Pitch in on Public Lands Day

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Everyone who reads this column probably wishes there were more places to enjoy nature without driving too far from our homes in the urban area. This Saturday, you'll get a chance to help create one as part of the 13th annual National Public Lands Day.

Events, projects and cleanups are planned throughout the nation. National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with 700 volunteers and has been growing ever since. Last year, more than 80,000 volunteers pitched in at over 800 locations from every state.

Here in Southern Nevada, there are many scheduled events, but one that still needs plenty of volunteers is the city of Henderson's Project GREEN (Green Valley Ecology, Environment, and Nature), a 2.5-acre habitat restoration program in Pittman Wash.

This event will help restore the area in the drainage between Arroyo Grande Boulevard and Pecos Road, one of the largest natural habitats left in the Green Valley area. There will be a guest speaker and activities planned, including trail building, planting and general cleanup.

Pittman Wash drains the mountains south of Henderson. This then flows into Las Vegas Wash and eventually into Lake Mead. Like many floodplains and riparian areas in the Western United States, its value as a natural habitat has been compromised by an invasion of the nonnative tamarisk or salt cedar, which consumes lots of water and displaces native riparian species, such as cottonwood, willow and mesquite, along with the wildlife that requires these native species. Project GREEN's long-term objectives are to replace the tamarisks with native species, reestablish the riparian habitat and develop recreational trails.

Once that is accomplished, Pittman Wash should be a nice place indeed, a charming pocket of nature between urban subdivisions, where neighborhood children too young to drive can walk and explore, and where adults can stroll or spot a little wildlife.

The restoration of the wash is already a work in progress. Members of the Sierra Club, the Boy Scouts, the Tortoise Group, the Nevada Conservation Corps and others have already joined in and made vast improvements. From the trailhead behind the Silver Springs Recreation Center, there is a rock-lined trail leading down and into the wash. Currently, there is a half-mile walking trail, but plans call for an additional 4 to 5 miles to be placed in the future.

Some of the tamarisk has already been removed and 400 cottonwood and mesquite trees have been planted. Another 100 native plants, including salvias, deergrass, desert willow and desert marigold also have been reintroduced. There is even temporary irrigation in place to care for these delicate seedlings.

Bring your camera along, because in conjunction with National Public Lands Day, there will be a photography contest. The sixth annual Volunteer Photo Contest's theme is Volunteers in Action, and the contest is open to amateur photographers who are taking part in Saturday's celebration. Winning photos will be used for future National Public Lands Day publicity and promotional material for next year's events. For more details on the contest or on other volunteer opportunities during National Public Lands Day, visit www.publiclands.org.

Those interested in volunteering should meet at the entrance to Pittman Wash, directly behind Silver Springs Recreation Center in Henderson. No preregistration is necessary. Just show up. The event will run from 8 a.m. to noon. Tools and refreshments will be provided, but bring your own work gloves, hat and sunscreen. For more information, call volunteer coordinator Stephanie Oaks at 267-3036.

Deborah Wall is the author of "Great Hikes, A Cerca Country Guide," published by Stephens Press. She can be reached at Deborah@hikingthewest.com.