River Wranglers

Conserve Carson River Work Days 2009

2010-01-27T19:00:00.001-08:00

River Wranglers organized or collaborated on six work days in the Carson River watershed at the end of the year. The first event, in Carson Valley, was taught by high school students from Douglas High School FFA. They worked with elementary 4th graders from Gardnerville and Minden elementary schools. The high school students did a great job and many returned the following day to teach students from CC Meneley and Minden schools. What we did not expect was the severe decline in weather as a storm moved into the area and drenched our event, bringing in freezing temperatures as well. Not to be undone by weather, we donned black plastic garbage bags fashioned into raincoats. We persevered and the day ended well, probably more memorable than most. Allyson Lammiman and her students make a great team. Thanks to all of them!

Special recognition to Kim for taking over the bioengineering station when the adult in charge had a medical emergency. She didn't even flinch, took over the station and the work went on!
Way to go, Kim!

Free Film Festival January 28, Carson City

2010-01-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

The public is invited to attend a free film festival to view student multimedia projects that explore how Carson River riparian areas benefit the community and need to be protected by the public. The festival will be held on January 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, 911 E. Musser St. Refreshments will be served, and a feature film about stream restoration will also be shown.

The video and slide-show projects are contestants in the Carson River Coalition Education Working Group’s “Keep Streamsides Greener, Keep Water Cleaner” contest, which will award a cash prize of $500 in each of four categories.

The contest was open to students in the ninth through 12th grades of Carson and Douglas high schools and Carson Valley and Pau-Wa-Lu middle schools. The entries had to be one to three minutes long, and were required to address this theme: How Carson River riparian areas benefit you and your community, and how to get people involved in riparian area preservation. Entries were judged on creativity, effective, quality of execution and compliance with contest rules and specifications.

The contest working group includes the Carson River Coalition’s Education Working Group, the Carson Water Subconservancy District, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and River Wranglers. Prizes will be awarded to the best individual video, team video, individual animated slide show and team animated slide show. Also, each winning entry’s sponsoring teacher will earn $100.

Although each entrant or team had a sponsoring teacher to encourage participation and provide general guidance, students developed their own concepts and entries.

Dr. Susan Donaldson, a water quality expert with Cooperative Extension and a contest organizer, said the contest gives students an appreciation of how riparian areas provide important wildlife habitat and help keep the river clean by filtering runoff.

“Healthy, diverse riparian areas store water and help reduce floods, filter water and keep it cool and provide a place for recreation,” said Donaldson, who takes field trips to the river with certain classes. “They add to our quality of life.”

Project WET and Sierra Nevada Journeys Workshop by C ora

2009-08-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

August 13, 2009, Thursday, my last day with Linda, this day came too fast. Seems like this whole thing started a week ago, and I am sad to say good-bye. I’ve met wonderful people I hopefully will see again, and I hopefully will see Linda again.

Well to start things off about today, we drove up to Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe, to have a fun day in the sun and do a Project WET workshop with Sierra Nevada Journeys. Mary Kay put the whole thing together, and Pat was in charge of kayaking from Sand Harbor to Thunderbird Lodge. We did a little ice breaker, go to know one another, and then we’re paired off onto the kayaks. Of course me and Linda were together. The water was calm and peaceful and looked so silky and smooth you just wanted to fall asleep on it, well I did anyways. A young woman, no older than in her twenties, told us history about Tahoe as we were paddling and we actually stopped above a school of fish. When we arrived at the little beach we set up canopies and got everything ready for the activities. Linda and I started things off with two posters and six questions per team, teams were separated through an invisible line on the sand. If you answered the question correctly on the first clue you got four points and if you got it on the second you got three points and so on, but there was only four clues. After that we got pieces of paper and you crumpled them and then traced the top of the wrinkles with brown and then you’d add green for plants, and blue for water, and that was an activity to make your 3-D watershed. Linda and I presented the Incredible Journey.. Everybody got to make a water cycle bracelet and, at the end, tell their journey. After this activity was completed, we all got to have our lunch break. Pat told us about the house over the water, the Thunderbird Lodge, so after we settled our stomachs we headed over to the house. Since the waves and the wind were picking up we had to quickly migrate back to Sand Harbor after loading up the kayaks once more. The ride back was rough but it was challenging and fun. We got soaked a few times from the crash of the waves but it was nothing we couldn’t handle. Safely to the shore we unloaded and got into groups of six and had to defend and a make a solution for the problem we were given. Nick from Sierra Nevada Journeys was in charge of this activity and got us ready for the problem. The problem was this: Las Vegas is taking water from eastern Nevada and eastern Nevada needs water from the Truckee River. We were given a role to play, like acting, and you had to state why you thought the way your card told you. In the end we figured that we should use our water more carefully, and that Las Vegas should think again about taking our water. After the little groups gathered again to our big we all told our stories and solutions. Then Mary Kay talked to us for a while about the books we passed out and we started looking over some activities the teachers could do in the classrooms. Then as the day was hot and we were all tired Mary Kay decided to wrap up the day. This was my final day working with Linda and it couldn’t have been better.

