Welcome to all our new Research Associates, NCC AmeriCorps Members, and International volunteers! Check out this video of Wilderness First Aid Training during orientation week.

This spring, educators from the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership have joined with Ash Meadows staff to provide the Refuge’s 5th season of Ed-Ventures programming. Ash Meadows Ed-Ventures is an environmental education program for 3rd grade students in Nye County – a highly underserved area. While meeting important cross-curricular standards, the program also strives to foster an appreciation for Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and its precious water resources in the desert. The hope is that the Ed-Ventures experience will someday translate into a sense of pride and stewardship for their communities and public lands in southern Nevada.

New this year, the Ed-Ventures program is focusing on Ash Meadows’ number one resource: its wetlands. With over 50 natural seeps and springs, Ash Meadows is an incredible outdoor classroom. During the month of March, the Ed-Ventures team delivered programs at 11 elementary schools in Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Pahrump, and Shoshone – reaching a total of 515 students. Through 2 fun-packed hours of interactive games, dramatization, and even a little singing, students were introduced to the wetland habitats at Ash Meadows, and the incredible diversity of creatures that live there. Students created group skits to explain the life cycle of several aquatic invertebrates – mayflies, caddisflies, dragonflies, and riffle beetles – and were surprised to discover that these insects spend part, or all, of their life underwater. Then they played the “metamorphosis rock-paper-scissors game” and learned that, just like the game, life cycles never end!

In April, the students will go on field trips to Ash Meadows. The students will become stream biologists to study the habitat quality for pupfish and other aquatic critters. They will measure and graph the pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature of the water and discuss how that translates into suitable or unsuitable conditions for various organisms. Using a plankton net, students will explore the bottom of the food chain in living color under microscopes. They will then move up the food chain to the organisms that eat plankton: aquatic invertebrates. After taking an invertebrate sample from the stream, students will identify the species, and count the number of individuals. This data will be used to provide baseline food web information for FWS biologist Darrick Weissenfluh as part of his endangered Ash Meadows naucorid research. Aside from assisting with real-life research on endangered species, watching squirming damselfly larvae, endemic spring snails, scuds, and slimy planaria is loads of fun!

Also new this year, Ash Meadows is offering an Environmental Education Internship as an opportunity for local high school students to further explore careers in the sciences, gain real work experience, and give back to their own community. A major responsibility of the interns will be to help lead activities during the Ed-Ventures field trips. After reviewing their résumés, letters of recommendation, and interview responses, two exemplary students from Death Valley Academy, Erik Carney and Amber Leikam, were selected. Erik and Amber, along with the SNAP education team, participated in four full days of training, covering the history and ecology of the Refuge, best practice teaching methods, the peer evaluation process, and goal-setting. They are well-prepared to assist with the field trips this April and are eager to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with the 3rd graders they meet! A special thanks to the principal of Death Valley School District, Craig Hill, for his visionary thinking and support of this new internship program.

The Ed-Ventures program is made possible through a partnership with the Death Valley Natural History Association, the Southern Nye County Conservation District, the Great Basin Institute, SNAP, and Death Valley Academy. These groups provide funds for school buses, teaching supplies, incredible staff, and more. A big thanks to all of the truly dedicated and passionate individuals who make this happen!

Field trips run from 9am-1:30pm at the Point of Rocks boardwalk and are scheduled for the following days in April: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21. All FWS staff are invited to come join in and see for yourself what all the splash is about this spring at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge!

- Alyson Mack, Great Basin Institute Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist

March 2011

Ranger Rose explains how the mountains were formed through the spectacular forces of plate tectonics, creating the Amargosa Valley where Ash Meadows NWR is located.

Over 40 people visited Ash Meadows on March 19th and 26th to take part in a 2.5-mile interpretive hike from Point of Rocks to Devils Hole. The events were hosted in partnership by Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley National Park.

