Habitat

CARSON CITY — Congratulations to Yahir Herrera, third grader from Mark Twain Elementary School, and Adria Bass, a kindergartner from Bordewich Bray Elementary School. Both were awarded prizes for their parents’ participation in a survey designed to develop a School Safety Review Study.

The proposed Andersen Ranch Estates neighborhood project was the hot topic during the Carson City Planning Commission meeting Tuesday night, with the commission recommending approval of the project map with a 4-2 vote with 1 vote absent.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Arts Council announced the awarding of $22,639.60 in statewide grants to support individual artists in the production and presentation of artistic projects that will occur between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2020.

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, along with California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and the USDA Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in the Tahoe Basin, weather, conditions and staffing permitted.

This Thanksgiving holiday has given us a lot to be thankful for. Let us be grateful for the recent precipitation. Let us be grateful for a climate with minimal plant diseases. Let us be thankful for all the other gardeners out there working to provide habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. And, let us be grateful for soils teeming with life, filled with organic matter that hold water without drowning plants.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is excited to announce that Zachary Ormsby has been hired as the new Program Manager for the Nevada Conservation Districts Program. As NCDP’s Program Manager, Ormsby will work with Nevada’s 28 conservation districts to help advance natural resource conservation and management throughout the State’s diverse rural and urban landscapes.

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, along with California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and the USDA Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations over the next few weeks in the Tahoe Basin — weather conditions and staffing permitted.

An agreement that aims for state and federal agencies to increase their collaborative efforts to reduce the risks and impacts of catastrophic wildfire was finalized Friday by the Office of Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Students, families, staff, and neighbors descended on the Carson Middle School Wetlands Habitat Saturday morning prepared to rake leaves, pull weeds, remove unwanted vegetation, and prepare the habitat for winter.

The Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department is pleased to announce the Empire Ranch Trail between Riverview Park and Morgan Mill has been reopened.

CARSON CITY — Meals on Wheels Carson City joins the 2019 Subaru Share the Love event as a member of Meals on Wheels America — one of four national Share the Love charitable partners supported through the campaign. From Nov. 14, 2019, through Jan. 2, 2020, Subaru of America will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased to the customer's choice of participating charities.

CARSON CITY — Commencing this month, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be undertaking a comprehensive review to determine if enhanced protection under state law is needed for the rare Tiehm buckwheat, a native plant species that lives exclusively within the Silver Peak Range in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

Thanks to a partnership between the Nevada Department of Corrections, Bureau of Land Management, and Institute for Applied Ecology, more than 200,000 sagebrush will be planted in Nevada wilderness scarred by wildfire.

PLACERVILLE, Calif. - Incident Commander Kevin Breitwieser has declared that the Caples Fire is now 100% contained and in patrol status at 3,435 acres. There has been almost no change in fire size since October 18. The extreme wind event on October 26 that prompted a public safety power shutoff was a good test of the containment lines and resulted in three small spots which were extinguished. Traces of smoke from interior burning will continue to be visible, but no additional fire growth is expected.

Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada is pleased to announce this year’s Triumphant: Celebrating Women in Leadership Dinner honorees. Six women, each representing one of the six Girl Scout focus areas, will be recognized at the 17th annual awards dinner on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno.

North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and California State Parks may continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in the Tahoe Basin, if weather and conditions permit.

CARSON CITY — Wetlands are the link between land and water, where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to create highly productive ecosystems with unique plant and animal life.

In broad terms, wetlands refer to all wet areas that provide ecosystem services and habitat for plants, wildlife, and aquatic species, including wet meadows, seeps and springs, playas, and riparian areas.

UPDATE: The 19-year-old bear captured Tuesday in Carson City by wildlife officials has died as a result of a brain tumor after he was tranquilized, with the intention of being released later into the wild, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Go here for the updated version of this story.
***
With recent bear sightings around Carson City, including Tuesday morning off of Minnesota Street, it is a sure sign that fall has set in as the capital city area is seeing increased bear foraging activity, according to wildlife officials.

Weather and conditions permitting, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and California State Parks may continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Happy Saturday, Carson City! We're going to have a warm day in the low 70s, so be sure to throw on your t-shirts which may be the last time this fall (barring the typical end of November inexplicable heat wave).

On the docket today we have the 30th annual Outhouse Races in Virginia City, a guitars and ukulele performance at the BAC, fundraisers, and more. Check out below to see what we've got going on for the rest of the weekend:

Saturday, October 5

Heading into the weekend, there’s a bevy of activities around the Carson City region over the next three days. Events include the 30th annual Outhouse Races in Virginia City, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event in Carson City, Fright Night at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, Oktoberfest at the Casino Fandango, the 26th annual 'Making a Difference' Golf Tournament and much more!

As part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s hazardous fuels reduction efforts, both Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts’ fire crews will conduct pile burning beginning in October 2019 through May 2020, weather and fuel conditions permitting.

Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space will host a “Fall Tot Trot” Sunday, October 5 beginning at 10 a.m. at Riverview Park.

This interpretive hike includes a scavenger hunt to learn about the Carson River habitat, and will help foster a love of exploring the outdoors!

California’s native Paiute cutthroat trout, the rarest trout in North America, swims once again in its high Sierra home waters for the first time in more than 100 years.

Carson High School Principal Gavin Ward stood at the north entrance high-fiving students as they entered high school, some of them for the first time. In fact, counselors, teachers, and other administrators stood at each of the school entrances welcoming students to the best high school in the state, hyperbole aside.

Heading into Thursday, August 15, 2019 we can expect hot weather to continue with high temperatures near 100. Among events for the day, there will be a wreath remembrance ceremony for fallen Carson City law enforcement officers at the sheriff's office, a Muscle Powered morning hike, art showings, and a meeting of the Status of Women in Nevada group at the Carson Nugget. As part of the Jazz and Beyond music festival, there will be an outdoor "Woodstock Remembered" concert at Comma Coffee and a music presentation, "All About that Bass" by Scot Marshall and Friends at the Nevada State Museum.

Heading into the midweek, Wednesday, August 14, 2019 activities abound around the capital city. There's a new group for writers that meets at the Brewery Arts Center; a salary negotiation workshop at WNC, a chautauqua and author presentations at Dangberg Historic Park. There's also the Jazz and Beyond Carson City Music Festival that will feature the Wesley Orsolic Trio during Wheeled Food Wednesday at the BAC, with jams to continue at Living the Good Life; there's also a real estate workshop for veterans, art showings, salsa dancing and more. Enjoy.

Heading into Tuesday, August 13, there's a galaxy of events lined up, beginning at midnight with a meteor shower watch party at WNC's Jack C. Davis Observatory. When the sun arrives there's fitness events, a book talk at the Nevada State Library and Archives, outdoor Carson City jazz festival happenings at Comma Coffee and Bob McFadden Plaza, family movie night at the library and more. Enjoy.

Heading into the first day of the work week, if you're an early, early riser or are settling in for the night, you'll want to step outside at around 3 a.m. for the peak of the Perseid shower, which will be in the eastern sky. If you missed them, there will be a viewing party hosted by Carson City Parks and Rec at the Jack C. Davis Observatory at WNC beginning at midnight Tuesday morning, August 13. Otherwise, it's onward and upward into the day with a Cooperative Extension presentation, Shred Kids mountain bike camp, Red Cross sitter certification class, West Coast swing dancing and more.

Ticks not only can carry disease, they are disgusting. I have rarely noticed ticks on our property, but recently, I found two in the house, where they must have come in on my clothes after I worked in the high grasses and wildflowers in the yard. Yuck! Fortunately, they weren’t engorged with blood.