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This month’s Fun Factory lesson in Elko was Volcanoes! Students learned about three different types of volcanoes through pictures and handmade models, and were then also able to witness different eruptions for each. After students had observed each eruption they were able to create eruptions of their own. Several different materials were provided (baking soda, vinegar, ketchup, flour, sand, dish soap, water, potato flakes) and students were given free range to decide what they wanted to use for their eruptions. They were also able to do more than one eruption and many of them tried different materials each time. Through experimenting with these various materials students were able to determine what worked and what didn’t and learned that there needs to be specific conditions for a real volcanic eruption as well. Overall, the students had a lot of fun learning about volcanoes and exploring different eruptions!
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Nevada Outdoor School's AmeriCorps program and the Red Cross teamed up for a Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 16th. Click here for the full story! See what Nevada Volunteers had to say about it: Blog |
Nevada Outdoor School was honored on Friday December 16th with an award from Friends of Nevada Wilderness (FNW) as their Organization Partner of theYear for 2011. The award was presented at FNW's annual WingDing end of year celebration and volunteer recognition event. NOS and FNW have been partnering since 2006 to bring volunteer conservation events and outdoor education together in the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emmigrant Trails National Conservation Area. Our two groups will expand upon this model in 2012, bringing these same types of events to the Santa Rosa District of the Hubmoldt-Toiyabe National Forest. |
NOS would like to welcome Brenna Archibald as our Conservation Education and Outreach Coordinator. She will be working with both NOS providing our inquiry based science lessons, as well as with our partner agency, Friends of Nevada Wilderness providing conservation education and events in the Santa Rosa Mountain range. Brenna comes from Oregon and will be a valuable asset to both of our organizations.  (December 2, 2011) |
This October was First Explorers month at Nevada Outdoor School. First graders used their five senses to learn about and explore the fall season on short hikes around their schools. During the hikes students were able to collect signs of fall and bring them back to the classroom, where they partook in leaf rubbings.   (November 8, 2011) |
Nevada Outdoor School wrapped up September with a fifth grade field trip to Lamoille Canyon. Students spent a full Saturday enjoying the brilliant fall colors while learning about glaciers, beavers, and other natural phenomena. Programming for the optional field trip included exploration of the beaver ponds and a short day hike. .JPG) .JPG) (September 27, 2011) |
Judge, Mike Truden, test the contestants food to make sure the temperature is correct before serving the dish to the public
Contestant, Melanie Erquiaga, cooking for the crowd and who was later crowned the Bean Master first place winner
The contestants display their awards along with the judges Nevada Outdoor School (NOS) held its Third Annual Buckaroo Dutch Oven Cook – Off on August 27th. The number of cooks and public turn out for the event was a huge success. This event is an annual fundraiser for NOS and all proceeds raised helped purchase educational supplies for inquiry based science classes in Humboldt County. NOS would like to thank everyone that participated in making this event such a success. We look forwarding to see you next year.
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Nevada Outdoor School’s final camp of the year was a huge success. From August 8th to 13th eleven girls participated in programming designed to promote self confidence, new friendship, and strong leadership. New Horizons Girls’ Camp, run by women for women, featured activities with a number of community volunteers including Mayor Di An Putnam. The day camp portion wrapped up with the completion of a labyrinth at the Winnemucca Community Garden constructed entirely by the campers and a handful of volunteers thanks to a generous donation from Humboldt Landscaping. This project was intended to connect the girls to the community and provide a space for all community members to seek relaxation. Thanks to a grant from the American Association of University Women, this year’s campers also had the opportunity to explore the campus at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) and interact with female leaders from multiple academic departments through museum and campus tours as well as hands-on science experiments. Following their visit to UNR, the girls spent two nights at Grizzly Creek Ranch in Portola, California where they practiced teamwork and faced their fears on the challenge course. Feedback from the campers shows that all the girls had a blast and feel more confident in their abilities as a result of their week at camp.  (August 19, 2011) |
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Nevada Outdoor School reached out for the first time to families in Elko, Nevada. Seven families joined two naturalists for a two day campout in Lamoille Canyon Recreation Area. Families participated in games, teambuilding activities, archery, a scavenger hunt, campfire program, and an early morning beaver pond hike. Kids and adults alike expressed that the program was a success and future interest in doing such a program next year.
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The annual NOS family campout was held July 23 and 24 at the Water Canyon campgrounds. Families who attended spent the evening enjoying the outdoors and getting to know each other at a potluck supper. Dinner was followed by games, s’mores, and lots of laughter with skits and songs around the campfire. The campout concluded with a short nature hike Sunday morning.
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Adventure Camp II was a week long camp, July 11-15, for sixth through eighth graders where campers had the opportunity to learn and explore many new outdoor topics. The first two days focused on team building and outdoor awareness. With activities such as a frozen t-shirt contest and front country camp relay,the campers participated in a range of activities that challenged their ability to work as a team and incorporated new outdoor skills that prepared them for a three day camping trip. This camping trip was at Lye Creek in the Santa Rosa Mountains about an hour north of Winnemucca. The campers got to go on a half day hike where they learned about some of the plants and animals that inhabit the Santa Rosas. They even saw red snow, which is algae in snow at very high elevations, and Rubber Boa snakes(not snakes made out of rubber), also a very rare sighting. On the last night, they had the opportunity to show off their talents in a campfire program where they could sing, dance, act,etc. and of course, eat S’mores! After the knot tying, duct tape wallets, silly frolf and more, campers came back to Winnemucca to eat some pizza and bowl. It was a great way to end an amazing week of learning and outdoor adventure!
