October was a month full of outdoor adventures, creativity, and community connection! From pumpkin painting in Elko and Winnemucca to exploring the ghost town of Metropolis on a scenic hike, we had a blast bringing people together and encouraging the next generation to get outside. We also had the privilege of distributing OHV helmets to kids at Sand Mountain, promoting safety and adventure. And with a strong start to our in-school programming, we’re excited to continue helping kids spend more time outdoors, making memories, and discovering the wonders of nature. Here’s a look back at the incredible experiences that made October so special!
We’re excited to announce that Nevada Outdoor School is moving into a new office after eight incredible years in Elko! Our growth in outdoor education programming has outgrown our old space, and this new location will allow us to expand our operations and create an inspiring environment for the community. Thank you for your support as we embark on this new chapter, and we look forward to welcoming you to our new home and continuing to inspire a love for the outdoors in northern Nevada!
October 3rd | Field Trip to Lamoille with EIAA
Nevada Outdoor School had their first field trip of the season with the Elko Institute for Academic Achievement on October 3rd! Kim, Megan, Toril, and Americorps member Nikkie, partnered with EIAA to take the kindergarten and third graders on an informational hike with lessons at the Marina afterward. Nevada Outdoor School presented two lessons for the kids. One lesson was on elk and the different attributes to help identify them. The kids got to feel and elk hide, learned about their antlers, and so much more! The second lesson was on Leave No Trace. The students learned how long it takes different materials to break down and the importance of keeping our environment clean and well taken care of so we may enjoy it for years to come!
October 9th | Spring Creek Elementary 4th Grade Classes
On October 9th, Nevada Outdoor School experienced a busy day filled with back-to-back 4th grade classes. The focus of the lesson was on artifacts, where students learned about their importance and significance in understanding the past. They engaged in activities that involved drawing, labeling, and detailing artifacts, emulating the work of real archaeologists. The students explored the distinctions between artifacts and common objects, gaining insight into what qualifies an item as an artifact. Additionally, they learned about the differences between archaeologists and paleontologists, enriching their understanding of these fascinating fields.
ECSD 4th grade students learning about artifacts.
October 19th | Pumpkin Painting in Winnemucca
The Pumpkin Painting event on October 19th at Vesco Park in Winnemucca went really well, with only three pumpkins left over due to high participation. Zoey, along with Beau and Ash, hosted the event, engaging with both the children and adults who attended. In total, 29 people participated, evenly split between kids and grown-ups. They had two Jack Skellington pumpkin paints, but a crowd favorite was an elderly woman who created two portraits on her pumpkin—a jack-o'-lantern face and an adorable cat!
AmeriCorps members, Beau and Zoey showing their painted pumpkins.
October 23rd | Pumpkin Painting in Elko
On October 23rd, the Elko NOS office put on an all-inclusive night of Halloween creative fun for all ages! With over 90 people in attendance, all ages participated in some pumpkin painting creativity. There were pumpkins decorated as candy corn, spooky eyeballs, creepy kitties, and even glow-in-the-dark neon bones! It was a beautiful sunset evening at the Elko Peace Park; painting pumpkins and sipping tasty hot chocolate!
Toril, Christina, Jamie, Kim, and Nikkie with Pumpkin Painting Participants.
On October 25th, our community embarked on an unforgettable trip to the ghost town of Metropolis to celebrate Nevada Day. With 23 guests, we explored the remnants of this one up and coming settlement, including the Lincoln School, the cemetery, still in use today, and the hotel, each telling stories of the past. Our enthusiastic team consisted of NOS staff Meghan, Nikkie, and Toril, along with AmeriCorps members Jamie, Nikkie, and Christina, who guided the group through this fascinating history. We were thrilled to partner with D'ette from the Northeastern Nevada Museum, who shared her insights and expertise, making our journey both educational and memorable.
Aerial view of the remnants of the Metropolis school.
October 26th | Junior Ranger Day
On the 26th, AmeriCorps members Jamie, Nikkie, and Christine went to the California Trail Interpretive Center (CTIC) for Junior Ranger Day where we set up our Leave No Trace table with activities like Trash Timeline, and key chain making. The CTIC had many wonderful booths including Origami, Bat Masks, Coloring Table, Ghosts and a Firefighter stand. There were around 30 people who came to NOS’s table to learn about how long certain trash takes to completely decompose into the earth as well as ways that we can keep our earth clean for animals and ourselves.
October 26th | Sand Mountain
October 28th | Nature Journaling in Winnemucca
On October 28th Nevada Outdoor School started a Nature Journaling program with Winnemucca youth. The kids had the opportunity to creatively decorate their journal. The kids were also able to describe and draw the card prompts that we handed out to them, For example something spiky. Due to weather the kids had to look around the room and describe something spiky to draw in their journal. Overall the kids were great listeners and had fun drawing and creating their own journal.
October 29th | ECSD Career Fair
On October 29th, Elko NOS staff Kim and Meghan, along with AmeriCorps members Jamie, Christina, and Nikkie set up a booth at the ECSD career fair. They were able to reach over 300 students from seven different schools and participated in mock interviews for BBYA (Battle Born Youth Challenge Academy) for potential jobs through the AmeriCorps program.
AmeriCorps members Christina and Jamie, along with Director of Programs, Meghan at NOS's booth at the ECSD Career Fair.
October 31st | Trailing Treat
On Halloween Day, Nevada Outdoor School hosted a Trailing Treat event in Winnemucca at Water Canyon. There were 4 stations placed up the trail and were manned by myself, Nikkie, Beau, and Stephen. Families walked up the trail and got candy from each station. The weather was a little chilly but the hike kept everybody warm enough to enjoy candy.
Participants at Trailing Treat.
October 2024 | Elko Nature in My World Programming
The Nevada Outdoor School Elko office started our Nature in My World (NIMW) lessons on October 14th. We have loved being in the schools and teaching our NIMW lessons. So far, we have taught 22 lessons and have increased our TSO. One of our 4th-grade classes wrote stories about what they thought happened at the dig sites during our archeology lesson and sent them into our office to read. This was a huge highlight of our year so far! We are enjoying getting to know the students and teachers!
EIAA Students Learning about Elk.
October 2024 | Winnemucca Nature in My World Programming
Orovada 3rd Grade Learning about Owl Pellets.
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