By Nancy Jennis Olds

The Clark County (C.C.) Wetlands Park offers visitors and residents alike some of the most enriching wildlife observations in Las Vegas! However, trash does accumulate in its park, whether by a careless toss or through the high winds, volunteers contribute greatly to keeping sections of the C.C. Wetlands Park safe for our visitors and for the wildlife.

On Saturday, April 8, Clark County Wetlands Park hosted “Wetlands: Hands ON! (WHO) to meet between 9 to 11AM on the Sunrise Trailhead, a portion of the C.C. Wetlands Park that Toiyabe Chapter, Sierra Club executive member Linda Stout and I had never visited before. This region of the wetlands park is close to the Big Weir Bridge by the Las Vegas Wash. Incidentally, this trailhead affords a beautiful view of the entire Las Vegas Strip!

The volunteers met at a lime green pop-up tent where staff members checked us in. Everyone had already registered in advance. Children were permitted to participate with parents or guardians. Each child was given a bright green vest to wear as trucks would periodically drive up and down the dirt road to pick up the bags and buckets full of debris found by the volunteers.

After signing in, we noticed that all the volunteers, perhaps over eighty participants, were immediately assigned to color-coded groups: red, green, and blue. Adjacent to the registration tent were buckets, trash pickers, and heavy-duty gloves to choose from. The staff also offered large trash bags for volunteers to carry with them.

This Saturday morning was ideal for a cleanup. It was still relatively cool and there was hardly any wind. After a short safety briefing, volunteers gathered by their designated color-coded sign held up by a staff member. One side of the road was BLM (Bureau of Land Management) public lands and the other side was the C.C. Wetlands Park area where we would roam on the lookout for all types of debris. Our first find was an abandoned car tire and rim!

You never know what you will find in the desert, but there were quite a few large pieces of glass scattered around, presumably from beer bottles, bits of plastic or water bottles, wood parts, and, in one case, a capped hypodermic needle that had to be conveyed away immediately. The glitter of natural mica scattered in the desert made it a little difficult to sort out the glass from the natural stone!

Children seem to love this “treasure hunt”. One very happy and excited young lady came by our group holding a small intact animal skull complete with canine teeth, which she had discovered while she and her family were engaged in the cleanup!

The two hours designated for the cleanup passed by much too quickly. Volunteers were spread out all over the dry terrain doing a massive job of cleaning up the land dotted with dry brush. We headed back to the lime green pop-up tent to return our equipment. The staff graciously offered water bottles and granola bars. Much to our delight, we could keep the heavy-duty gloves and the labeled C.C. Wetlands Park water bottles.

The C.C. Wetland Park is comprised of 2,900 acres on the eastern edge of the Las Vegas Valley. There is a 210-acre Nature Preserve with ample signage posted on the trails and there are four trailheads. More than 300 bird species and 70 species of mammals and reptiles have been identified in the park. This includes beavers, coyotes, bobcats, lizards, and snakes. Hike out to the Nature Preserve portion of the wetlands where you might run into an intrepid roadrunner on your path!

The C.C. Wetlands Park, established in 1991, welcomes interested visitors to become volunteers on their website. Volunteers have become the eyes and ears for all sorts of activities in the wetlands park. Wetlands Watch volunteers hike through the park reporting conditions and any other issues. They can also clean up the trash and remove graffiti if necessary. The C.C. Wetlands Park offers specialized training for volunteers who must undergo a background check prior to volunteering. The C.C. Wetlands Park recommends eight hours of volunteer duty per month. Volunteers eventually earn rewards! There are many educational programs to explore as well. You can contact C.C. Wetlands Park for further information: (702) 455-7522 or wetlands@clarkcountynv.gov.

The benefits of volunteering to clean up our public lands can be many. It’s an opportunity to get out in the desert with family and friends and perform community service while enjoying the health benefits of being outdoors. It is absolutely encouraging to meet up with so many volunteers who want to conserve the natural beauty of our precious desert parks and monuments!