Carson River Summer School Field Trip by Cora

2009-07-21T13:55:00.002-07:00

July 21^st 2009, Linda and I worked with fourth graders teaching them about the Carson Watershed. They got into ten groups of four and sat around a map each group was given and we played a game kind of like ‘Where’s Waldo?’ I would pull out an animal pelt and Linda would say what it was, and at first I walked around with it so they could feel the fur but then Linda would take them from me so I wouldn’t have to. This was my very first time working with the animal pelts, and I was very uncomfortable. I couldn’t show the kids me emotions because if I was reacting weird to the pelts they would too. Well anyways they would find that animal on the map and then touch it. After that we ventured on for our hike down to the river. We stopped at the little wetland we had spotted before and we explained what wetlands were and how they were good to the environment. Linda and I did the activity about the wetlands where they pull out an object from the pillowcase. Every kid wanted to pull something from the pillow case, and they would crowd around me so I couldn’t move, and after they would pull they wanted to pull another one. So I ended up telling them to leave my area after they got to pick. A little girl said, ‘I haven’t picked yet. When are you going to let me pick? You’re not being fair.’ After that I didn’t let her go. Leaving the wetland was hard because the kids didn’t want to move. When we got around to the river, Linda played a game with them where they were detectives. They had to look around the river in the area we were in and decide if it was healthy or polluted. It was healthy, they decided. After we left from that little area, Linda and I walked down to a part where we had seen fishes the other day we were there, and little Jose followed us. Linda got a rock with bugs on it, but as we were walking toward the group of kids the bugs started falling off, so she got a new rock when we reached them by the river. The day was hot and no shade from clouds only trees, where ever you could find trees. It was fun working with the kids because they make you feel young again. A few little boys were saying songs that their friends made up that were around when I was there age, and they were drawing the same things I did when I was that age. It was just really pleasant.

Greenwings Festival at Canvasback Duck Club by Cora

2009-07-21T13:55:00.001-07:00

Giving up a Saturday isn’t always what someone wants to do. I don’t like giving them up but I made the exception for this particular Saturday. Linda took me out to Stillwater where they were hosting a kid event sponsored by the Canvasback Duck Club. The project that Linda and I did was about wetlands. We both had one pillow case and we would have things in it that the audience would pull out of our bag. We’d ask them what it was and how they thought it resembled part of a wetland. The audience was always shocked when they would pull out a box of Corn Flakes cereal, and they’d say they had no idea what it was for. Well Linda would say, ‘in the morning you go and pour yourself a bowl of this because… (Pause)….because you’re hungry right?’ Then the kids would say, ‘oh yea!’ We were also right next to the booth where they painted the decoy ducks, so that booth was super busy and a few kids thought they had to go to our booth before they could go paint one. When ever we had some parents bring over their kids we would make them reach in the bag and pull out an item. So we tried to make it fun for everyone. We had some wetland soil and when we would explain what wetlands were Linda or I would open up the container and tell them to smell it, and Linda tried really hard to get the reaction of some of the funny faces they made but she wasn’t quite successful. At lunch time Linda and I walked around the room to see what was going on inside, they had exhibits of duck wings, duck drawings for a contest, darts, and a silent auction with some pretty neat stuff. They had boats and guns outside we had heard about but we didn’t look around outside to see what they had outside. We met a lot of new people, saw some very cute little kids, and although people thought this event was for boys there were a lot of girls there too.

