Monday, January 28, 2013

Items of note on PIC's January calendar page

We're not sure if January went by fast for you, but it sure did for PIC!  Before it's time to post our February calendar pages, we wanted to point out more content on our January pages. 


You may have noticed, PIC introduced a new feature this year--we added Outdoor Tips to each month; those tips range from safety suggestions to ways to have more fun, from common-sense ideas to out of the ordinary concepts.  In January its the 'duh' common-sense type--the kind that everyone who spends time outdoors already knows--but BECAUSE we spend so much time outdoors, we sometimes forget or dismiss our needs for the simple things--plenty of warm clothes, layers to adjust to changing temperatures or taking a flashlight, making sure the batteries are fresh and remembering extra batteries, just in case.  Stranded because of a breakdown and forced to spend a long winter's night out in the boonies turns a flashlight into a good friend and an extra set of batteries becomes pure luxury.  The winter days are still short and the nights long, so warm clothes, flashlights, batteries make even more sense.  It all comes down to those last 10 minutes before you leave, when you think 'what else do I need?'  It's so easy to say 'nothing', but we all need to ask ourselves, 'what else JUST in case?' and grab those items before leaving for a day of fun. 


And before we put January to bed, PIC wants to thank the Virgin Valley High School students, especially the ones from Mr. Jensen's science classes; they routinely show up at volunteer events and have done so much work removing tamarisks; we wanted to highlight their contributions by featuring them on the January page.  Thanks! 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Article about PIC in MV Progress


What a surprise to read the editorial in this weeks' Moapa Valley Progress; it was about us!  And the focus of the article was exactly what PIC always likes to focus on--people.  PIC believes that people are an essential element in all aspects of the natural world and Editor Vernon Robison summed up our philosophy so eloquently, "... preservation efforts are most effective when they are ‘by, for and of the people’."

Thanks Moapa Valley Progress; you made our day!  http://mvprogress.com/2013/01/23/from-the-editors-desk-conservation-as-it-was-always-meant-to-be/



Thursday, January 3, 2013

PIC's Responsible Use Video--this one won a regional Emmy!

Thank you Christine Ward of Awesome Adventures (and she takes care of the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce website too!) for your kindness once again.  Christine walked me through setting up a youtube account and then she uploaded PIC's Responsible Use videos to youtube (and now i can share them here!). 

Our first video, "Respect the Ride" features the Kelley family of Logandale.  Lisa is an educator in Moapa Valley, Darren races ATVs and taught his son David to do the same.  This video has the Kelley family discussing several responsible use messages from their perspective and they highlight the differences between riding on our trails and racing ATVs on a course or track. 

The Desert Conservation Program funded these vidoes; PIC proposed educational videos made by regular but recognizable people in their communities, with no memorized script--just people that spend a great deal of time riding and riding responsibly--and sharing those thoughts and memories on video.  While PIC developed the concept, Joshua Tree Productions produced the video, thus it is professionally done with graphics and 'all the works'.  Joshua Tree Productions has won multiple Emmys for their educational films and documentaries. 

PIC is especially proud that this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRWI7DpBKyE&feature=youtu.be won a Regional Emmy in the Pacific Southwest Region in 2009.  It has taken a few years to get this video to youtube, but that hurdle was just cleared. 

Responsible Use in regards to motorized recreation on public lands is one of PIC's main priorities and responsible use is SO easy to do.  Just stay on roads and trails, respect the right of others to recreate how they see fit, be safe, don't trash the desert, ride at your skill level, and obey the speed limits--Nevada state law is 25 mph when speed limits are not posted, this includes most dirt roads and trails.  And enjoy.  Our public lands are meant to be responsibly enjoyed. Check out the video and let us know what you think.  Thanks again to Lisa, David, and Darren for your time making this video--thanks Awesome Adventures for getting our videos to youtube format. 

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

January 2013 Calendar Pages

Here are the January, 2013 pages of our calendar and several items worthy of highlighting. 



PIC’s monthly ‘Visit your public lands’ suggestion is the Pahranagat Refuge.  We drive by it often and the refuge always provides miles of enjoyable scenery, but taking time to spend an afternoon—now that is really a treat!  Although popular in the spring and fall, a sunny January day will find you sharing the refuge with an abundance of waterfowl and wildlife, but few people.  The picnic sites along the east shore are perfectly set up for a visual feast.  Gazing over the water, watching the waterfowl while the winter trees provide stark contrast to the shoreline’s cattails and reeds is a relaxing way to spend some time; take the camera for some great photos.  As the day ends, your picnic site offers stunning views of the western sky and our lingering desert sunsets will not disappoint!  Hiking is easy; something the entire family from toddlers to grandparents can participate in and bring binoculars as everyone will want to see close-ups of the birds and other wildlife.  Most sites have BBQ's so hot food like burgers or chili are easy to prepare.  Access is via a paved road so any type of vehicle will get you there.  Enjoy!  Take some photos and post back about your day! 

The Quadrantids, peaking on January 3rd, is not one of the better known meteor showers, but in 2013 only the Perseids in August have dark nights for excellent viewing.  So, for 2013, the first meteor shower of the year ends up being one of the best to view.  Astronomy Magazine suggests finding a dark spot away from street lights and positioning yourself so that a tree or building blocks the moon’s glare; next look to  the northeast as this meteor shower radiates from that direction.  Even with the moon, Astronomy estimates a dark spot will produce 30-100 meteors an hour for your viewing pleasure.  Comment or post and let us know how many you saw! 
 
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