Announcements from the Southern Nevada Group

Monthly General Meetings are held at Nevada Power Co. on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Prior to the monthly meeting, there will be a social time from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Contact Gary Beckman for more info.

• Date: May 14th (Wednesday)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Place: Wengert meeting room at the Nevada Power Co. (Use the east entrance.)
• Address: 6226 W. Sahara off Jones Blvd.
• Program:"Great Basin National Park -a mountain oasis," by Andrew Ferguson, the new Superintendent for GBNP. Only 286 mi northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada's only "National Park" contains awesome scenery with 13,063-ft Wheeler Peak, a glacier, pristine glacial lakes, moraines, a world-class cavern, a rock arch, 5,000-year-old bristle cone pine trees, aspen trees, alpine wildflowers, many species of mammals, wonderful camping and hiking, and much more! Learn about the environmental threats to the park, including potential air pollution from proposed coal-burning power plants, and hydrological and ecological damage from proposed groundwater withdrawal from adjacent valleys. All members and general public welcome.

Announcements, free literature & refreshments, too.

Conservation meeting: 6-7 p.m. just prior to the monthly meeting at Nevada Power. Agenda: Updates on recent local conservation issues we've worked on.
                                                                                  

Next ExCom Meeting

So. NV GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (ExCom) MEETING –Mon. May 5th, 6-8:30 p.m.  Sierra Club office, 732 S. 6th St (at Gass) Ste. 200B. All members welcome. Rita Ransom, 395-6992 or rita.ransom@hotmail.com.

Upcoming Wilderness Volunteer Stewardship Trip

Fred Ehrlich here.  July 15 -23, 2008 I am leading the Sierra Club national service trip outing #08305 Service In The Arc Dome Wilderness.  Arc Dome is located approximately half way between  Austin and Tonopah, Nevada at 8,000' elevation off state Hiway 376.  Our service project will be  along the North Fork of Twin River.  The trip brochure is available on line at: www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/brochure/08305a.asp

MY e-mail is   ehrlichf@cox.net and telephone number is (702) 456-7920.  HOWEVER  it is best anyone interested in doing the service trip should first read the brochure as this is a national Sierra Club outings service and there is valuable information included in the trip brochure that specifies and explains all this.  For example the trip price is $395.00 and it is a designated a Sarah Churchill trip which means adults  25 and younger get a discount on the price.  Sarah was a young lady who led SC national outings and unexpectedly passed away and this Fund was set up in her honor to encourage younger folk to do get involved in doing national outings eventually becoming  national outings trip leaders and trip cooks themselves.  Please encourage interested people to consult the trip brochure:  www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/brochure/08305a.asp

Cheers,
Fred

Sierra Club booth at Summerlin Earthfaire attracts many Earth Day participants

Volunteers were plentiful, as were the crowds, at the Earth Day celebration for southern Nevada called Earthfaire which is held on the Saturday closest to Earth Day each year in Summerlin, Nevada. The official Earth Day is April 22nd, the day after the birthday of Sierra Club founder John Muir (many believed John Muir's birthday was April 22nd, but what has now turned into the world's largest secular celebration is actually a day after his birthday). This year we held an Environmental Poster contest amongst Clark County high school students. Here are two of the winning posters that were prominently displayed at our booth:

The Sierra Club booth was actually two booths, the one below highlighting our Power2Change program. Even the canines loved it! The dog in the photo below is named Rocky and belongs to Adrienne Paraspolo (Get it? -- Rocky and Adrienne?). Our two Power2Change volunteers who were passing out energy-saving Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs are Mary Beth Williams and Cynthia Zermeno.

SIGN THE UPPER LAS VEGAS WASH PETITION –

Ask our senators to protect all 13,000 acres of the Upper Las Vegas Wash, and give it National Conservation Area status under the jurisdiction of the BLM. The petition is available on-line at www.tulespringslv.com, click “Ice Age Park,” or www.ipetitions.com/petition/iceagepark  Remember, there is NO CONTRIBUTION required and anyone can sign, even children. The goal is 20,000 signatures by April. Please ask everyone you know to sign it and help us protect this rare treasure. Return them to Rita Ransom, rita.ransom@hotmail.com, 395-6992.