Water is Peter's Best Friend by Cora

2009-07-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

For my first project working with River Wranglers we created a flannel board. It’s titled ‘Water is Peter’s Best Friend’. The story is about a little boy named Peter, who has a best friend named Willy the water droplet. Willy tells Peter where water is and how good water is for everything. The flannel board is going in the Children’s Museum in the Carson River Watershed area of the museum. This project took quite some time to color and since I loved coloring I thought it was fun, now I don’t find coloring so fun, maybe not for a while. We presented the flannel board to Margie, Genie, Sue, and Mary Kay at an education working group meeting. It was the first time we had actually seen it fully together and complete. That was the point when I realized that it was finally done. Everybody who we presented it to thought it was it good, and they liked the colors we used. We are making another one, so hopefully this one can get done quicker now that we know what we are doing.

UNCE Environmental Festival by Cora

2009-07-21T13:51:00.002-07:00

At the UNCE Environmental Festival at Fuji Park, our table (Linda and me) was H2Olympics. Linda taught about cohesion by having people use a water dropper and putting water drops onto pennies. The average guesses that people had were about four or five, but actually twenty or more was what they ended up with on their penny before it over flowed. A little boy said, ’Wow! That’s really neat! How can it keep the bubble on the penny like that?’ And that’s when Linda would tell them about cohesion again. The second part of the Olympics was there would be a cup full of water and people would try to put on as many paperclips as you could onto the surface of the water but they couldn’t drop or it wouldn’t count. This one was for learning surface tension, and it was compared to the little bugs that can walk on the water in the river or pool. A lot of people (of all ages) thought this was pretty neat. The last one we did was to show adhesion, and I’d have a full cup of water with a wet piece of yarn running down to another cup that was either empty or had some water in it. Place my finger over the yarn in the far back of the full cup and run the yarn down to the other cup and hold it right above it so you can see the water dripping. Then pour the water cup down so people can see the water running down the yarn and into the other cup. It was the biggest attraction and many people came over just to see it! ‘I want to try it!’ ‘Can I try it!?’ ‘That is so cool!’ were what we heard most of the time we did that activity. When the people coming around to booths started slowing down Linda and I would water color for our newest project and since Margie had a booth next to ours we had her come over and watercolor too. Before lunch Linda and I walked around and met some new people that were working the booths and we got a free tree each, Linda got a cucumber plant, I got a lanyard about being drug free, and I got to make a bird feeder at the wildlife booth. We learned about some of the fish they work with and Linda got a bracelet in the colors of orange and a peach to resemble fish eggs. The Nevada Museum had a booth their and they had pictures of bears and snakes and coyotes, and they actually had rubber coyotes poop and Linda picked it up and was playing with it. I thought it was real and was getting really grossed out by this action she did until she told me it was rubber and she wouldn’t really touch coyote poop. The Museum exhibit also had bear scat, and they had three different kinds of snakes soaking in water and they had five types of lizards also soaking in the water. They had two snakes fully preserved and out in the sun so you could see them. They kind of scared me a little. Another thing they had was bear and coyote fossil foot prints. Those were my favorite thing they had. Today was really fun, and being outside all day was a blast, luckily the health man had sunscreen for everyone.

The Incredible Journey at Empire Elementary School by Cora

2009-07-21T13:51:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, July 15^th, Linda and I went to Empire Elementary school to teach 3^rd and 4^th graders about the water cycle. The project we did was The Incredible Journey, where you become a water droplet and you start some where in the water cycle. You start out with the sun bead, then you get placed, when you are at your starting point you put on that bead. After you get the bead you roll the die that is there and you go to wherever the die tells you to go in the water cycle. We taught three classes, and after I watched Linda teach the project in the first two classes she decided I was ready to teach the third class. So I would tell the class where you can go if you were in the part of the water cycle and what color bead you get. Then they were off. After all that my job became ‘The Tier’ and I would tie the bracelet off after they had gotten twelve beads and then put the bracelet on their wrists. A few of the kids didn’t follow directions and would roll the die, decide they didn’t like the spot they had to go to and would wander around to get the color they wanted. I caught them in the act and tattled to Linda. Then they pulled off the misplaced beads and put them back in the correct containers. I usually am a good teacher but I cannot keep the attention of little kids. So this was definitely a challenge, not having attention and not following directions. At least it was my favorite activity that I got to teach. I am very glad I got to teach but I wouldn’t do it again unless I was forced to (or Linda asked me to again).

