July 19 Marks the Last Day to Cast Your Vote at Patagonia

In May, River Wranglers received an email from Patagonia, asking if they would like to participate in the Voice Your Choice Program.

The impetus behind the program is Patagonia’s desire to give money directly to our community in a way that helps a local environmental cause. Environmental activism is the backbone of Patagonia and giving to local environmental groups working on local issues is part of their mission. They believe that activism takes many forms, and voting (in national, state or local elections) is the beginning of how we get involved in local environmental issues.

Patagonia selected their top five organizations and invite the public to vote on the one that will receive a $4000 donation. The winner is determined by the most votes received.

The program launched in the store June 10 and ends July 19, 2008. The voting place is the Patagonia Outlet, situated on White Fir, off 4th Street and Woodhaven in Reno, west of McCarran Blvd.

River Wranglers set up a table Saturday, June 21 from 10:00-1:30 at the store. Silver Stage High School graduates, Kiley Woosley and Adam McGuire worked with River Wranglers coordinator, Linda Conlin, to introduce the non-profit to the public.

“We are so excited to be one of five organizations selected.” exclaimed Linda Conlin, River Wranglers coordinator. “But living in rural Nevada creates a challenge for residents to support River Wranglers because of the distance and cost of fuel. If you are shopping or have appointments in Reno, please consider going to the Reno Patagonia Outlet Store and voting.”

The reception to announce the winner of the Voice Your Choice Progam will be August, 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm. The public is invited to the Patagonia Outlet that evening as the winner is announce. You are invited to join the festivities and learn about other environmental causes in the area.

River Wranglers Recognizes Prida and Service to Nevada State Parks

The Carson River Festival, May 10, ended with a ceremony at Buckland Station to recognize Supervisor Jim Prida and his career with Nevada State Parks.

Prida, a graduate in Outdoor Recreation Management from the University of Nevada, Reno, began his career with Nevada State Parks at Ft. Churchill in 1974 as a park interpreter. Serving at parks throughout the state, he finished his 34 year career by spending the past 18 years as the supervisor of Ft. Churchill State Historic Park.

“I feel so honored with this ceremony.” said Prida “It is a wonderful gesture. It blows me away and makes my year. My career couldn’t have ended any better.”

River Wranglers hosted the celebration at Buckland Station where a commemorative tree was planted to mark a long and successful career. The silver maple tree was donated by Community Roots, a Dayton nursery.

“Jim Prida and River Wranglers worked together through the years.” remarked Linda Conlin, coordinator of River Wranglers. “We want to mark the end of his successful career and commend him for the Buckland Station restoration project which was a highlight of his later years with the park system.”

River Wranglers hosted the gathering at Buckland Station with refreshments. The afternoon festivities ended with a tour of Buckland Station led by Supervisor Jim Prida.

Silver Stage High School Students Volunteer at Carson River Festival

Sixteen Silver Stage High School students volunteered at the Festival and learned more about our river in the process.

Alex Mitchell and John Lawver presented an activity about wetlands. They met with Ranger Dominic Bravo at the wetlands in Washoe Valley State Park and learned about the habitat created by wetlands that provides nesting and feeding areas for a variety of animals. They presented a Project WET activity called Wetland Metaphor.

Hannah Rowley, Raleigh Fife and Amanda Smith displayed mammal pelts and information about coyotes, bobcats, cougars, beavers, badgers and skunk. Rowley developed an activity booklet for the public to match up the animal to its track. To prepare for the event the students met with State Park Rangers Eric Johnson and Rob Holley.

Rachel Willimott, interested in learning about agriculture, selected animal by-products as her subject. She researched information on-line and worked with Darci Beaton, Yerington, to learn more about the subject. Willimott created an activity to challenge the public to match up the products we use and rely on daily to the livestock animals.

Aquatic insects attracted Bonnie Cooper and she worked with Margie Evans from the Clear Creek Watershed Council to learn more about them. Cooper dressed as an aquatic insect, using the adaptations insects use to survive in water. The kids loved seeing how they get food and defend themselves from predators

Kyle Whetzel and Lyle Fife covered insects and arachnids. They traveled to UNR and met with Professor Kelly Kissine in the biology department. Whetzel featured a display with scorpions and Fife used a collection lent to him from entomologist, Henry Kilmer.

Rebecca Palmer, State Historic Preservation Society, met with Nancy Ussery to explore archaeology in Nevada. Palmer lent a variety of artifact, old bottles, cans, nails and glass, found in Nevada. Ussery developed a “dig” with the help of SSHS teacher, Pauline Rusert.

Bright colors and a paint brush provided the medium for face painter, Aubrey Childs as she decorated faces, arms and hands with flowers and insects. Central Lyon Youth Connections provided the supplies and volunteer to add to the color of the day.

Beth Clark traveled to the Mason Valley Fish Hatchery and worked with Doug Anderson to learn about fish in Nevada. She talked about fish; native vs. non-native species, and provided art activities for the visitors. Carolyn Mosher helped with gyotaku (Japanese fish printing) and wooden fish painting activities.

