Archive for October, 2009

A summer 2009 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) grant from the National Science Foundation brought together twelve students selected from around the nation to work with an interdisciplinary team of UNR professors, researchers, and GBI staff on issues ranging from the Asian clams invading Lake Tahoe to differing perceptions of wildfire risk in Nevada communities. The ten-week program, “Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake: Natural Resource Issues in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin Regions,” paired students with research mentors on several ongoing projects. Working in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee River-Pyramid Lake watershed, teams investigated water quality, measured invasive species, analyzed landscapes, surveyed water management, and studied links between resource policies and socioeconomics (click here for REU research projects). The student researchers gained valuable training in project development, data collection and analysis, and how to present research findings. A well-attended poster session gave students the chance to share their work with UNR’s research community. “Participating in the REU program,” said one student, “has been a wonderful, viewpoint-changing experience. I gained a lot of confidence as a biologist. I see more options for myself in the future.” Another simply said, “Best summer of my life.” Awarded jointly to UNR’s Academy for the Environment and the Great Basin Institute, the REU jumpstarted research that all are excited to see continue. Recruitment for the summer 2010 REU program will begin in the spring. For more information, please contact Lynn Zimmerman.

The Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly spends its entire lifetime—just one week—within a two-hundred foot radius of its sole food source, a wild buckwheat plant. Found nowhere else in the world, increasing threats to the habitat of this slight, gossamer winged butterfly have sparked a team effort to manage the Sand Mountain Recreation Area, south of Fallon. The Nevada Conservation Corps (NCC), Churchill County, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have joined forces to put into action an interim management strategy for the area.

A popular Off Highway Vehicle destination for enthusiasts on dune buggies, motorcycles, and all terrain vehicles, as well as for hikers, the 4,795-acre Sand Mountain Recreation Area draws as many as 35,000 visitors to its dunes every year. The new management strategy balances recreation use with habitat conservation. Project efforts are aimed at restoring sites selected for their importance to butterfly habitat and providing education and interpretation for Sand Mountain visitors. Working with BLM and the County, NCC crews are rehabilitating areas now closed to OHVs, signing and marking approved OHV routes, placing information kiosks at key access points, and installing new interpretive signs.

While safeguarding the habitat of the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly is the focus of this collaborative conservation effort, the dunes are home to many other native plants and animals. This unique area also boasts the historic Sand Springs Pony Express Station, a remnant of the short-lived (1860-1861) Pony Express system that carried mail across the west, making the site a boon for local history buffs. The project is funded through the State Question 1 grant program and is scheduled for completion in December 2009.

David Mensing
Director of Special Projects, GBI