Comstock Workers Wrap Trees at River by Cora

2009-07-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 8^th, the Comstock Workers program teamed up with the Dayton Valley Conservation District to wrap trees with wire for protection from the beavers. Blake Hiller was our leader and had planned on jobs for us to do. At first he had us pulling up dead White Top weeds from around the river bed. After that was accomplished Blake took us for a walk on the trails right around the river so we could learn about the damage that beavers were doing to the Cottonwood trees. Blake showed us how to wrap the trees so they would be safe from beavers and would still be able to grow. We then were put into groups and were given a new roll of wire and a pair of wire cutters. Around 10 o’clock Linda came and was helping out. Linda and I became a pair instead of a group and we went off to wrap some trees. We had to rewrap some of them, but then we got to wrap our own. We wrapped seven trees together over all and were forced back to our site to eat lunch. When that part of the day was through and everyone was gathered, Linda had an activity planned. Now earlier that day she told me I was going to be a beaver and asked if I would mind, because some people might laugh at me. Well I thought she was just kidding. She talked about the beavers for about five minutes, and then called me up to help her. I stood there thinking I was going to have to talk about what I knew about beavers or something but boy was I wrong. Linda started dressing me up like I was a beaver. She put flippers on my feet, a balloon under the raincoat for my lungs, gloves with plastic finger nails on them, goggles, a belt with a dust pan on the end for my tail, and just all kinds of stuff. Meanwhile a beaver pelt was being passed around. Nobody really wanted to touch it so they would a signal for the person to pass it to someone else. After all this, the day at the river was through. We went back to the community center and got our checks, and were told we were going to be wrapping trees down at the river again on the 29^th.

Weed Track and Attack Workshop by Cora

2009-07-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday 6/13/09 Linda took me, for my first day working, to the Weed Track and Attack Day. There I met Margie, she was the reason for the day, Genie, she helped out with everything, and few other people. We got bags with information about the noxious weeds, a garden shovel, gloves, and a coloring book. At first we looked at the fake noxious weeds so we could see what they looked like and know to look for, and we would take notes about why they were noxious and how to treat them. Then Margie handed out a GPS to everyone and gave instructions of where to go on it and how to get there and basically how to use it. We walked out to the horses water barrel and we marked it on the GPS that that was where we were headed, and we tested it out a few times. Margie then took us on a hike around the ranch and we looked at the wild flowers and the non-noxious weeds. We found a total of three noxious weeds, and the third one we found Linda and a man who worked with nature dug up the weed down to the root to make sure it wouldn’t come back again. It had prickles on the base and it was so sharp that it cut the mans arm, only a little bit, he was bleeding maybe a few grains of sand. When we were on our hike it started pouring rain but everyone wanted to continue on but since it started feeling like hail we headed back and after about two minutes it stopped completely, so we explored on. We walked into some Russian Knapweeds but since they were so big we couldn’t pull them so Margie was going to go out and spray them down. Continuing on our walk we went by the Carson River and looked for more weeds but couldn’t find any. After that we headed back the ranch house and used our GPS to get us going back toward the horses water barrel. When we all returned to the ranch house we ate lunch and asked questions about the GPS and the weeds, then Margie gave us a paper that we could fill out if we found a noxious weed and then she would get rid of it. When Linda and I we’re saying good-bye to everybody a dark object fell from the tree and almost hit Genie on her head. When she looked up she found an owl in the tree and it spat out bones from some animal I thought was a mouse. So after the pictures were taken we left.

