream! Arriving back at camp, we started cooking our dinner for the night, hamburgers and hotdogs! The next day we woke up and prepared for a day of fishing. Nothing was caught, but everyone had a fun time learning and spending time on the beach. That night we cooked spaghetti with meat sauce and enjoyed skits around the campfire! The next morning we packed up all our things and began to head back home, another fun adventure exploring Northern Nevada complete!

We not only like to enjoy being outside during the day but we love to have adventures at night! This year we were able to celebrate National S'mores Day during the Perseid Meteor Shower! Much enjoyment was to be had in both Winnemucca and Elko. In Elko, we entertained over 200 community members during this event!

As hunting season kicks off, NOS staff Meghan and Jacklyn lead their second Hunter Education Course in Elko. The Hunter Ed class is open to all members of the community who are interested in starting a path into hunting or who are just interested in learning more about firearm safety. The class consists of games and hands-on activities related to the sport of hunting and outdoor ethics. The class had 3 participants who all successfully completed the course. If you missed out on this class, no worries we have another one scheduled for September 30th in Winnemucca!

All good things must come to an end but we had a blast closing out the 2023 camp season! The Backroad Voyagers camp in Tahoe took place on August 14th and ended August 17th. This camp was an amazing adventure for our 3 campers as well as for NOS AmeriCorps Members. At the camp, campers got to tour UNR as well as TMCC in Reno. They were also able to go to the Tahoe Treetop Adventure park, which was such a fun and exciting experience that all campers enjoyed. Finally, campers got to spend some time at the Commons Beach in Tahoe City to eat ice cream, paddleboard, and kayak! The whole camp was fun and exciting. There was wildlife, beautiful views, and fun adventures. We hope to have another amazing camp like this next summer!