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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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Thank you for subscribing to Wetlands Park Footprints newsletter. Share with your friends and let us know what you think at wetlands@clarkcountynv.gov.
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Take a stroll down Holiday Lane and learn about different winter strategies animals use to survive winter! This year, Holiday Lane, located in the reed maze east of the Nature Center, will feature the story A Warm Winter Tail by Carrie Pearson through the end of December. Guests are encouraged to find an animal in the storybook that migrates to Mexico during winter. Answer the question and visit the Exhibit Gallery located at the Wetlands Park Nature Center for a prize! Just follow the signage from the Overlook Way trailhead to get to Holiday Lane!
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 Visit the SONGallery to view these extraordinary photographs by Philip Martini. Photo ©Wetlands.
A collection of stunning images by local photographer Philip Martini is on display now in the Spotlight on Nature Gallery (SONG) located in the Exhibit Gallery.
Philip has been taking photographs at Wetlands Park for about 10 years. Settling into Las Vegas after relocating from Maryland, a friend told him that there was a lot of wildlife in the desert if you went looking for it. He took out his 70-200 Nikon and went exploring. Philip was amazed to find animals and beauty around every corner in the Park. He was hooked and has since upgraded his camera and lenses many times. Philip graciously shares his photos with the Park and has captured photos of rare and iconic animals in his many excursions into nature. His photos can be found on park interpretive signs, educational programs, and social media. Beyond the Desert photographs will remain on display through
February 2024.
All of Philip’s photographs featured in this exhibit were taken at Wetlands Park. You can own these photos in the form of a 2024 calendar available in the Nature Store, open Tuesday through Sunday, from 9 am to 3 pm.
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 "Wetlands for the Holidays" art exhibit in the Nest Gallery. Photo ©Wetlands.
Wetlands Park Friends presents "Wetlands for the Holidays," an exhibit and sale of art from the Nevada Watercolor Society. Forty-six original works were on display in the Nest Gallery located in the Information Kiosk of the Nature Center from November 13 through December 16. Unsold pieces will remain on display through February 3 during Nature Center hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9 am to 3 pm.
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For the month of November, ten talented Nevada artists were selected to create temporary art pieces for the outdoor ROOTED exhibit on a short loop trail in the Nature Preserve of Wetlands Park. Each of the artists were commissioned to build and exhibit an original nature-themed art piece created with environmentally friendly recycled and repurposed materials. The displays represented the interwoven roots of nature and the human connection with the natural world. Artists included Bella Sanabria-Roman, Dan C. Brady, Deborah A. Lambin, Heather Lang-Cassera, Jeffrey Bennington Grindley with Jason Casey, KD Matheson, Pablo Gonzalez Flores, Scott Marquart, Shan Michael Evans, and Xochil Xitlalli.
Photo credit: "Rooted to Sky and Land" by Pablo Gonzalez Flores.
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 Volunteer, John Obert, at Wetlands Park. Photo ©Wetlands.
Passionate volunteers are priceless. They are the heart and voice of Wetlands Park. John Obert 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.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. I was drafted in 1967 by the U.S. Army where I spent 20 years as an Army Aviator and Civil Engineer. I then earned my secondary teaching credential and spent my next 25 years teaching computer applications, mathematics, and coaching in Upland CA at Pioneer Jr. High School. Afterwards, I was a Park Ranger for the City of Claremont for 10 years. I have been married for 52 years and have an amazing son, daughter, and 3 grandchildren.
How long have you been volunteering at Wetlands Park? I am completing my second year here at the Wetlands.
How did you come to volunteer at the Wetlands? My granddaughter was going to preschool classes at the Bird Preserve and they told me about the Wetlands.
What kinds of things do you do during a typical volunteer shift at Wetlands Park? As a Wetlands Watcher, I help keep the Park clean and get to interact with visitors. Working with Clark County students as an Education Facilitator is a wonderful new challenge every week. I look forward to interacting with our visitors in the Exhibit Hall as an Information Host.
Why do you like volunteering at Wetlands Park? Volunteering at the Wetlands is a great, new adventure every day, and interacting with our visitors keeps me active and feeling productive.
What advice would you give someone thinking about volunteering at Wetlands Park? This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to your community and learn about this amazing oasis in Las Vegas while working with a great group of staff and volunteers.
What is your favorite spot in Wetlands Park? Watching the sunrise over the mountains from one of the overlooks at the Wash.
Thank you, John, for your enthusiasm and helpful hand at Wetlands Park.
We appreciate you!
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Volunteers Needed! Wetlands Park is seeking volunteers, especially Information Hosts in our Nature Center and Education Facilitators for school field trips. The upcoming new year brings exciting opportunities for all!