Call for Yosemite Valley volunteers

The LeConte Memorial Lodge is a 104-year-old museum, library and visitor center operated by the Sierra Club in Yosemite National Park. We are looking for Sierra Club members interested in volunteering for one or two weeks between May 1 and September 28th. Hours of operation are from 10 am - 4 pm, Weds.-Sun, and 8 - 10 pm for weekend evening programs. Volunteers enjoy free entrance to Yosemite National Park and free camping at the group campsite during the time they volunteer. For more information visit www.sierraclub.org/education/leconte/volunteering.asp or contact Bonnie Gisel, the LeConte Lodge curator, at leconte.curator@sierraclub.org or (209) 403-6676 (before May 1). After May 1 call (209) 372-4542.

Give Input on Sheep Mountain Parkway

PROPOSED SHEEP MOUNTAIN PKWY. EIS SCOPING MEETINGS – NOTE DATE CHANGES!   May 20, 4-7 pm at North Las Vegas Library 2300 Civic Center Drive; May 29, 4-7 pm at Centennial Hills Community Center; 6601 N. Buffalo Drive. This proposed highway is a bad idea for so many reasons. Come to one of the meetings and offer your comments. You can arrive and depart anytime between 4 and 7 p.m. Check www.sheepmountainparkway.com.

Sierra Club Wilderness Project in southern Nevada highlighted

Over the President's Day weekend this year Vicki Hoover organized a service project to the Meadow Valley Wilderness area that included Sierra Club volunteers from four states. For an article written by Toni Wall about the service project click on http://www.sierraclub.org/ca/wilderness/wow/2008-04.pdf
For Vicki's photos of the weekend go to: http://vhoover.smugmug.com/

Friends of Nevada Wilderness

FRIENDS OF NEVADA WILDERNESS – Many volunteer projects available. Angie Dykema, Forest Project Coordinator, (775) 324-7667 or angie@nevadawilderness.org

Sierra Club Staff Activities

Contact lydia.ball@sierraclub.org or 732-7750 for information

Sierra and Beer – The last Thursday of every month, 7:00 p.m. at the Freakin’ Frog, 4700 S. Maryland Pkwy. Come enjoy a pint, socialize with your fellow Sierrans & learn more about local Club issues.

Red Rock Audubon Society Meetings

REDROCK AUDUBON SOCIETY – Second Mondays, 7:00 p.m. in the Wengert Rm. at Nevada Power (same location as Sierra Club). Now meeting the second Monday of every month (except June, July, August, and December. Diane Jadlowski, jadski@cox.net

Help Monitor and Prevent Vandalism to Archaeological Sites

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE STEWARDS NEEDED
The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office seeks volunteers to monitor and prevent vandalism to archaeological sites in Nevada. Info: 895-4863, www.nevadaculture.org.

Want to Talk Liberal Politics?

DRINKING LIBERALLY
An informal, progressive social group that gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. Every Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Tenaya Creek Restaurant and Brewery, 3101 N. Tenaya Way. Info: www.drinkingliberally.org.

News from The Nevada Wilderness Project

Sunday, April 27th – Wilderness values trip to Gateway Canyon in the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area out at Red Rock.  Moderate 3.5 mile hike with a few hundred feet of elevation gain and a few spots scrambling climbing over rocks.  We will meet up at 9am and should be done before noon.  For more info on the hike check out www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Red_Rocks/Gateway/0Gateway.htm   RSVP to get the details and meet up location.    

Tuesday, May 6th – Help out at the NWP booth at the Strawberry Festival educating folks and encouraging them to take action to protect Gold Butte.  From 4-8pm at Gardens Park, take 215 west, exit Town Center, and turn right after two blocks on Gardens Park Drive.

Saturday, June 14th – Restoration trip in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.  We will help the US Fish and Wildlife Service on some route closures in Joy May Canyon.  7:30am – 1pm.  RSVP to get the details and the meet up location.

Every Wednesday Night – Help out at the NWP booth at the Las Vegas Farmers Market educating folks and encouraging them to take action to protect Gold Butte.  From 4-8pm at Bruce Trent Park, Vegas Dr and Rampart. 

