Nevadans for Cultural Preservation

July 2023 

"From Big Springs to Springs Preserve: 50 Years of Archaeology"

Nathan Harper, Archaeologist for the Las Vegas Valley Water District delved into the history of the preservation of the sites at the Las Vegas Spring's Preserve.

The Big Springs of Las Vegas has served as a waystation for indigenous peoples, travelers, and early settlers for thousands of years. For many years the tall cottonwoods along US 95 were the only indication of the deep history of the site. In 1972 archaeologist Claude Warren of UNLV was tasked with identifying the extent and depth of prehistoric and historic archaeological deposits on the site. This work to protect and preserve the Las Vegas Springs site would continue for over 40 years. Claude and Elizabeth Warren were dedicated to the preservation of the site through development of the “Friends of Big Springs,” leading to the site’s listing on the National Register of Historic places in 1978. In 2007 the Springs Preserve opened, dedicated to the protection and preservation of the birthplace of Las Vegas.

Click here to watch a recording of this Zoom Webinar.

July 2023

On July 1st, NVFCP held an outreach table inside RideNow Powersports on Rancho. We educated their staff and customers on the importance of participating in preservation through reporting damage they find at cultural sites. It was great to be able to have a booth in the air conditioning because it was the first day to reach triple digits this summer. Our partners, Dunes and Trails, joined us and helped with the education. 

June 2023

Rayette Martin provided a tour of the exhibition at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art to 20 members of 702Q+.  It was a pleasure to guide folks through the mission of NVFCP, our role in this project, the now historic land art works, and the contemporary works by ten talented artists. The exhibition ends July 8th with some pieces moving on to other museums. Attendees also enjoyed the other exhibition at the museum "Am I Your Type". Entry is free and open to all. 

June 2023

NVFCP and Dunes and Trails OHV/ATV Group hosted a booth at Carter Powersports on Saturday, June 19th. We were able to talk to the staff and guests about how they can help protect cultural sites when recreating. Everyone was receptive to the messaging and agreed to report damage to cultural sites. This is the first of a series of booths at OHV dealerships this summer. 

June 2023

The team from Modern Desert Markings took us behind the scenes of the exhibition. Artists who were commissioned to create new work in response to five historic Land Art sites in Southern Nevada discuss their site visits to the locations of these important artworks as well as their thoughts on Land Art and preservation.

A video of the symposium is available on our YouTube channel and can be viewed here.

May 2023

Archaeologist, Jeff Wedding, presented RAILROAD ARCHAEOLOGY: Investigations along the Union Pacific’s Salt Lake Line in Southern Nevada.

Between 1997 and 2001, Archaeologists from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), initiated and completed the investigation of more than a dozen historic era archaeological sites across the Las Vegas valley. All were found to be associated, directly or indirectly, to the construction of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad between 1903 and 1905 (the progenitor of today’s Union Pacific line). Now, 120 years after the railroad’s construction and 20 years since shovels scraped dirt, Jeff Wedding presented the history behind the Salt Lake Route and reflect on the findings of those archaeological investigations.

For a video of this Zoom Webinar click here. 

March - May 2023

NVFCP was contracted to remove decades worth of graffiti from a sensitive cultural area. Community support was seen through over 40 volunteers signing up to help. We used chemicals, air abrasives, power tools, and a ton of elbow grease. Volunteers learned about archaeology, preservation, and the variety of techniques used to carefully remove paint graffiti. Some spent a day with us, others came out everyday, and many volunteered for a few days here and there. Combined their efforts had a huge impact and much was learned. Each rock surface and paint interact differently. We had to do spot testing and change up our techniques fairly often. NVFCP can say we have a group of experienced graffiti removal volunteers for future projects.

May 2023 

Henderson Nissan hosted a Community Off-Road Meet & Greet with over 11 Clubs in attendance. NVFCP was invited to have an educational booth and explain how we often go off-road to do our preservation jobs. Our Executive Director's truck bed was full of graffiti removal supplies that were used earlier that day. Before and after photos of that work really resonated with booth visitors. We added several new folks to our monthly email list, got a few new OHV Preservation Ambassadors trained, and shared public reporting cards.

April 2023

NVFCP spent Saturday at the fair inside the Nevada Division of Wildlife tent coworking at a booth for the Nevada Off Highway Vehicles. We were able to talk to thousands of visitors throughout the day. People were drawn to the artifacts on display and were receptive to reporting damages they find to cultural sites when driving off-road. Kids had to answer questions about how they can ride smart before getting a stamp on their passport. Once full, from visiting all the booths, they got a prize. Many of the kids understood the importance of leaving artifacts where they are found! 

April 2023

This symposium was a discussion with archaeologist - Justin DeMaio, Co-curators Katie Hoffman and Hikmet Sidney Loe, and land art scholar - Kirsten Swenson about land use and the future of the Land Art Movement. This program is related to the exhibition "Modern Desert Markings." A video of the symposium is available here.