Is volunteering at Wetlands Park right for you? The first step to becoming a volunteer is to attend this informational class about Wetlands Park, volunteer opportunities, and the process to become a Clark County Volunteer.
Saturday, January 20, 1 pm to 2:30 pm
Sign up at volunteer.ccwetlandspark.com
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 Male Phainopepla. Photo by David Walker.
Nature Close-up: Phainopepla
As the weather becomes cooler, you may be tempted to stay warm indoors. However, we encourage you to visit the desert scrub habitats of Wetlands Park for a chance to see a Phainopepla, an elegant songbird native to the Southwest.
Male Phainopeplas have sleek black plumage, a distinguishable crest, and flashy white wing patches you can observe when the bird takes flight. Female Phainopeplas are simple to identify as they are like the males but have dark gray plumage with white trimming on their wing feathers. More notably, both the male and female phainopepla have striking crimson red eyes.
Phainopepla's diet consists of primarily fruit, such as the Desert Mistletoe berries that are plentiful in the winter. Desert Mistletoe is a parasite that attaches itself to a host plant, such as a mesquite tree. With time, the Desert Mistletoe will exhaust the host plant of its nutrients and water, subsequently making the host weaker and more susceptible to disease. For Phainopeplas, more berries the merrier. With specialized digestive tracts for eating mistletoe berries, Phainopeplas feed on about 1,100 berries in a day to satisfy their nutritional and water intake needs.
In the desert, Phainopeplas are territorial and diligently defend their foraging and nesting sites. You’re likely to see a Phainopepla perched on a tree, where it spends most of its time surveying for intruders.
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 Wetlands: Hands On! (W.H.O.) participants picking up trash debris brought by the Labor Day weekend flooding. Photo ©Wetlands
Winter brings WP Art Programs, Discovery Walks, Outdoor Stewardship Events, and kids' programs like Nature Tales and Wetlands Explorers. View our December Program Guide or our calendar. To learn more about all our programs and to register, visit programs.ccwetlandspark.com.
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 Desert Scrub habitat at Wetlands Park featuring the Clark County Water Reclamation District and Frenchman Mountain in the far distance. Photo taken by Starr~Light.
Have you taken a photo in Wetlands Park that you would like to share? Want to see your Wetlands Park photo featured in an upcoming newsletter?
Submit your high-resolution photo(s) to: wetlands@clarkcountynv.gov Include your name, date, and location of the photo.
Post about it on Social media!
#CCWetlandsPark
#CallforWPphotos
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 Take a Walk at Wetlands and Join the Club
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 Wetlands Park trails and earn rewards at various milestones.
Wetlands Park Discovery Walks make it easy and fun to earn miles.
Upcoming Discovery Walks (Walker membership not required)
New Year Eve's Sunset Walk: Sunday, December 31, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Wetlands Walker 2024 Kickoff Walk: Sunday, January 14, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Java Jaunt Birding: Saturday, January 20, 8:00 am to 10:00 am
Java Jaunt Birding: Saturday, February 17, 8:00 am to 10:00 am
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 2023 the Walkers recognized the White-faced Ibis and had a collective goal of trekking 4,000 miles.
Congratulations, Wetlands Walkers! As of November, you have surpassed the yearly goal of trekking 4,000 miles in recognition of the White-faced Ibis' migration distance! We hope you are all proud of this impressive achievement. We anticipate to end the year with a whopping 5,500 miles! Lets keep walking!
Wetlands Park is excited to announce the 2024 species of the year, the Yellow-rumped Warbler. We hope to see new and familiar walkers in the upcoming new year!
To learn more about the Wetlands Walkers program, the white-faced ibis, to sign up, or to log your miles, please visit our website, walkers.ccwetlandspark.com. Please visit programs.ccwetlandspark.com to sign up for a guided walk.
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Wetlands Art Day: Saturday, March 23, 2024
We invite you to attend a free, family event full of art, poetry, and music to inspire the artist within you! Art Day will include art workshops and activities.
BioBlast: Saturday, April 27, 2024
With the help of guest scientists and naturalists, kids learn about all the plants and animals of Wetlands Park through science stations and interactive games and activities!
Discovery Day: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Discover exciting activities to beat the summer heat! Partnering organizations offer suggested activities families can do all summer with their kids!
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Educator, Translator, & Navigator
The Wetlands Park Navigator mobile app is now available to download through Apple App and Google Play Store! The Navigator provides content including tours, maps, directions, and other Park information in English, Spanish, and Tagalog. Try it out to explore a new part of Wetlands Park the next time
you visit us!
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