We had a wonderful year in 2011, and we are looking forward to even more in 2012! We had 60 people or more participate in training and data collection, with about 60 inventories total completed.

This program has been developed in partnership with Friends of Nevada Wilderness, the BLM, and Desert Research Institute to determine the baseline health of springs throughout the Black Rock NCA. Friends of Black Rock High Rock will assist in training volunteers to visit springs and record their observations of the health and vitality of the riparian area on several variables, such as plant health and water flow. In time, a picture of the varying condition of the springs and impacts from such effects as cattle or wildlife will be determined, and further volunteer projects to reverse any observed damage can be undertaken.

The inventory methodology has been developed by Don Sada at DRI and BLM ecologist Roger Farschon, and we continue to look for special volunteers to undergo training for this program. Please see the link to the draft of this methodology below. For more information, email volunteer@blackrockdesert.org and put "Spring Assessment Volunteering" in the subject line.

TRIP LEADER TRAINING, APRIL 16 & 17, 2011
This training was very enjoyable, and we have a whole troupe of trained trip leader volunteers ready to scour the high desert looking at springs!
http://blackrockdesert.org/friends/events/2011/april-16-17/citizens-spri...

The Power Point DRI Presentation for this program is here.

To see the report prepared in 2009 by the National Riparian Service team following their visit to the Black Rock Desert, visit http://blackrockdesert.org/friends/national-riparian-service-team-situat...

Check out the project blogspot page here.

To donate to this project, please click here.