Spring has sprung, and with it comes a burst of vibrant energy! And what better way to embrace the new season than by diving headfirst into outdoor adventures?
Here at Nevada Outdoor School, we've been eagerly awaiting this moment to reconnect with the great outdoors and share our passion for conservation and outdoor education. Over the past few weeks, we've been busy gearing up for an exciting lineup of activities, from immersive training sessions on Leave No Trace principles to engaging workshops on Hunter Education, and even delving into the fascinating world of plant identification!
Seed Starting & Composting – April 1st
Winnemucca Nevada Outdoor School shared their gardening skills with 23 members of our community. Monday the 1st of April was pleasantly warm and made for a comfortable outdoor event. NOS members Toni and Sedric taught participants how to start seeds in pots indoors, harvest seeds from plants, and composting basics. The event went well with all attendees taking home a seed in a pot and some knowledge of how they can create a successful garden.
NDOW Wild Creek Leave No Trace Workshop – April 3rd
Wild week took place on the 3rd of April at the NDOW office. Kindra, Noah, and Kaniesha worked together to teach the Leave No Trace principles, with activities like a trash timeline relay race, and pack your pack. The weather was amazing, and the kids really enjoyed all of the activities they had planned. The main highlight of the event was definitely the trash timeline relay race! The kids were so surprised by the amount of time it takes for certain everyday items to break down. This workshop was very effective at grabbing the attention of the kids, and thoroughly teaching them each principle. At the end of the workshop the children were happily discussing the activities while making Leave No Trace tags!
Winnemucca Trap Club Clean Up – April 3rd
Also on April 3rd, William, Noah, and Sedric arrived at the Trap Club. They started painting the tables for them red. Once all of them were painted, they moved on to stand stables and proceeded to paint them red. Everyone that was there got in a big group photo and was told thank you for all the help.
Elko Hunter Education – April 5th
On the morning of Friday, April 5th, NOS partnered with NDOW to host a Hunter Ed class as part of the Wild Week events for Elko County Spring Break. This class was full with 20 students and a few parents and guardians who also joined in on the learning. These classes teach fundamental firearm safety principles, including proper handling, storage, and use of firearms. By learning essential safety protocols, hunters can minimize the risk of accidents and ensure a safe hunting experience for themselves and others. By completing a hunter education class, students become better prepared to enjoy a safe, responsible, and rewarding hunting experience while contributing to the conservation of wildlife and habitats. Interested in taking a class, check out upcoming classes on NDOW’s website.
Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association BLM Training – April 11th
The weather on April 11th was one of the first nice and warm Spring days in Elko and here at NOS we took advantage of that! Our ROHVA (Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association) instructor, Meghan Sturgell, lead a training session for our local BLM district. Six participants of local BLM districts received their training. The training is designed to promote safe and responsible riding practices. These trainings cover a range of topics, including: safety principles, vehicle operation, terrain awareness, environmental stewardship and more! By completing an ROHVA OHV training course, riders can enhance their safety awareness, improve their riding skills, and contribute to the promotion of responsible OHV recreation.
On April 13th, the Elko Museum LNT presentation was given by Noah and Kindra. They played the trash timeline with the group and taught them all 7 of the leave no trace principles. The group was the most surprised about how long it takes for glass to decompose. They were also very confused to hear how long it takes for plastic bags to decompose. D’ette of the Elko Museum did a wind sock craft with the group that they really enjoyed, and the humanities group from Great Basin College taught them how to make paper cranes. All in all it was a super fun day!
Elko AmeriCorps members: Noah and Kindra presenting the 7 Leave No Trace Principles.
Paper Recycling Workshop – April 19th
On Friday, April 19th NOS and Americorps conducted a paper recycling workshop at the Elko City Park for youth in the community. The class was conducted by AmeriCorps members Noah and Kindra. Noah demonstrated how to recycle scrap paper into new sheets of paper as well as other recyclable crafts. Participants learned the importance of paper recycling. Each participant had the opportunity to make their own and take them home. It was a beautiful sunny day and lots of fun was had! Please visit our website for an upcoming schedule of events.
Party in the Park – April 20th
On April 20th, William and Jacklyn arrived at the park behind the Boys and Girls Club and started setting up. Once finished they both waited for people to show up. The event was to promote Nevada Outdoor Schools summer camps, and other fun events coming up like Nature in the Park. They even had an OHV wheel for people to spin and win a Ride Safe Ride Smart sticker, the turnout was good they had a lot of people come up to ask them about some of the events and summer camps coming up this year.
Bingo Walk – April 24th
William and Noah arrived at the Community Pool on April 24th, and had three families join them. William got them signed in as Noah passed out clipboards and bingo cards along with markers to all the kids. Once everyone was ready, William and Noah led them down Vesco Street, then down the hospital, and back around to the park. William and Noah helped the kids out with their bingo cards all kids got bingo by the end, They passed out snacks and prizes, and the kids and parents had a fun time.
All About Plants – April 26th
On April 26th, community members gathered in Lamoille’s Powerhouse Picnic Area for Nevada Outdoor School's largest outdoor skills workshop of the year! The All About Plants workshop invited participants of any age to join NOS AmeriCorps members Kindra Warren and Noah Doyle in learning fun information about Northern Nevada’s native plant species. A group of 26 participants enjoyed potting seeds into newly decorated terracotta pots, and identifying native plants through a fun matching activity and bingo! Although it was chilly outside, with snowfall encroaching toward the end of the workshop, participants enjoyed s'mores around a smokey campfire and kept the conversation going about Native Nevada Plants!
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