Cora Belle

2009-07-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well to start things off my name is Cora, I was born April 12, 1994 to Lavurne in Reno, NV. I’m going into tenth grade at the best school I know which is Dayton High School Home of the Dust Devils. Sports are pretty much my life so I would die if I couldn’t play basketball or volleyball. During sports seasons I’m known to have the most school spirit and the best attitude, and since sports season never really ends I kind of have those all the time. I am in student counsel and the representative for the sophomore class. I am in a group called Stand Tall Don’t Fall, STDF, an organization that is against under age drinking, drugs, and tobacco. They have me as the leader in training and will take over my junior year. In school my favorite classes are P.E. and English, I’ve been told by all my English teachers that I’m a good write and that I should write stories, I like writing my thoughts on things and sometimes stories.
One thing I’m really passionate about is nature and earth. I think that everything is beautiful and everything has meaning and its all here for a purpose. I love all animals and I feel that eating something I love is unnatural, and I feel horrible every time I think about eating meat, so I am vegetarian. Since I’m so passionate about nature, I am going to go to college to learn Zoology and would like to be a photographer and take pictures of nature and sea life. After college I would like to travel across the world and visit everywhere I can.
Working with Linda this summer will help me go more towards my aspirations that I have for my life. In the fourth grade I went on a field trip to River Wranglers down by the Carson River out past the schools, the golf course and all the ranches. We got parted in to groups and sent off to different stations, one was about the water cycles and you tossed dice that landed on part of the cycle and then you put that color bead on the bracelet. Another station was about the animals that lived around the river and you could touch the animals’ fur and look at the bones and such. The last one I remember was when we went down to the river and got samples of the water and we would make the water cloudy with other substances that I can’t really remember very well. The field trip was probably the most fun I’d had the whole year of fourth grade.
This summer Community Chest in Virginia City, NV, wrote a grant for stimulus money and was then given 100,000 dollars to pay for the workers in The Comstock Workers Program. You had either been picked by the people in charge of the communities or you were nominated by the counselors to be put into the program. In Dayton we had 30 workers and I was lucky enough to be put into the program. We work 15 hours a week and 5 hours we have to do community service, which we do on Wednesdays, in order to get the full 20 hours week to get our full paychecks. We get paid $100 a week and in order to get the full $100 you have to work hard and do as you’re told. All 30 of us got put at different jobs, a few people work at the same place but on different shifts, and we could pick three possible places we would be working at. I chose to work at the Senior Center in Dayton, Healthy Communities Coalition in Dayton, and River Wranglers which I was told was in Dayton. We got stickers with who we were placed with and had to give our employers a call to set up an interview for our jobs. I got placed at HCC, as the office secretary and I would work with everybody in the office and I already knew who everybody was since my mom works there. I talked to my mom about it and told her this wasn’t where I would like to go, I only wrote it down because I had a space left and I really wanted to work at River Wranglers. We both talked to Frieda and decided that an office job would be to boring for me, and so I was moved to River Wranglers. Calling Linda to work out the interview was very hard since we played phone tag for a while but then when we got to talk we set up an interview for Thursday at the Community Center. I was really nervous to go interview with Linda because I didn’t know what questions I would have to answer or what would happen like she said she didn’t want me or I wouldn’t fit into the description she was looking for. The only thing I really knew going into that interview was Linda was a nice lady that my mom knew. Well to say the least I really had no reason to be nervous at all because the questions she asked me where different from what a real interview would be like and they really made me think about myself and what I was like. After starting my first day with Linda at the weed awareness workshop and after my second day working at her office coloring pictures I knew that this summer would be very fun for me if not her as well. Today is my third day and she is making me blog this for the River Wranglers website but it’s apart of my job and I like writing so I’m digging it. Linda is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and gotten to work with. She knows a lot of people and I meet a few of them everyday I’m with her. For my first job and her being my first boss I think I got off easy because of how wonderful she is. Well this is it I’ve got nothing left to say for now, so peace out.
- Cora J.