The day began with a Jr. Ranger Program at the Point of Rocks picnic area. Ranger Rose led several young children in a lesson about the wildlife that lives in the Mojave Desert – and what they might encounter along the hike. The kids enjoyed listening to some Native American legends and touching the pelts of a bobcat, coyote, jackrabbit, and other native animals.

Hikers rest and enjoy the view across Ash Meadows NWR.

Around noon, the crowd gathered at the picnic area and Ash Meadows Outreach Specialist, Alyson Mack, gave a welcome and introduction to the Point of Rocks area. From there, Ranger Rose led folks along the boardwalk and up onto the rocky hillsides for a scenic view across the Refuge. From that vantage point, hikers were able to see the Funeral and Panamint Ranges, between which lies Death Valley. Ranger Rose told the story of how these magnificent limestone mountains and valleys were formed over millions of years, from accumulations along the ocean floor and the great forces of tectonic plates. “This is an incredible place,” she said, “because you can actually see geology taking place before your very eyes!”

Springtime provided a richness of life to explore along the hike. New, lime-green leaves were beginning

Federally threatened, and endemic, Ash Meadows sunray.

to sprout on the leatherleaf velvet ash trees – Ash Meadows namesake tree. Young yerba mansa shoots were emerging from the white, alkaline soils while fresh seep willow leaves lined the gurgling spring-fed streams. A group of teenagers from Las Vegas spent several minutes watching a baby desert cottontail rabbit munch away at the fresh greenery. Budding prickly-pear and barrel cacti dotted the rocky hillsides of the Point of Rocks range, and the bright yellow blossoms of the Ash Meadows Sunray – a federally threatened plant and Ash Meadows endemic – were at the peak of their bloom. Ranger Rose invited everyone to stop for a moment and listen to the melodic whistle of the Phainopepla birds flittering amongst the mesquite trees. Further along the hike, children spotted bighorn sheep and coyote scat, purple blooms of the Mojave aster, the remains of a cow from Ash Meadows’ ranching era, a zebra-tailed lizard, and a beautifully camouflaged horned lizard!

The hike ended at Devils Hole – a disjunctive portion of Death Valley National Park. Ranger Rose told

Ranger Rose points to the hike’s destination: Devils Hole!

the story of how Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1984, which wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the Supreme Court decision to protect one tiny fish – the Devils Hole pupfish. “Thankfully, some people before our time had the insight to save the pupfish, and we have gained so much as a result,” said Ranger Rose, “but for all you young people, the choice will be up to you. The future is yours.”

On a chilly, windy afternoon, this well-camouflaged horned lizard was found stretching its flat body across the warm ground.

Hikers peer down into the Devils Hole cavern, hoping to catch a glimpse of the inch-long, endangered Devils Hole pupfish.

- Alyson Mack, Great Basin Institute Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist

March 19, 2011

Volunteers from Pahrump and Amargosa Valley unload nearly 300 native grasses and ash trees to plant around Tubb’s Spring. The site was formerly overgrown with non-native weeds.

Twelve volunteers, including high school students from Horizon Academy and members of the Friends of Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, helped restore Tubb’s Spring last Saturday morning. The area around the spring had been farmland prior to the Refuge’s establishment in 1984. After years of lying fallow, it had become overgrown with non-native weeds, particularly Russian knapweed. These weeds provide little value to wildlife and have a tendency to outcompete native plants.

Crews from Ash Meadows NWR eradicated the weeds, but the resulting bare soil is highly susceptible to re-invasion by weeds. It is also susceptible to erosion by wind and flood events. Therefore, it became a Refuge priority to restore the site with native grasses and trees that would hold the soil in place and prevent other non-native weeds from reestablishing. The plants also provide food and shelter for native wildlife and help establish a bank of native seeds in the soil.

After an introduction to the project and a basic lesson in plant identification, volunteers got right to work. For four hours, the team busily transported, planted, and watered nearly 300 plants including saltgrass, bunchgrass, scratch grass, and the leatherleaf velvet ash trees that give Ash Meadows NWR its name. Altogether, volunteers donated 58 hours valued at an estimated $1,239 (based on volunteer rate of $21.36/hr; http://independentsector.org/volunteer_time).

