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Clark County Wetlands Park
preserves and enhances natural and cultural resources and provides educational, recreational, and research opportunities for the public.
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Welcome to the E-version of the Wetlands Park Footprints Newsletter!
Wetlands Park newsletter streamlined to make it easier to read online, manage your subscription, and share with your friends. Let us know what you think.
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 Click on the image above to preview our video, "Water Makes the Difference".
Wetlands Park has been offering Guided Field Trips to CCSD schools since 2001, offering an outdoor experience to more than 47,000 school children. This year, we have been missing the big yellow buses and the sound of kids as they explore the Park and learn about the plants and animals. In order to reach kids and still offer an educational experience, we have developed a Virtual Field Trip. The virtual program includes a video exploring the park and its habitats and a live online discussion with one of our Certified Interpretive Guide staff naturalists. The online experience allows us to introduce the Park to new schools and spark curiosity for kids to come experience nature.
The response has been significant. Virtual Field Trips are primarily designed for grades 3-5 and we are currently doing our best to accommodate requests from more than 450 classes.
We look forward to welcoming schools once again for in-person guided field trips, hopefully in the fall, while we continue to explore options for environmental educational programming in this time of social distancing.
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 Las Vegas Wash photo by Jody Walker
2020 has been a stressful year, so why not start the new year off with a walk in nature, a walk at Clark County Wetlands Park.
Nature soothes the soul. Nature is constantly evolving and adapting over time. It can rejuvenate and calm a person like nothing else. Sometimes a moment in nature allows us to clear our minds, reflect on our lives, and to put things in perspective. In our busy schedules, this can sometimes be overlooked.
Clark County Wetlands Park is free and open to the public during daylight hours, dawn to dusk. Bring yourself or your entire family. Grab a map, put your phone away, and explore one of the trails. Along the trail, take a moment to stop and pause. Use all your senses. What do you hear? What do you smell? What unique or exciting thing did you see? This will allow you to slow down and appreciate the moment. Hopefully, you’ll feel happier and more content. If it’s a nice day on your visit, you’ll get some sun and vitamin D too. Remember to tread lightly, respect nature, and leave no trace during your visit.
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A big thank you to our generous Wetlands Park donors who funded the recent installation of six new benches in the Nature Preserve! Their contributions help fund various park improvement projects and support public programs that can be enjoyed by all Wetlands Park visitors. Check out our Donor Wall at the Nature Center to see all those who have contributed to the Park financially. If you are interested in making a donation to Wetlands Park, or would like to find out more about our donor wall and donation program, please click here to visit our website.
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 Common reeds in Nature Center (BEFORE)
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 Removal of common reeds in Nature Center (AFTER)
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If you’ve visited the Nature Preserve lately you’ve probably seen some areas of cleared vegetation. We are in the process of removing salt cedar (tamarisk) near Vern’s Pond. This was one of the last remaining large-scale stands of this invasive plant in the Nature Preserve. Also, large areas of common reed have been mowed. Both of these efforts have been conducted in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management Fire team, as well as the National Park Service as an effort to reduce fuels for wildfires and begin to restore areas to include more diverse native vegetation, improving habitat for wildlife. The clearing can be shocking in comparison to what was there before, but these changes are part of our long-term efforts to improve and protect the habitats of the Nature Preserve from large wildfires and invasive species.
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 Volunteer Nelson Finley tabling with volunteer CC Carlson at the Welcome Plaza
Passionate volunteers are priceless. They are the heart and voice of Wetlands Park. Nelson Finley is one such volunteer. We were able to catch up with him to find out what it is that keeps him coming back year after year.
What is your background? I lived most of my life in Michigan. I grew up in a small community where I went to a one room schoolhouse for the first grade. It was all eight grades, 30 kids, and one teacher. Most of the time I walked to school.
How long have you lived in the Las Vegas Valley? Moved to Las Vegas in 2000 with my wife, Alma, so it’s been 21 years.