Carson River Festival at Ft. Churchill State Historic Park

2009-07-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone was willing and excited...Ft. Churchill State Park, Silver Stage High School student volunteers, River Wranglers and nearly 400 kids from Natchez, East Valley, West End and Riverview Elementary Schools. This was our first attempt at a mega sized field trip and the teens did a fantastic job educating an overwhelming and eager crowd of 4th and 5th graders. What a great time we had learning about the Carson River watershed!

Special thanks to Patrick Peters, principal of Silver Stage High School and Kathryn Schaible, science instructor. The state park supervisor and employees did a great job teaching about the history of Ft. Churchill and arranging for a grant to pay the mountain man, camped up at the fort headquarters. The teens were, simply put, awesome. With the numbers of elementary kids attending this event, teens forfitted their lunch to work with them as they learned about boating safety, recycling, the use of goats in weed control, reptiles, birds....and much, much more.

Carson River Festival and Oodles of Noodles

2009-07-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

This spring, River Wranglers conducted two Carson River Festivals; one in conjunction with the Dayton Valley Chamber of Commerce Oodles of Noodles Festival in Old Town Dayton and the other at Ft. Churchill State Historic Park with partners, Nevada State Parks and Silver Stage High School. It was a lot of work but great fun to work with teens from Dayton and Silver Stage High Schools.

The Oodles of Noodles offered us an audience that we never attracted on our own and it was great to teach the public about our watershed. Dayton teens did a great job preparing and they interacted well with all the people out spending an enjoyable day in the sun.

Thanks to the Lyon County Room Tax Board, we received a $2500 grant to advertise the event. Ryan Woodard, a student from Douglas High School, designed the artwork used on posters, flies, postcards and t-shirts. Thanks, Ryan and Lyon County Room Tax Board!

Silver State Charter School Shines!

2009-06-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Students from Silver State Charter High School worked with River Wranglers this past school year and did a great job teaching younger children about the Carson River watershed. In the fall, the students worked with Sutro Elementary School and taught activities about the water cycle, aquatic insects, water quality, and animals in the watershed. Science coordinator, Lynn Stephenson, works with the students one-on-one, helping them prepare to teach. The result of their team effort is wonderful and the elementary kids learn so much. Thanks to Lynn and the Silver State High School teens for a great 2008-09 school year!

Meet Cora, the Comstock Worker

2009-06-15T10:53:00.001-07:00

President Obama awarded stimulus money to states to help with our crumbling economy. The Community Chest in Virginia City wrote a grant for $100,000 to put kids on the Comstock and surrounding area to work for the summer. Teens were nominated by school counselors to work for 15 hours and 5 hours of community service each week. The teens were placed throughout communities in Lyon and Storey counties to work. River Wranglers is lucky to have Cora, a teen from Dayton High School.

During her work this summer, Cora is blogging about what she does, what she learns and how this work experience is affecting her. She is posting weekly, or more frequently if she gets the writing urge, so be sure to keep up with Cora Belle updates.

River Wranglers thank the Community Chest and Healthy Communities Coalition for this great work project!

Catching up on the past year!

2009-06-15T10:12:00.001-07:00

The impetus for this blog was the Patagonia Voice Your Choice program and when that ended I deflated like a balloon and haven't posted since. Now that we are looking at a great summer with our Comstock worker, Cora, I am excited about catching you up on the past year and moving forward with summer 2009.

Congratulations to Great Basin Water Network as the community choice to receive the Patagonia grant for $4000. They will do a great job using the money to affect decisions about water transfers from northern to southern Nevada.

We finished 2008 with Conserve Carson River Work Days in Carson and Dayton Valleys. Students from Douglas, Dayton, Silver State Charter School, and Silver Stage High Schools did a great job working with elementary kids from Minden, Gardnerville, CC Meneley, Dayton, Hugh Gallagher, Sutro, Riverview and Silver Springs elementary schools. Nearly 500 students worked along the banks of the Carson River, protecting habitat and learning about the watershed.

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

2008-07-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Voice Your Choice at Patagonia Outlet

2008-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Patagonia Outlet in Reno selected five organizations to promote during the Voice Your Choice Campaign. River Wranglers is one of the five! The publice is invited to learn more about the organizations and to select their favorite cause. We are setting up a display at Patagonia on Saturday, June 21 from 10:00 - 1:30. Come down and check us out and cast your vote for the organization you would like Patagonia to support with a $4,000 donation. Just imagine what we could do with $4,000 if we receive the mosts votes!!