Thanks to the Public Lands Institute for providing snacks, water, and assistance and to all the wonderful volunteers who worked to improve our public lands last weekend!

- Alyson Mack, Great Basin Institute Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist

February 26, 2011

Despite forecasts for rain and snow, the skies were clear at Ash Meadows last Saturday. Five volunteers from Amargosa Valley and Las Vegas braved the high wind speeds to help cut cattails from Kings Pool outflow. After an orientation to the project by FWS biologist Darrick Weissenfluh, volunteers worked for 2.5 hours, removing cattails with hand clippers along approximately 40 meters of stream channel. The cut vegetation was then pushed downstream and loaded up onto the bank with pitch forks for removal.

While cattails are native to Ash Meadows, historically they were not as abundant as they are today. The reason for their invasive growth in Ash Meadows’ springs and streams is largely due to past habitat alterations – namely, the large-scale farming and ranching that occurred in the 1950s-1970s. During this period, many of the springs and streams were diverted into cement irrigation ditches which greatly affected the natural water flow and surrounding vegetation.

Kings Pool and outflow, located along the Point of Rocks boardwalk, was restored in 1997 and is home to two endemic species: the Ash Meadows pebblesnail and the endangered Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish. The pebblesnail is only 1 mm long and requires water warmer than 25oC to survive. The pupfish is the only native fish still occupying Kings Pool, is generally smaller than one inch long, and requires warm water (>25oC) to reproduce. Both of these species benefit from cattail removal – cattails are a haven for non-native predators, such as crayfish.

Thanks to the Public Lands Institute for providing snacks and water, and to all the volunteers who chose to help improve our public lands last weekend!

January 22, 2011

Ryan and Hal, of Pahrump, are waist-deep in cattails as they push the cuttings downstream. Photo by Cyndi Souza.

Cool morning temperatures were no excuse to sleep in last Saturday morning. Ten volunteers made the drive from Amargosa Valley, Pahrump, Shoshone, and even Las Vegas to cut cattails – starting at 8:30 a.m.! After an orientation to the project by FWS biologist Darrick Weissenfluh, volunteers literally “jumped right in” to the warm waters of Crystal Spring outflow to start cutting. Working for over 4 hours, volunteers removed cattails with hand clippers along approximately 200 yards of stream channel. The cut vegetation, nearly one dump-truck’s worth, was then pushed downstream and loaded up onto the bank with pitch forks – no easy task!

Trevor, of Amargosa Valley, along with 9 other volunteers worked tirelessly for over four hours! Photo by Cyndi Souza.

While cattails are native to Ash Meadows, historically they were not as abundant as they are today. The reason for their overgrowth in the springs and streams at Ash Meadows is largely due to past habitat alterations – namely, the large-scale farming and ranching that occurred in the 1950s-1970s. During this period, many of the springs and streams were diverted into cement irrigation ditches which greatly affected the natural water flow and surrounding vegetation. Today, the cement channels have been removed along a portion of Crystal Spring outflow and the water returned to its original stream bed. Despite our best restoration efforts, however, negative impacts are still felt. After years of lying dry, the stream bed had eroded and widened. The widened stream has a slower flow and more sunlight, favoring the growth of cattails and, in turn, providing prime habitat for aquatic exotics such as crayfish and sunfish. These exotics compete with native stream inhabitants such as the Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish. This pupfish is listed as federally endangered due largely to its highly restricted range: it is endemic to the Ash Meadows region. Removing cattails plays an important role in conserving this rare species!

The final product: one dump-truck load of cut cattails. Photo by Joanna Libby.

For more than a decade, Ash Meadows NWR staff, along with volunteers, has been controlling invasive cattail growth in springs throughout the Refuge. Crystal Spring outflow is one location where cattail removal is a priority. We wish to thank all the volunteers who helped improve our wetlands on January 22nd!

- Alyson Mack, Great Basin Institute Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist

For the complete news story and video, please click here for the News 3 website.