Celebrating Nevada’s Cultural and Environmental History
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – University of Nevada Cooperative Extension invites residents to attend the first-ever Nevada Naturalist Statewide Conference being held at the Clark County Wetlands Park. The conference is scheduled from September 18 to September 20.
The event is being held at the new Wetlands Park Nature Center located at 7050 Wetlands Park Lane, Las Vegas, Nev. and includes various breakout sessions and workshops highlighting Nevada’s 150 year cultural and environmental history.
Mark Hall-Patton, Museums Administrator for Clark County Museum System and a “Rock-Star Museum Curator” of the History Channel Show, "Pawn Stars," will be a featured speaker discussing “Nevada's Sesquicentennial: But Not Ours!"
Keynote speaker, Dr. Scott Abella, Director and Ecologist of the Natural Resources Conservation LLC, will present a 30-year assessment of climate change and vegetation shifts in Lake Mead National Recreation Area and changes to vegetation and soil associated with continued recession of Lake Mead.
Breakout sessions will be presented by notable historians and speakers from around the state. Topics include: "Mustangs: Symbol of the Wild West"; key conservation successes and projects of the Nature Conservancy in Nevada; hiking with your ears; tackling tough issues through a facilitated dialogue; Best Practices for Environmental Education Mini Workshop: Cultural Resources in Nevada; Nevada Tribes: Native Plant Uses in Basketry; and more.
In addition, there will be morning yoga, a silent auction, a night hike and a chance to chat with volunteer coordinators from various local agencies.
Full conference registration is $150.00.
As an added event on Sept. 20, plan to spend the day with other Naturalists touring natural and man-made wonders just minutes from the lights of Las Vegas. In order to entertain your love for the outdoors and nature, a "Private Charter" Black Canyon River Raft trip down the Colorado River has been planned exclusively for you! This is a unique day trip aboard a motor-assisted inflatable raft, through spectacular Black Canyon - the natural gorge of the Colorado River immediately below Hoover Dam. Enjoy and share in the history, desert wildlife and beauty of this otherwise inaccessible and rugged landscape. The trip is "optional" and is not included in the conference cost. However, you must register for the conference to be eligible to attend the river raft trip. Register before August 31 for the conference and the raft tour and the cost is $199.
Those registering September 1 through September 12 will pay $225 for the conference plus the River Raft Trip.
The preferred hotel for the conference is Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, 5111 Boulder Hwy, Las Vegas, Nev. This hotel is approximately 3 miles from the Wetlands Park Nature Center. Rooms can be reserved at a special conference rate of $26.00/night+tax for Sept. 18 and $62.00/night+tax for Sept. 19-20 for a double queen room. This includes Wi-Fi and shuttle to and from downtown and the Strip. To reserve your room online, visit the Hotel’s website at www.samstownlv.com/groups and enter the assigned Reservation Name: A4ANC09. To reserve by phone, call toll free: 877-593-5993 and mention the Group Name: ANROSP Natl Conf and Group Code: A4ANC09. The last day to make a reservation and receive the special room rate is Aug. 23, 2014.
The conference contact is Denise Parsons. You can reach Parsons at 702-948-5906 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about the conference and the agenda visit, http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/nevadanaturalist. For conference registration visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nevada-naturalist-state-conference-tickets-12416493065.