The campaign began June 10 and ends July 19. You may vote in person each time you go to the store. Patagonia is located in west Reno so check out their website for directions and more information about Voice Your Choice. http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1931&intl

You are also invited to the Voice Your Choice reception at Patagonia Outlet on August 3, 2008 from 5:30-7:30. You can check out each of the five organizations and learn how you can support environmental activism in northen Nevada. So come down and see us on Saturday, June 21. We'll be there...hope you will be there too!

Carson River Festival Receives Advertising Funds for 2009 Event

2008-06-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

The annual meeting of the Lyon County Room Tax Board was June 11, 2008 in Yerington, the county seat in Lyon County, Nevada. Board members considered $350,000 in funding requests from each community in the county with $200,000 in funds. The grant money is collected from room taxes in county motels and hotels.

River Wranglers uses room tax funds to advertise the Carson River Festival, held each year in the springtime. This year River Wranglers requested $2,900 and received $2,500. Grant funds have strict guidelines and must be used to promote tourism and natural resources in Lyon County. River Wranglers plans to use their grant to create flyers, posters and banners to advertise the 2009 Carson River Festival.

Thanks to the Lyon County Room Tax Board for their support!

Teens Work on Erosion Control with Support from Patagonia

2008-06-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Students from Silver Stage High School traveled to Dayton Valley to work on stream bank erosion. River Wranglers coordinated the project with support from a grant funded by Patagonia.

Kylie and Rachel, two teens that presented activities about noxious weeds and agriculture at the Carson River Festival, planted native seeds and staked down erosion control mats along the Carson River.

“I like doing this because I am interested in pursing a degree in rangeland management.” said Kiley, a senior at Silver Stage High School. “I know that I am making a difference in our watershed.”

River Wranglers and Dayton Valley Conservation District coordinated work on the river as part of a bioengineering project. In the fall, students from Dayton, Silver Stage and Fernley High Schools worked with students from Dayton, Sutro, Silver Stage and Hugh Gallagher Elementary Schools. They bundled willows and placed them along the stream bank. By spring, the willows take sprout and their dense root system will hold the soil on the river bank in place.

A few high school students returned to the project to provide final treatments and learn more about bioengineering techniques.

“The teens are enthusiastic workers” said Rich Wilkenson, manager for the Dayton Valley Conservation District “They are doing a great job and are interested and concerned about the river.”

Non-Point Source Pollution...Everyone's Problem

2008-06-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

NDEP environmental scientist meets with Silver Stage High School students

In preparation for the Carson River Festival, River Wrangler teens met with environmental scientist, Mary Kay Riedl, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, to learn more about non-point source pollution as they prepared for the festival.

“Point source pollution is being well regulated” said Riedl. “It is the non-point source pollution, which comes from ordinary folk like all of us, that is causing problems.”

Fertilizer and pesticide use, emissions from vehicles in addition to construction and erosion all contribute to pollution. Education coupled with action is the way to address the problem.

Kayla and Thomas teamed up to demonstrate non-point source pollution using an enviroscape model. They were one of many activities featured at the Carson River Festival on Saturday, May 10.

Taking the Classroom Outdoors

2008-06-10T15:43:00.001-07:00

Students from Silver Springs Elementary School in Lyon County and CC Meneley in Douglas County monitor the health of the Carson River every month. Fourth grade students perform simple water monitoring tests which include: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They plan to share their results with each other and connect the schools which are connected physically by the Carson River.

Douglas High School Student Designs Logo for Carson River Festival

2008-06-10T15:26:00.001-07:00

Students in Rita Borselli's graphic design class at Douglas High School, submitted designs for the 8th Annual Carson River Festival. Twelve artists were selected as finalists. The winning design was created by Ashley Villigan.

Local business owners in Carson Valley donated prizes to the artists to recognize their creativity. Thanks to Danny's Ironwood Grill, Minden Starbucks and Library Video for your donations.

