PLI Program Awarded Grant to Link Environmental Education and Cultural Diversity

PLI’s Conservation Education and Interpretation Strategy has received a grant from Clark County to assist in strengthening the relationship between environmental educators and diverse audiences. The $3,500 grant will be used to provide a professional development diversity workshop for environmental educators in Las Vegas in January 2007.

The workshop is sponsored by the Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP), a national leader in the delivery of environmental education training for education professionals. EETAP is funded by the Office of Environmental Education in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Part of the mission of EETAP is to ensure ethnically diverse and low-income communities actively take part in “education that advances student learning and environmental literacy.”

“We are honored to develop and present this workshop in Las Vegas,” said Allison Brody, program manager for the Conservation Education and Interpretation Strategy. “Research and our experiences indicate that environmental education can inject new energy into academics while increasing environmental literacy and stewardship. That is something that needs to be shared with as many audiences as possible.”

The workshop will explore multicultural issues and how they impact environmental education. It also will examine changes that educators should make to work more effectively with diverse audiences. The Las Vegas workshop will be offered to environmental educators involved with Partners for Education About the Environment, a consortium of educators and others working at public lands, nature centers, museums, aquaria, and other nature- and heritage-related places. For more information, contact Brody at 895-5097 or allison.brody@unlv.edu.

Southern Nevadans Celebrate National Public Lands Day

"Southern Nevadans Celebrate National Public Lands Day."

PLI Celebrates 2006 Harvest Fest at Red Rock Canyon

September 06, 2006

The Public Lands Institute (PLI) joined with dozens of local artists, educational programs, and agencies to celebrate the unofficial end of summer at the Harvest Fest on September 3, 2006. Hundreds of residents from the Las Vegas Valley and visitors from throughout the United States and Canada attended the annual event at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s Visitor Center.

PLI promoted the Get Outdoors Nevada program at its booth by signing up volunteers for upcoming clean-up and trail restoration projects in Southern Nevada. In particular, visitors to the booth were informed of the events planned for National Public Lands Day September 23, 2006 at Red Rock Canyon and September 30 at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Each of the more than 60 individuals who signed up received a free water bottle lanyard, while each child visiting the booth received a free PLI eraser and a desert animals/plants coloring sheet designed by local artist Sharon K Schafer. It was also a chance to visit one-on-one with local school teachers about outdoor education opportunities provided by the institute and the federal land management agencies. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Harvest Fest was organized by BLM, the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, and Friends of Red Rock Canyon.

 

UNLV Names Post-Doctoral Scholar to Direct Area Archaeological Research Projects

LAS VEGAS-The UNLV Public Lands Institute and the Department of Anthropology & Ethnic Studies have named Dr. Gregory Haynes as post-doctoral scholar in archaeology. Haynes will lead a team of research assistants who conduct archaeological surveys, site assessments, and research in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Parashant National Monument Area of southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona.

Haynes will work under the direction of Dr. Karen Harry, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, who leads the archaeological efforts for the Public Lands Institute in its partnership with the National Park Service.

Haynes previously was the archaeologist at Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Carson City, Nevada. Prior to that, he was an instructor with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno and associate research archaeologist with the Desert Research Institute. Haynes received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno and a master’s degree in anthropology from Northern Arizona University.

UNLV’s Public Lands Institute was created in 2005 to work in collaboration with federal, state, and non-profit partners to create new knowledge, advance technology, improve education, and engage the community to enhance public lands stewardship. More information about the Public Lands Institute is available at http://publiclands.unlv.edu.

UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution with more than 27,000 students and approximately 2,800 faculty and staff. More than 200 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees are offered. Founded in 1957, UNLV is located on 337 acres in dynamic Southern Nevada. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

New Staff Member Assists with Visits to Public Lands

LAS VEGAS - The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has selected a new program officer to assist faculty, staff, and students in gaining access to the area’s public lands for organized UNLV activities. As the public land permits program officer, Cathy Willey will ensure that any university research, travel, field trips, or programs conducted on public lands meet federal regulations.

Willey will work closely with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to assist with the issuance of public land permits to conduct activities on public lands in Nevada and contiguous states. Willey brings to the position nearly 20 years of administrative and accounting experience. Prior to joining UNLV, she worked in vendor services for the State of Nevada Controller’s Office. Willey has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge.

The program officer coordinates applications with federal agencies; obtains permits for faculty, staff, and students; and assists with any required reports. The program officer works through the office of the Associate Vice President for Research and Community Outreach and is housed at the UNLV Public Lands Institute. The Public Land Permits Program was created by the offices of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies to provide a simple and effective way to ensure that UNLV-coordinated educational and recreational activities on public lands are conducted in a legal manner.

UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution with more than 27,000 students and approximately 2,800 faculty and staff. More than 200 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees are offered. Founded in 1957, UNLV is located on 337 acres in dynamic Southern Nevada. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Take Pride in America Announces 2006 National Award Winners

"Take Pride in America Announces 2006 National Award Winners." (PDF)

Reid Secures Additional Funding to Preserve Walking Box Ranch, Research Facility

Projects help preserve local history and provide facility for

arid lands conservation research and education

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada has secured $200,000 for Walking Box Ranch and the Mojave Desert Education and Research Center in the FY07 Senate Interior Appropriations bill.



“The Walking Box Ranch has some of the richest history in Nevada. This project helps preserve and protect Nevada's natural heritage and the fragile ecosystems of the Mojave Desert,” said Reid.



These funds are in addition to the $16 million that Reid procured through Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act to rehabilitate the Ranch and to build a science center. The funds provided in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill will allow UNLV to hire staff and operate the site for the coming year as the Bureau of Land Management and UNLV locate long-term funding sources for the project.



“These emergency funds are critical to act as a bridge between immediate needs and long-term plans,” said Margaret Rees, Associate Vice President for Research at UNLV. “We will be able to maintain and protect the area’s historical and natural resources as we are planning for the long-term, which includes the development of a nationally renowned Mojave Desert Science Center to enhance conservation, restoration, and adaptive management of arid lands ecosystems.”



Walking Box Ranch, one of the most historic ranches in Southern Nevada, was built in 1931 by legendary silent film stars Rex Bell and Clara Bow. Environmentally, most of the property is designated as critical desert tortoise habitat.



Now that the bill has been passed out of the Appropriations Committee, it will head to the U.S. Senate floor for a vote by the full Senate.