LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invites the public to escape the holiday rush by volunteering for habitat restoration work or by taking a nature walk at a nearby national wildlife refuge (NWR). The events are scheduled on one of three upcoming Saturdays at the Ash Meadows, Pahranagat, Moapa Valley, and Desert NWRs.

December 4, 2010 marks the final "Stewardship Saturday" of the year at the Ash Meadows NWR. Volunteers are needed from 8:30 a.m. until noon to help improve pupfish habitat. Participants will help Ash Meadows staff cut back overgrown cattails and reeds in the warm waters of Crystal Spring and its outflow. Removing cattails is an important part of the restoration process as they slow stream flow and promote the population of crayfish. The crayfish and other exotic species eat the endangered Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and take over pupfish habitat.

All volunteers should be comfortable working in water up to four feet deep. It is recommended participants wear shoes and clothes that can get wet and dirty, and bring a change of clothes. Volunteers are welcome to bring a lunch to enjoy afterwards at one of the picnic areas. To participate, please register online at www.getoutdoorsnevada.org. For more information, please call the wildlife refuge headquarters at (775) 372-5435.

The 23,448-acre Ash Meadows NWR is located in the Amargosa Valley of southern Nye County approximately 30 miles northwest of Pahrump. The west entrance to the wildlife refuge is on State Route 373, and the south entrance is on Bell Vista Road. Signs mark both entrances.

Also on Saturday, December 4, 2010, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., the Pahranagat NWR is hosting a nature walk at the upper lake. Emily Montoya, an environmental education specialist representing the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership (SNAP), will lead the walk and provide information about the various raptors (birds of prey) living in the Pahranagat Valley. Participants are asked to meet at the covered picnic area at the campground located three miles north of the wildlife refuge headquarters. The walk is easy and cameras and binoculars are welcome.

The Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 90 miles north of Las Vegas on US Highway 93 in Lincoln County, Nevada. Located in the Pacific Flyway, the 5,380-acre wildlife refuge was established August 16, 1963, to provide habitat for migratory birds, especially waterfowl.

On Saturday, December 11, 2010, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., the Moapa Valley NWR is hosting a nature walk. Laura Wright, a SNAP environmental education specialist, will lead participants along the trails at the wildlife refuge while discussing the endangered species found there. The walk is easy and cameras and binoculars are welcome.

The 117-acre Moapa Valley NWR is located in Clark County approximately 60 miles north of Las Vegas on Warm Springs Road, about 1.4 miles southwest of State Route 168. The wildlife refuge is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from now until Memorial Day. The visitor area includes two walking trails with new interpretive panels and a stream profile chamber featuring a water-level view of the Moapa dace.

On Saturday, December 18, 2010, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., the Desert NWR is hosting a nature walk at Corn Creek. SNAP environmental education specialist Megan Urban will lead a fun family adventure along the trails at Corn Creek, including the newly constructed Birdsong Loop Trail.

The 1.5 million-acre Desert NWR is approximately 23 miles north of Las Vegas on U.S. Highway 95. A sign on the east side of the highway marks the entrance to the four-mile gravel road leading to Corn Creek.

Those wishing to participate in a nature walk are asked to pre-register. To do so, please call 702-293-8708 no later than noon on the Friday before each event.

SNAP is a partnership comprised of professionals from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Representatives from the agencies work together to coordinate activities that protect, conserve, and ensure the proper use of public lands in southern Nevada.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.