To sign-up for any event or for more info contact me at 702.369.1871 or nick.dobric@wildnevada.org

WISH LIST

REFRESHMENTS FOR MONTHLY MEETINGS – Everyone is invited to bring a food and/or beverage item to share at our Sierra Club meetings.

SUMMER KIDS’ CAMP – Do you love working with kids? Help them learn about the great outdoors. City of Las Vegas is looking for coordinators from the Sierra Club to help plan and conduct a one-week day camp experience at Floyd Lamb State Park in June. Give inner city kids an experience of a lifetime. Teach them how to enjoy, love and protect the outdoors. The planners are open to all ideas. Deborah Massey, 229-2488.

SOCIAL COORDINATOR – Do you love to give or attend parties and other social events? WE NEED YOU! Help plan and coordinate social events for our Group. Limited only by your imagination! Modest budget available to help with expenses. Rita Ransom, 395-6992 or rita.ransom@hotmail.com

PROPOSED TRASH TRANSFER FACILITY – We need someone to help us investigate and take a stance on the       proposed trash transfer facility at Ann Rd. and 215 on the west side of the 215.  This is near RNP neighborhoods and on the worst possible curve on the 215.  The Sierra Club has taken issue with trash transfer stations before. See http://www.sierraclub.org/trashtransfer/basics.asp                                  
Contact Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, 818-5488 or mayoderiso@aol.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for TRAILS DISTRIBUTION
If you can help distribute copies of the Trails, as well as membership brochures, schedules and
posters, to one or more libraries, outdoor sports stores and government agencies in the Southern Nevada Group's area (from Laughlin in the south to Elko and Goldfield in the north) please contact Walt Barbuck 735-9411 or Gary Beckman, 648-2983.

Can you help coordinate Trails distribution every two months? There are helpers available to actually distribute the papers, but a coordinator is essential. This is an easy job! The papers would be delivered to you, and then you contact the helpers who pick them up and get them out to libraries and other locations in and around Las Vegas. Please help!

POLITICAL COMMITTEE is BACK in ACTION!
Come and help the Political Committee choose who our local Southern Nevada Group should endorse in the upcoming election cycle.  We will be contacting local elected representatives, sending them a questionnaire on their environmental positions, and meeting with them face to face.  Co-chairs Chris Miller/Mae L. Bell at ChrisMiller@TheMillersHouse.com, or 702-947-0861

Other Opportunities to Get Involved

GROCERY STORES SHOULD POST MERCURY WARNING SIGNS – Check to see if your local grocery store has mercury warnings at their fish counters, and report results to Kris Cunningham, krissysjake@gmail.com or 285-6832. Kris will contact stores’ corporate headquarters.

Cultural Site Stewardship Specially-trained volunteers monitor and protect sensitive sites.  www.publiclands.unlv.edu/cssp.htm

GET OUTDOORS NEVADA Trains volunteers to assist the four federal land-management agencies.  http://www.getoutdoorsnevada.org 

Saturday, May 3 – BLM litter clean-up at Sunrise Mgmt. area near Henderson                                            
Friday, May 16 - First annual public lands bus tour of Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area.
Saturday, May 31 – Restoration event at the Griffith Peak Trail Head in the Spring Mountains. To register please contact Friends of Nevada Wilderness at (775) 324-7667

Outside Las Vegas Foundation Protects and revitalizes park sites, creates trails, produces publications. www.outsidelasvegas.org

Take Pride in America Coordinates anti-litter initiative; includes cleanups & work on strengthening anti-litter and anti-dumping regulations and penalties. www.publiclands.unlv.edu/takepride.htm  

 
 Recycling Links to 15 companies that recycle aluminum, appliances, auto batteries, cardboard, electronics, ink cartridges, magazines, newspapers, paper, plastic, pallets, and scrap metal. www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/environmental_health/solid_waste/recycling_opportunities.htm

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation Recycles old cell phones and used portable, rechargeable batteries. www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.php

Volunteers Needed! Seed Collection; Water Safety; Campground hosts; Nancy Bernard with Lake Mead National Recreation Area at 702-293-8714.

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