Are you currently working, retired, or going to school? What do/did you do? I’m retired. Spent 30 some years driving a truck for moving companies. I’ve been to every state in the union except Alaska. Made it to Hawaii when I was in the Navy at the beginning of Vietnam. San Diego was my home port and we were the west pack crew.
How long have you been volunteering at Wetlands Park? Since the Nature Center opened back in 2013.
How did you come to volunteer at the Wetlands? I was already walking in the Park because it reminded me of back home. I enjoyed it and wanted to be a part of the Park, I wanted to keep things going. I remember watching the building being built and waiting in anticipation for the grand opening.
In what capacities have you been volunteering at the Park? Initially, I worked in the Kiosk greeting visitors, then in the Exhibit Hall as an Exhibit Hall host. Once the Park re-opened after the first pandemic closure, I was tabling outside at the welcome plaza entrance. Unfortunately, this has been put on hold because of the statewide extended pause. I am looking forward to greeting visitors once it’s safe to do so again.
Why do you like volunteering at the Wetlands/Park? It’s a combination of meeting different people from all over and helping them to understand nature better.
What advice would you give someone interested in volunteering at the Park? If you are willing to communicate with people, enjoy the outdoors, have patience, and want to learn about nature, this is the volunteer opportunity for you. As a volunteer, you will meet new people and gain knowledge about the plants and animals in the area through volunteer classes.
What is your favorite spot in the Park? The Big Weir bridge. It’s a great viewpoint, you can look both ways and see everything.
What is your favorite thing about Wetlands Park? The thing I enjoy most is talking with different people, why they came to the Park, and what they thought about it.
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Nature Close-up: American White Pelican
The American white pelican is one of the largest birds in North America. They are even larger than a bald eagle and have a 9-foot wingspan. They are striking white waterbirds, with black wing tips visible when their wings are spread.
With huge, heavy bills they scoop up fish on the water's surface. The lower bill becomes an expanded pouch which allows them to catch and swallow their catch before flying off.
American white pelicans migrate by day, soaring majestically in flocks. Northern breeding populations migrate to southern California, the Gulf States, Mexico, and Central America for the winter and return in the spring. During the winter months, you may find them enjoying the streams and ponds at Clark County Wetlands Park alongside double-crested cormorants. Look for them along the shores or perched on a snag in the shallow waters of the Las Vegas Wash.
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With safety in mind, we will be offering limited virtual programs until further notice.
NATURE JOURNALING: *NEW* Learn the art of interpreting your experience in nature through Nature Journaling. Includes live online instruction in technique and feedback from your own plein air journaling. Click here for more details and to register.
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WETLANDS EXPLORERS CLUB: This is an ongoing virtual program. New content will be posted frequently. Check explorers.wetlandspark.com for quick kid-friendly nature lessons and activities suitable for ages 5+. Come to Wetlands Park to complete the activities, or some can even be done at home to learn about plants, animals and more. Earn stickers as you advance through the activities!
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NATURE TYKES @ A DISTANCE: This is a virtual family program with new content monthly. Intended for Ages 3-6 and their grownups, registered participants have access to a web page with activities to help parents facilitate age-appropriate science and exploration of the natural world to inspire wonder. These fun activities that can be done on your own in the Wetlands Park Nature Preserve. Click here for more details and to register.
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 Wetlands Walkers on the Move
Walking is good for one's physical and mental health, and a walk in nature is even better! Wetlands Walkers, a group of health and nature-oriented individuals, track their miles whenever they walk Park trails and earn rewards at various milestones.
As a group, their mileage is tallied to reach a yearly goal matching the migration distance of one of the Park's visiting species. In 2021 the Walkers are recognizing the American White Pelican and have a collective goal of trekking 6,800 miles.
Can we collectively reach 6,800 miles by the end of the year? Join Wetlands Walkers to make it happen.
To learn more about the Wetlands Walkers program, the American white Pelican, to sign up, or to log your miles, please visit our website, walkers.ccwetlandspark.com.
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