Conservation in Las Vegas

The city of Las Vegas is not exactly known for its role in wildlife conservation. In fact, when you google “wildlife conservation in Las Vegas,” sites which pop up are regarding jobs with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and information on the Springs Preserve. However, as someone who has resided in the Vegas area for the past 18 years, I know that there are a few opportunities to promote this initiative.

Mojave Max was a consistent character throughout my time in elementary school. He is a desert tortoise character as well as an actual desert tortoise living at Springs Preserve. Max is the official mascot for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program and its partners. Since 1995, he has been “telling folks about native species, what they can do to protect their local environments, and how to safely explore and enjoy our desert” [1]. Local elementary schools can apply for educational assemblies where children can meet Mojave Max and learn about the importance of conservation at an early age.

A second opportunity to get more involved in wildlife conservation is the Springs Preserve itself. Frequently referred to as the “birthplace of Las Vegas,” the Preserve is 180 acres dedicated “to commemorate Las Vegas’ dynamic history and to provide a vision for a sustainable future” [2]. Not only are students able to volunteer there, but the Preserve provides a place for children and adults to learn about native wildlife, sustainability, habitat restoration, and more!

The third opportunity which is a more recent discovery for myself is the Las Vegas Zoological Society. I learned about this organization and their efforts during the process of voting for district court judges in Nevada. One of the candidates happened to be a board member of the society and after reading his background, I wanted to learn more about their work. Upon skimming their website, I quickly learned that their mission is to “inspire education and conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature” [3]. Since 2016, they have also been working on establishing a zoological park full of a multitude of species, and those interested in contributing can volunteer for LVZS.

Overall, Las Vegas does present a number of ways to get involved in wildlife conservation and hopefully, more young people can become a part of the initiative here.

Interested in learning more about the opportunities mentioned? Refer below to the sources cited for links to their pages!

[1] Holloway, E. (2018, October 15). Meet Mojave Max. Retrieved from https://www.mojavemax.com/learn/meet-mojave-max/index.html

[2] Springs Preserve. (n.d.). Our Mission. Retrieved from https://www.springspreserve.org/about/our-mission.html

[3] Las Vegas Zoological Society. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from https://www.zoolasvegas.org/home.html