Tina Wilhelmi plans to volunteer at Lake Lahontan this year and selected a project to expand her knowledge of water bodies in Nevada. She spent the morning job shadowing Bud Stinson with Mason Valley Mosquito Abatement. Together they used nets to catch mosquito minnows, small fish that feed on mosquito larvae. As her project at the river, Wilhelmi helped children release the minnows in the river so they could help control mosquitoes in the Silver Springs area.

Mary Kay Riedl, environmental scientist with Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, worked with Thomas Lane as he explored non-point source pollution. Using an enviroscape model, Lane simulated pollution attributed to residents and showed the impact we have on our river. Non-point source pollution comes from improper use of fertilizer and pesticides, leaky car fluids or illegal disposal of those fluids etc.

Matt Duncan and Harlan Aigner worked together on a popular station, reptiles. Using some of his reptile collection, Duncan talked with the public about issues regarding native and non-native animals. Releasing non-native “pets” can cause problems for the native species. Children were able to hold snakes and lizards as Duncan and Aigner discussed the animals and their habitat requirements.

Before the Festival, Kiley Woosley spent volunteer hours doing streambank restoration with the Dayton Valley Conservation District. She worked with horticulturist, Dan Greytak, to rake in native seeds and cover them with erosion control cloth. Then the cloth was staked with wooden pegs. Woosley used pictures from the restoration project to create a display and talk with the public about the importance of well-vegetated river banks, able to hold soil and control erosion. She also distributed the lilac bushes sponsored by the Dayton Valley Conservation District.

River Wranglers appreciates Ft. Churchill State Historic Park and the Nevada State Park system for co-sponsoring this event. They also received support from Silver Springs organizations. New Hope Recovery Ranch volunteers helped set-up for the event. Burke’s Market supplied ice. Anna Brueher, Silver Stage High School, helped with event posters and materials. The Train Station Concession provided lunch for the teen volunteers. Central Lyon Youth Connections sponsored face painting to add a touch of color and festivity to the day.

Carson River Festival Draws Hundreds of Visitors to Ft. Churchill

Ft. Churchill State Historic Park and River Wranglers hosted the Carson River Festival on Saturday, May 10. High school students throughout the watershed presented activities for the public to learn more about the ecology of the Carson River.

Nine Dayton High School students volunteered at the Festival and learned more about our river in the process.

Theresa Hardy presented an activity about wild horses. Hardy adopted a mustang from the Warm Springs Correctional Center and was interested in learning about issues regarding wild horses in Nevada. She met with Bonnie Compston with the Wild Horse Preservation Society and Don Alt, a local rancher, to explore the various viewpoints regarding wild vs. feral horses.

“I agreed with both points of view.” said Hardy. “They just need to find a common ground and a way to work together.”

Zaria Hanses and Christy McCoy worked with John Swisher, Nevada Department of Wildlife, with Operation Game Thief – a display of poached animals from Nevada.

Kelly Elloyan, DHS sophomore, met with Pat Fried, Great Basin Sports, to learn about boating safety. As part of his job shadow, Elloyan traveled to Lake Tahoe and worked with a large group of disabled students to teach them the importance of wearing and properly fitting life vests. He brought an activity from Kids Don’t Float safety program to the Carson River Festival.

Meghan Hines prepared an activity comparing reptiles and amphibians. She used a hands-on activity to explore the differences in skin texture and eggs. She brought her pet turtles and talked about how damaging it can be to release non-native animals such as turtles and goldfish into the environment.

Ashley Putzer did her job shadow with George Baumgardner, curator of natural history at the Nevada State Museum. She did gyotaku (Japanese fish printing) with children at the river.

Lilli Lund explored her interest in recycling by meeting with Chet Sergeant from Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. She researched information about the impacts of paper and plastic bags on our environment. Lund offered an activity to color cloth grocery bags sponsored by River Wranglers and Lyon County Room Tax Grant.

Kids got a chance to explore bird migration with Kaci Mace. She met with Robin Powell, Nevada Audubon Society, and developed an activity for the kids to learn more about birds and competition. Kaci also gave books about Important Birds in Nevada to interested attendees.

Chris Sikora did his job shadow with the Carson City Fire Department. Sikora was interested in wild fires and the importance of developing defensible space around homes. He referred to Living with Fire curriculum from UNR’s Cooperative Extension as he provided information to the public.

River Wranglers appreciates all the support from Dayton Valley. Smith’s Food and Drug Store donated food for breakfast for the volunteers. Community Roots donated a hardy Silver Maple tree to commemorate Park Supervisor, Jim Prida’s retirement. The Dayton Valley Conservation District sponsored plants so each family attending the Festival took home a lilac bush from the NDF Nursery. Warren Shaul, DHS science teacher, was the official event photographer. Central Lyon Youth Connections sponsored face painting to add a touch of color and festivity to the day.

Support comes from Carson Water Subconservancy District, Western Nevada RC&D, Smallwood Foundation, Dayton Valley Conservation District and Patagonia. A Lyon County Room Tax Board grant promotes advertising.

Fernley Teens Volunteer at Carson River Festival

Teens representing four high schools volunteered to spend the day at the Carson River on May 10. They set up activities and stations for the public to learn more about the Carson River ecology.

