Friends of Nevada Wilderness

Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the Reno Phil to enjoy music inspired by nature on March 22 and 23, including the world premiere performance of The Sacrifice of Prometheus by Great Basin National Park's Artist-in-Residence, composer Marko Bajzer. "The Sacrifice of Prometheus tells the story of the planet’s oldest trees (and Nevada's state tree!): the Great Basin Bristlecone Pines. Written for solo bass oboe, orchestra, and electronics, listeners will experience the actual sounds emitted by the trees themselves, as Bajzer used electrodes to monitor their electrical conductivity and converted the data into audible representations through new technology." Check out our latest email newsletter for a special discount code, or get your tickets today: https://lnkd.in/gbhGyJBU Read more about compose Marko Bajzer: https://lnkd.in/geD9Jr3F ?? Tara Nasvik

Mark your calendars for April 10-13, 2025 because it’s time for our beginner-friendly Gateway to the Outdoors volunteer stewardship trip! If you’ve ever wanted to volunteer in an environmental conservation capacity but never knew where to start, this is the perfect opportunity for you! During this four-day camping trip we will teach you all you need to know about responsible camping, hiking, and what it means to be a steward of the land. This trip is suitable for anyone over the age of 18 and we especially encourage newcomers to join! Friends of Nevada Wilderness will provide tents, sleeping bags, and other gear to whoever may need them. We also provide meals, so no need to worry about cooking. For more information and to RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gxNmP4iw A huge thanks to Cox Communications for funding this great opportunity and to our amazing partners at Lake Mead National Recreation Area for hosting us!

From hiking and swimming to hunting and off-roading, public lands are where we connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors. But these lands are under threat like never before as calls for privatization and sale build with the new administration. "This Congress and the Trump administration are trying to make it easier to lease or sell 640 million acres of public lands, including America’s most iconic landscapes, and turn our back on the Indigenous and local groups that championed their protection. The government’s plans could revoke our access to hike, climb, camp, fish and hunt in the places we treasure. Small-business owners who rely on tourists would suffer from the drop in visitation. The entire surrounding communities would be affected by the economic shift and the pollution that would come when the drilling or mining starts." Read more from Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert on what America stands to lose if we lose our public lands heritage: https://lnkd.in/evPCVPwn

Starving the agencies and neglecting the land is no way to treat America's Best Idea. "Lake Mead National Recreation Area was the ninth most-visited recreation park in the National Park Service in 2023, with about 5.8 million visitors. The recreation area produced an estimated $358 million in economic impact that year. "Now the heavily visited lake has lost at least 13 National Park Service employees who provided vital services for the public, a move by the White House that could threaten public health, visitor safety, and recreation access, while curtailing economic activity." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ghwTxQFR

Public lands are our shared American heritage, an idea unique to our country found nowhere else in the world. Neglecting the agencies who manage and care for these wild treasures will benefit no one. Trails and roads will go unmaintained, recreation permits will be delayed, and bathrooms will go without cleaning - these are the services we all rely on when enjoying the outdoors, especially in Nevada, and they can’t happen without staff. Our elected officials must stand up for the agencies than manage over 85% of the lands in Nevada that we rely on for recreation and our local economies and livelihoods. We stand with the Forest Service, the Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Bureau of Land Management, who are on the front lines of caring for our public lands, and our hearts go out to the many talented indivduals affected: https://lnkd.in/gzxZFVct

We are disappointed that Congressman Mark Amodei has introduced legislation to remove the President's power to protect historic, prehistoric, and scientific resources. This presidential ability is a critical part of the 1906 Antiquities Act for protecting America’s treasured cultural and scientific resources. The Antiquities Act has been utilized by both Republicans and Democrats to protect places like Devils Tower/Bears Lodge (1906, Pres. T. Roosevelt), Death Valley (1933, Pres. Hoover), and the Jackson Hole/Grand Tetons area (1943, Pres. FDR). During his first term, in 2018 President Trump proclaimed Camp Nelson National Monument in Kentucky. While protections of these important resources may have been done legislatively, some of these sensitive resources may not survive lengthy Congressional battles. Nevada’s newest monument, Avi Kwa Ame was a testament to a local, on-the-ground process that brought elected officials, rural communities, Tribal communities, and the outdoor recreation and conservation communities together to protect important cultural resource landscapes. In Nevada, we hope Congressman Amodei will utilize his position on the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands to work with the rest of our Congressional delegation and Governor Lombardo along with a broad range of stakeholders to pass meaningful public lands bills to address both conservation and development needs the Nevada Way: together. ?? Meg Tait: Avi Kwa Ame National Monument

We are hiring a Stewardship Associate for the 2025 field season! We are looking for someone interested in leading volunteers on conservation projects and working throughout Nevada! An ideal candidate would be passionate about developing their outdoor leadership, driven to work independently and in a group setting, enthusiastic about public lands, and would show a general excitement for camping, hiking, cooking, and working in remote Nevada. The primary responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to: supporting and leading a variety of volunteer-based stewardship projects throughout backcountry Nevada; inputting and preparing project files and collected data; accurately collecting and recording data with good attention to detail; motivating and supporting volunteers, keeping them comfortable and enthused. This position requires self-motivation, a positive attitude, flexibility while working in a multi-task environment, and the ability to hike up to 10 continuous miles per day with a heavy pack, lift up to 50 lbs, and work outdoors in all types of weather. To read the position description go to https://lnkd.in/gK76YhC

This #TrailsTuesday, we're celebrating our 2024 Agency Partner of the Year, Randy Kyes with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest! Randy works with the Forest Service in the Reno Supervisors office as the Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness Staff Officer. In his position, Randy provides outstanding leadership in managing the many diverse Wilderness areas across the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Randy’s dedication to working with partner organizations like us is unparalleled. He’s helped us professionalize our trail crews with crosscut certifications, he’s provided countless Letters of Support for our grant requests, and he’s always interested in brainstorming ideas for how we can help make the biggest impact on the massive Wilderness trail system he oversees. Most of the work Randy does is behind the scenes, which is why we wanted to make sure he gets the recognition he deserves as the Friends of Nevada Wilderness Agency Partner of the Year!

Congratulations to Kevin Williams, awarded the Golden Spatula Award at the 2024 Pat Bruce Wilderness Wingding! The Golden Spatula Award was created to highlight a volunteer who has outdone themselves by cooking award-winning dishes in the backcountry. Kevin has been a volunteer for over 10 years. Not only has he volunteered over 200 hours specifically in the Black Rock NCA, he also makes amazing food in the field. In 2024 alone, Kevin won 1st Place Dessert with his Playa Mud Pie and 2nd Place Dinner with his King Lear Pork at the Black Rock Rendezvous; 2nd Place Dinner with his Ranch Hand Pie and 2nd Place Dessert with his Sweet Like Higgins Cake at National Public Lands Day. That is not all, he also whips up amazing appetizers for everyone to eat when the work day is over, makes dutch oven bread, and shares freshly harvested pine nuts. Thank you Kevin for bringing your positive energy and amazing culinary skills to our stewardship projects! ?? Richie Bednarski

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Happy New Year from the Friends board and staff - we hope it is filled with plenty adventures underneath the wild Nevada stars! ?? Kurt Kuznicki: Soldier Meadows Cabin in the Black Rock-High Rock National Conservation Area