Editor's note: Pershing County Middle School student Matthew Yenne spent the day of May 1 with Winnemucca Publishing Managing Editor David Gouger as part of a job shadow event. The following is a feature story Yenne wrote about Friends of Nevada Wilderness as part of his assignment.
By Matthew Yenne
Special to Winnemucca Publishing, Inc.
WINNEMUCCA - Friends of Nevada Wilderness is a local organization that is dedicated to preserving all qualified Nevada public lands as wilderness, protecting all present and potential wilderness from ongoing threats, educating the public about the values of and need for wilderness and improving the management and restoration of wild lands.
They are gathering volunteers from Pershing County to assist in projects in the Santa Rosa area. Their projects are family friendly and Brenna Archibald, the stewardship program coordinator, invites everyone to join in.
Friends of Nevada Wilderness was established in 1984 and since then has led efforts to protect over 3 million acres of wilderness thanks to its volunteers.
The organization has main offices located in Reno and Las Vegas. Another office, in connection with Nevada Outdoor School, opened in Winnemucca in November.
Volunteers aren't required to have any special interests or skills to assist in the projects, and youth groups are always welcome.
"Any volunteer that is even willing to come out for one day every year can make a difference, even if they're 6 years old," says Archibald.
Archibald can present information to teachers and their classes if they are interested in volunteering their time. Most projects are held on Saturdays, and volunteers can camp the night before and/or the night after each project. Most volunteers work June through September from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a lunch break. Dinner is often provided afterwards.
Archibald is willing to accept questions from anyone interested in volunteering by phone, (775) 623-5656, or by e-mail, brenna.archibald@nevadaoutdoorschool.org. For more information, visit www.nevadawilderness.org.
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