Tag Archives: nature

Nevada Gets Its Own Insect

There’s been a move afoot by school children and Nevada’s Senate, refreshingly working in harmony, to select Nevada’s state insect.  Care to hazard a guess on the winner?  

Some said the winner would be the blood-sucking mosquito, having a double entendre:  a symbol for our economy and to commemorate the growing number of West Nile virus cases stemming from the stagnant pools of our many foreclosed homes.  Wrong. 

Some said the bedbug would be a better symbol, keeping with the “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” advertising slogan.  Wrong again.

 Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, piped up and alternatively suggested the barfly or “the lobbyist.”  Nope. damselfly

No, the winning flitting critter is the . . . damselfly, which is found in all parts of Nevada, resembling a dragonfly.  Male vivid dancer damselflies are bright blue and females are tan.   No telling what damsel colors would morph into when in distress.  

And, in tune with Nevada’s kitschy status, no other state has the damselfly as their official state insect.   

The project – Nevada Senate bill SB166 – was the brainchild of sponsors Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Henderson, and Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, R-Henderson, working with fourth-grade educators throughout Nevada. 

A group of educators and scientists picked the damselfly earlier this month, as recommended by fourth-graders at Beatty Elementary School in Las Vegas, then there was a 7-0 ratifying vote, without filibustering, from the Nevada Senate Government Affairs Committee.  The Beatty entry was selected from more than 70 nominations and essays send in by 57 fourth-grade classes across Nevada. 

Now, only eight states have no official insect to call their own.

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Atlatl Throwing Anyone?

The Valley of Fire State Park, located about 15 miles north of Las Vegas, is known for its vibrant red sandstone atlatllandscape with a variety of rock formations including natural arches.  But for real special treat on March 27 through 29 The World Atlatl Association is having a atlatl contest there where you can watch serious competitors and amateurs try their hand and muscle with the ancient weapon- a simple stick cleverly designed to hurl a spear with great force – from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Atlatl Rock Picnic Area in the Valley of Fire.  

The park entrance fee is $6 per vehicle.  For more information, call 702-397-2088 or http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm  Don’t forget your camera.

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Neon Planned Outage on Las Vegas Strip

It’s a very rare occurrence when Las Vegas Strip neon marquees intentionally go dark.  The odds are better for hittingearthhour a Megabucks jackpot.  But on a usually bustling Saturday night, March 28, at 8:30 p.m. local time, running for one hour, Las Vegas casinos, businesses, and residents are being asked and urged to turn off their lights and join 240 cities in 70 countries in support of a global call for action on climate change. 

The event marks one of the few times Strip lights have been darkened for specific occasions, such as the deaths of presidents and entertainers.   The last time was for the funeral of iconic entertainer and Las Vegas resident Robert Goulet on November 9, 2007. 

The World Wildlife Fund is asking all businesses, government agencies, and individuals to dim or turn off lights for their Earth Hour event.   Las Vegas has been designated as a flagship city.  Earth Hour will begin in Fiji, in the Southwest Pacific, and will move across our planet, culminating on the West Coast of the United States.

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Carey Hart Strips for PETA in Las Vegas

Carey Hart, the motocross superstar phenom and co-owner of Las Vegas-based Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company in Las Vegas, was a poster boy for PETA on February 3, appearing in the nightclub Wasted Space (a club that he also co-owns) in the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel to “expose” the cruelty of the fur trade by showing off his amply tattooed body in a poster.  Hart stood next to the poster, with the tagline: “Ink, Not Mink” in a brand-new ad for PETA that espouses, “Be comfortable in your own skin, and let animals keep theirs.” 

Other notables appearing in PETA’s “Ink, Not Mink” ad series will later include Dennis Rodman, Tommy Lee, and Miami Ink star Ami James.  

PETA says animals that are trapped for fur suffer excruciating pain before trappers crush their chests or bludgeon them to death. On fur farms, animals are poisoned, gassed, or anally electrocuted or have their necks broken. In China, now the world’s leading fur exporter, animals-including cats and dogs-are often skinned alive.

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Bald Eagles Love Las Vegas

The bald eagle, the iconic national symbol of the United States, is our new Las Vegas snowbird.  Results from a recent survey show 108 eagles – 29 adults and 59 immature – now make their winter residence at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. bald-eagle

Once on the brink of extinction, the bald eagle was declared an endangered species in 1967  for much of the United States, except Alaska, where about half of the world’s bald eagles live. 

This year’s bald eagle survey results at the Lake Mead Science Symposium on January 14 reported the second-highest tally of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area since the midwinter counts began in 1985.  

Last year the record tally was 116 bald eagles. 

A good area to view and photograph the mighty bald eagles is at the Overton Arm of Lake Mead.

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