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Nature at Noon kicked off in June in Vesco Park. The program is offered for preschool to second-grade students. The program runs on Tuesdays and Thursday from noon till one pm. Examples of themes for this year are Hoppy Day!, Who wants to be a PALENTOLOGIST?, Around the house, and What's underneath our feet?. The program runs until August 4th.  Adopt a Tree (July 8) |
Eight participants revved their engine for ATV Rider Camp earlier this week! Nevada Outdoor School and Humboldt County Cooperative Extension 4-H Program hosted a three-day camp for local youth to learn safe riding habits, Tread Lightly! ethics, and basic first aid skills. The first two days were at the fairgrounds and full of activities including talks from local ATV shop owners, pop-up obstacles, outdoor ethics dash, a poster project, and more. On the third day, campers were able to bring their ATVs to the Winnemucca sand dunes and practice safe ATV riding habits. We would like to give a special thanks to Jim White, owner of Snowstorm Sports; Jeff Thompson, owner of Ravenswood; and Northern Nevada ATV Association for their generous help with ATV Rider Camp.  Campers inspect NOS’s ATV to see if it’s ready for the trail with Jeff Thompson  ATV campers practicing safe riding at the sand dunes (June 24, 2011) |
| Sierra Summit Camp is a multiple-day program for 6th grade students where they are exposed to an incredible array of kinesthetic and hands-on science, outdoor, and leadership activities that reinforce what they've learned in the classroom. Students experienced new activities that cannot be taught inside the classroom—kayaking, wilderness hikes, night hikes, cabin life, campfire skits, as well as gain first hand experience with concepts and ideas that they have already been taught in the classroom—geology, ecosystems, astronomy, ecology, etc. This is a learning experience that students will always remember!
(June 17, 2011)
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| Two of Nevada Outdoor School’s own traveled throughout eastern Nevada to spread the Tread Lightly! message. We visited third through sixth grade classes, reaching 305 youth, in Ely, Pioche, Panaca, and Caliente. Through these lessons students discovered the importance of leaving what they find (except trash!), ATV safety, being prepared for outdoor adventures and invasive species. It is important to reach out to these rural communities with Tread Lightly! because a majority of the students partake in off-highway vehicle recreation; we want them to be safe and take care of nature while recreating. This is the second year NOS has toured eastern Nevada and we aim to continue this outreach in the future.
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Nevada Outdoor School took more than 300 fourth graders last week on a field trip to Lovelock Cave and the Marzen House Museum in Lovelock, NV. The students were able to take a look back on Nevada State History through their six station rotation at the Marzen house and their seven station rotation at Lovelock Cave. The field trip is a collaboration between Nevada Outdoor School and the Bureau of Land Management in celebration of Archeology Month in Nevada.
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Nevada Outdoor School is proud to announce we’ve been selected as a finalist in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program. Now we need your support! Vote for Nevada Outdoor School at www.facebook.com/toyota on May 30, 2011. Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will award 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public. A total of 500 finalists were selected based on their application as reviewed by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility. They are vying for the opportunity to win a new Toyota vehicle. Winning organizations will use the vehicles to help expand their reach and mission within the community.
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The week of April 25th, NOS took Winnemucca 2nd Graders on a Field Trip to Riverside Park in Winnemucca to learn more about our Humboldt Basin Watershed. The classes rotated through four interactive stations: a Watershed Experiment, Sum of its Parts, Exploring Watersheds and Storm Drain Demonstration. The field trip was a huge success for NOS and the students who attended.
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Nevada Outdoor School shows appreciation during National Volunteer Week Winnemucca – For several decades the Points of Light Institute has used National Volunteer Week to not only inspire volunteerism but to salute it. Nevada Outdoor School wanted to honor those volunteers who came into the Winnemucca community to serve; this was the goal of National volunteer appreciation bowling night. Desmond Coronado, who is serving with the Great Basin Institute through the Bureau of Land Management arrived in Winnemucca in early March and is on the GBI Clean Energy Corps. This program was developed to promote and educate about the opportunities of clean energy that Nevada has.
Pictured from left to right, James, Richard, Desmond, Ursula, Ryan (behind), Megan, Jessica (behind), Nichole, Laura (behind), Paul, Chris (behind)
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Nevada Outdoor School recently took ownership of a new ATV. Thanks to a grant from Nevada State Parks and Rec. Trails. This ATV will be used for Tread Lightly! outreach, ATV Safety courses and other related programs. Look out for us on the trails!
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Check us out on YourLume.com. We are one of their new sharelume candidates. YourLume.com is a site dedicated to "building a devoted community of adventure-seeking individuals, providing a place to engage in conversation, a forum to share your adventure experiences, learn about other people’s adventures and directly connect to brands to learn about and buy the latest gear."
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