How to Beat the Winter Blues

It’s that time of year again, the clouds are hanging dark and heavy, and the wind takes another ten degrees from the already cold temperatures.  Bleak winter weather can drag even the most enthusiastic outdoor adventurer down into a case of the winter blues. However, if you properly prepare for the bitter temperatures, winter time offers a variety of fun and unique outdoor experiences and opportunities.

One of the most popular ways to get outside in the winter is to hit the slopes.  But if skiing or snowboarding isn’t for you, there are plenty of other opportunities to get outdoors in the winter. One of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is to get out and camp with my dogs and husband, and with just a few adjustments, and a little extra gear, it is something that we can still enjoy in the winter. Even without an expensive four season tent, you can take advantage of winter camping opportunities via public service cabins or Yurts, like the one in water Canyon!  Another favorite outdoor activity of mine is to hike. Winter hiking can be challenging when there’s a lot of snow, and special considerations for footwear may be necessary for traction. If the trail is particularly icy or snowy, pick up a pair of traction cleats, or give snowshoeing a try (If you’re not ready to commit to buying a pair of snow shoes, you can always rent a pair from NOS)! Another great way to get outside in the winter months is to enjoy a soak in some of the natural hot springs Nevada has to offer. Make sure to bring warm dry clothes to change into after you hop out. Some other great winter time outdoor activities include, sledding, ice skating, or if you prefer OHV’s, snowmobiling! 

When getting outdoors this winter, be sure to travel on durable surfaces, like established trails, and packed snow, avoid recreating on sloppy muddy terrain if possible.  Make sure you are prepared for the elements, by wearing the appropriate layers and gear. Bring a map and use it, it can be easy to lose the trail in even a few inched of snow. Oh, and have fun! The possibilities are endless, so throw on some extra warm layers, and get outside. Don’t forget the hot cocoa! 

Happy Trails!

-Space Jam

Education and Interpretation

This past week, I traveled to Las Vegas for a National Association of Interpretation (NAI) training.  This training took place over a four-day period and included many exercises and activities centered around interpretation as well as an open book test and formal presentation.  Overall, it was a great training and one I would definitely recommend to anyone who interacts with the public formally and/or informally to foster a sense of understanding and appreciation for a resource (educators, trail guides, naturalists, museum workers, rangers, etc.)  

As someone who has a degree in formal education and has only learned about interpretation informally through others, it was hard for me to wrap my head around “interpretation” at first.  In formal education, you have a set of standards that guide your instruction and knowledge gain is your ultimate goal.  Interpretation, simply put, forges connections between the audience and the resource (whatever you might be presenting on).  Interpretation is an interactive and entertaining two-way communication process that builds connections and sparks discussions and possible action.  Your ultimate goal isn’t necessarily knowledge gain (although that certainly can be an outcome) but more importantly leaving your audience empowered and motivated to learn more or do something because they feel a personal connection.  

At Nevada Outdoor School, many of our programs are education-based such as our classroom lessons and field trip experiences.  We work with each grade’s educational content standards (Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards) and develop lessons/field trips that relate to those standards and better help students understand those concepts.  We evaluate these programs on their effectiveness to increase concept knowledge.  However, at Nevada Outdoor School, our mission goes beyond education.  NOS inspires exploration of the natural world, responsible stewardship of our habitat and dedication to community.  We strive to connect people to the natural world through better understanding of natural systems with the goal of increasing stewardship and care for community.  Our goal isn’t just that a second grader can tell us what a watershed is, but more importantly can explain how they personally interact with their watershed on a daily basis, why clean water is important to them and how their actions can positively and negatively impact their local environment.  For this to happen, we must go beyond formal education and more into the world of interpretation.  

I believe this process of using formal education and interpretation is an important part to NOS’s education programs.  We want our kids to leave programs with a better understanding of concepts, but also with an inspired and empowered sense of caring and appreciation for the natural world!

Happy Trails!

-Jive

Nevada Outdoor School Donation Opportunities

How YOU can help!

Many of us wonder “What can I do and how can I help?”  Our success at NOS is greatly aided by our generous supporters.  There are many ways to donate either directly or indirectly to NOS.  And here is how:  

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Nevada Outdoor School every time you shop at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase price directly to NOS.   You use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you will need to select Nevada Outdoor School as your supporting organization before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation directly to NOS.  

GoodShop.com is the world's first-ever shopfunding site.  It’s another simple and automatic way to support NOS.  All you have to do is select Nevada Outdoor School as the organization you wish to support and then search for your desired website. Then, when you shop at thousands of stores, a percentage of what you spend will be donated directly to NOS.  https://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop   

Nevada’s Big Give is a 24-hour online crowdfunding event created to rally community support for Nevada’s charitable causes. This one-day fundraiser was created by NevadaGIVES and is powered by NevadaGIVES and United Way of Southern Nevada. It will be held on Thursday, March 22, 2018 from 12:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.  How does it work? On Thursday, March 22, 2018, NevadaGIVES will host Nevada’s Big Give, a 24-hour giving event encouraging charitable donations through our online giving platform. 

Or you can provide a direct donation through our Nevada Outdoor School website:  

http://www.nevadaoutdoorschool.org/donate.aspx

Please see below some of the donation opportunities that help us keep our student programs at the lowest cost possible!
$17 ......	Provides one hour of hands-on classroom science instruction for one student.
$120.....	Provides two weeks worth of classroom supplies.
$350.....	Pays for one child to attend our 3 day - 2 night Tahoe Excursion.
$800.....	Covers transportation for a bus load of students for any one of our Field Trips.

We here are NOS are forever grateful to our generous supporters.

Happy New Year, Happy Trails and Happy Donating! 

-Sunflower