Three Fernley High School students volunteered as River Wranglers and set up activities for the public to learn more about the ecology of the Carson River.

Chris Turk worked with Jennifer Dawson, Ft. Churchill State Historic Park ranger, to learn about Leave No Trace. This ethic, supported by Nevada State Parks, and other federal and state agencies, encourages people to leave no impact on the environment. Quote

As a nine year scout member and Eagle Scout candidate, Turk was excited to share his knowledge about Leave No Trace and teach people how to minimize our impact.

“I learned about Leave No Trace; to keep dogs leased in the backcountry and properly dispose of waste.” said Turk. “I brought examples of how to compact items for travel in the backcountry and get rid of excess packaging.”

Andi Bolstad was interested in exploring turtles and tortoises in Nevada. She learned that the most common turtle found in the Carson River is the Western Pond Turtle. Bolstad, a FHS junior, planned an activity for elementary children creating turtle rock art. The kids loved this activity.

Amanda Van Pelt worked with Bob Van Pelt, 4-H volunteer leader for the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program, to set up a display of the food that animals within the watershed consume.

This family-friendly event featured the Newlands Project mobile museum, sponsored by Lahontan Valley Environmental Alliance, and Operation Game Thief, sponsored by Nevada Department of Wildlife. Smokey Bear even made his appearance thanks to the Nevada Division of Forestry.

The Slidebase Jammers were on hand to fill the park with music and the public sat on straw bales eating picnic lunches as they enjoyed their great sound.

The Train Station concession provided a wide variety of choices for lunch and they generously provided food for the teen volunteers.

The Festival is sponsored by River Wranglers and Nevada State Parks. Additional support comes from Carson Water Subconservancy District, Western Nevada RC&D, Smallwood Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Non-point Source, Dayton Valley Conservation Service and Scolari’s Food and Drug Store.

Through a generous grant from the Lyon County Room Tax Board, the event was advertised by sending more than 52,000 flyers home with elementary students in Washoe, Storey, Douglas, Carson, Churchill and Lyon counties

If you missed out on the fun this year, don’t worry as the 9th annual event will be held May 2, 2009 and you’re invited! For additional information about River Wranglers email nevadariverwranglers@yahoo.com.

Silver Stage High School Constructs Shed for River Wranglers

The shed began as a high school construction class project without a home. It ended up as a storage shed for the local non-profit, River Wranglers.

“I approached Dick Mesna about building a shed for River Wranglers.” said coordinator, Linda Conlin. “He asked what size I was interested in, showed me the building under construction and we went for it.”

The Silver Stage High School Construction II class of 2007 worked on the shed all year long. Most of the building was constructed twice, the second time to “get it right.”

It is constructed more like a small home rather than a shed because it is framed 16” on center, is insulated, sheet rocked and textured. The students even constructed the trusses.

Andy Jimenez, Victor Albarron, Frank Crandall, Joe Copp, Adam Crandall, Andrew Codeiro and Dowain Swain were the principal members of the construction team, working on the project from beginning to end.

“You can literally park an elephant on it, it’s that sturdy” said Dick Mesna, construction teacher.

The shed, measuring 8x16 ft., has nearly 200 square feet of shelving for storage. Conlin is ready to fill it up with educational materials, monitoring supplies

Relocating the shed proved to be a challenge as it is so heavy. Mike Lenox, owner of Lenox Barns, offered to help move the shed.

For years River Wranglers stored equipment at Ft. Churchill and appreciates the state park for generously providing storage space. With the new storage shed, River Wranglers has the capacity to more effectively organize educational materials and equipment to work with schools in the watershed.

“I want to thank Dick Mesna and the team he inspired to create such a great building. Their construction is fantastic.” said Conlin. “I also appreciate Mike Lennox for taking time and providing equipment to move the shed. Such community support makes River Wranglers work along the Carson River even more meaningful.”

River Wranglers Recognizes Teen Volunteer of the Year

Kiley Woosley, a 2008 graduate from Silver Stage High School, was selected as the first annual teen volunteer by River Wranglers. She received a certificate and commendation at the senior awards night prior to graduation.

Kiley was involved with River Wranglers as a 4th grade student at Silver Springs Elementary School and traveled to the Carson River with a teen mentor. Several years later she returned as a mentor to work with a group of 4th graders.

Kiley worked several years with River Wranglers through Silver Stage High School and as a volunteer outside of class.

“River Wranglers has been a great experience because it’s given me hands-on training for my future career in rangeland management.” said Kiley regarding her years as a volunteer.

For years, Woosley worked with River Wranglers to teach the public about noxious weeds and streambank stabilization at the Carson River Festival. This year she traveled to Dayton and worked on a Dayton Valley Conservation District erosion control project.

“Whenever I needed volunteers, I could always count on Kiley to help willingly and enthusiastically.” said Linda Conlin, River Wranglers coordinator. “I will miss her when she leaves.”

Woosley is enrolled in the US Navy delayed entry program and plans to leave in August for basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois.

Her spirit of cooperation and willingness to learn new things will serve her well in the future. River Wranglers thanks Kiley Woosley for her dedication and commitment to River Wranglers and the Carson River.