The Carson River Festival, held in springtime each year, gives high school students the opportunity to explore their interest in environmental education by working with scientists to learn more about issues in the watershed. Then they develop kid-friendly activities for the event.

Art work by the top twelve graphic designers is on display at the Minden Library through August,

Fostering Environmental Stewardship

2008-06-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

River Wranglers teaches Nevada children and teenagers to care for their local environment, firmly rooting their enthusiasm and passion for learning along the banks of the Carson River.

Under River Wranglers' direction, more than 5,000 youth have helped preserve river habitat since 1994. The nonprofit environmental group, in cooperation with public schools, teaches children to build homes for wood ducks, protect trees from beaver damage, and plant willows to control erosion of the sandy banks.

“River Wranglers is an example of community experts teaching children and sharing their knowledge.” said Lyon County School Board Trustee Barbara Johnson. “I feel strongly that children need to understand the environment in their neighborhood.”

River Wranglers' initial work with Silver Springs youth has had a ripple effect. Today more than 15 schools in four Nevada counties are learning to be stewards of their environment.

River Wranglers' largest influence remains in Lyon County, where the organization created a mentoring program, pairing high-school students in botany/zoology/chemistry classes with elementary students. Each year, teenagers teach groups of younger children how to test water quality, and combat bank erosion.

"I was very surprised when we got all of those macro invertebrates (bugs)," said one middle school student. "When we learned this in class, it was cool. But you showed us and that was awesome."

Fourth-grade students from Silver Springs Elementary School assess the river's water quality monthly. This activity meets the Nevada State Standards in science, math and Nevada history.

"I thought it was pretty amazing that we got to check how healthy the river is," said another student after determining the river was "in fair condition, but a little too low, and it has too much sediment covering the bugs that live on the bottom.”

Originally, part of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Service, River Wranglers became an independent organization in 2000. Guided by a board of seven directors who represent education and conservation, River Wranglers' mission is to conserve, explore and celebrate rivers through community programs, projects, and hands-on education.

"We want to excite youth, their parents and their grandparents by deepening their understanding of and commitment to watersheds, rivers and streams that sustain life for generations to come," River Wranglers' educational coordinator Linda Conlin said.

In achieving this goal, the organization helps Silver Stage Middle schools hatch rainbow trout eggs and release the minnows into the river.

Every springtime, River Wranglers hosts an event with Ft, Churchill State Historic Park called the Carson River Festival. The event in 2008 is scheduled on May 10. Families are invited to the river along Ft. Churchill to learn more about the watershed. Hands-on learning provides opportunities for children and their parents to explore the exciting world of nature.

Since 2001, River Wranglers partnered with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to sponsor a daylong field trip called “Make a Splash” for middle schools in the watershed. Students attend workshops about agriculture, mining, water safety, and Nevada history.

“It is important to teach children the delicate issues surrounding water and how we have to balance the uses of water.” said former Assemblyman and Speaker of the House Joe Dini.

River Wranglers encourages individuals and families that want to be more involved with the Carson River to contact us by email, nevadariverwranglers@yahoo.com, or phone (775) 577-2631. Check out the River Wranglers blog http://www.riverwranglers.blogspot.com/

River Wranglers...from the beginning

2008-06-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

River Wranglers began in 1994 through a grant written by Mary Reid, Water Specialist, University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension. The objectives were; 1) to supplement water quality data collected by professional staff in water quality agencies and scientific institutions. 2) to educate the public about water quality issues. 3) to incorporate water quality river monitoring into an ongoing school program. 4) to provide field experience for science students in rural communities. The grant was secured and $15,500 was allocated to determine the youth interest in water quality monitoring in central Nevada. When the grant funds were exhausted, Linda Conlin, project coordinator, continued to volunteer and kept the organization intact.

On October 20, 2000 River Wranglers incorporated and formed a non-profit organization. The mission of River Wranglers is exploring, conserving and celebrating our rivers through community programs, projects, and hands-on education. River Wranglers’ vision is to excite youth, their parents and their grandparents by deepening their understanding of and commitment to watershed, rivers and streams that sustain life for generations to come.