Page 2 - Spring 2013 magazine FINAL

By Tim O’Brien

Dear Friends Members, Interpretive Association (RRCIA) staff or the class-

Friends of Red Rock Canyon’s mission is “the preser- room teacher. For the last school year (September 2011
vation, protection and enrichment of Red Rock Canyon to June 2012), a record high of 44 bus grants were ap-
National Conservation Area and the public lands of proved. Of these, 32 teachers submitted the necessary
southern Nevada.” One of the ways we implement this paperwork for the transportation reimbursements which
mission is through education about Red Rock Canyon. totaled $4,700. Those 32 trips amounted to approxi-
Each year the Friends Transportation Grants Commit- mately 1,730 students visiting Red Rock Canyon and
tee provides bus grants to Clark County Title One receiving environmental education. For most of the
schools, making it possible for students to visit and children, this was their first trip to Red Rock Canyon.
learn about Red Rock Canyon.
All three partners — Friends, BLM and RRCIA —
Teachers who want grant funding in order to bring their combining resources and working together, have made
students to Red Rock Canyon must complete the Bu- the Friends’ bus grant program a huge success. It offers

reau of Land Management’s (BLM) “Explore the Great students who may not otherwise be able to visit Red
Outdoors Workshop” and schedule the field trip with Rock Canyon an on-the-ground environmental educa-
the BLM. The teachers then submit the Friends’ bus tional experience. We hope this gives them a sense of
grant application which identifies the date and location pride and ownership in Red Rock Canyon and makes
of the field trip, the number of people attending, a letter the children better stewards of the public lands. Hope-
of need and a paragraph describing classroom pre- and fully, these students will also pass this educational ex-
post-field trip activities. perience on to their parents and friends.

The actual field trips take place at Red Springs, Lost As you can see, the Friends’ bus grant program is a win
Creek, Moenkopi Trail or the Pine Creek/Fire Ecology -win situation for the students and for Red Rock Can-
Trail. They are led by BLM staff, Red Rock Canyon yon National Conservation Area.

Rock On! 1,930 Red Rock license plates are on the road and one is in the Tortoise Habitat.

Friends of Red Rock Canyon are lucky to have a
charitable license plate providing critically needed
funds which support our efforts to preserve and pro-

tect the Rock.

Trading in your existing license plate for a Red Rock
Canyon plate results in a $25 tax-deductible donation
to Friends in the first year and a $20 donation for
every year you renew the license plate.

Thank you if you already have a Red Rock Canyon

plate. Please consider getting the license plate if you
Photo by Sue Kolar
don’t have this visible symbol of support for our spe-
All the best people are wearing the Red Rock License Plate! cial place. Hugo thanks you as well.