The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking volunteers to help collect seeds from blooming blackbrush plants at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. During fire seasons in 2005 and 2006, wildland fires in Southern Nevada burned extensive amounts of blackbrush habitat. The blackbrush shrub community is slow to recover from fire because it rarely produces seeds and is extremely slow growing. Frequent fire and invasion of exotic species can destroy this unique habitat by not allowing the system enough time for natural recovery. This year, we are seeing a record number of plants blooming. Lake Mead biologists are taking this opportunity to collect seeds to propagate in the native plant nursery in the park. The seeds will then be used for re-vegetation efforts in the future.

Volunteers will be trained to correctly identify the plants and properly collect the seeds. Volunteers must be able to carry seeds and equipment to and from the collection site to a central location or vehicle. Volunteers may be required to hike into and out of a specific area while collecting native seeds.

Volunteers are needed to assist biologists at different locations throughout the park. Volunteers are needed for the following Saturdays – May 31, June 7, 14, 21, and 28. Volunteers can commit to one or more days. Volunteers will meet at a pre-determined time and pre-determined location to car pool. If you have a group of 5 or more and would like to assist on a different day during the week, please let us know.

Please call our Volunteer Program Manager, Nancy Bernard at 702.293.8714 or by email, nancy_bernard@nps.gov. Please make sure you provide her with your name, daytime phone number, mailing address, email, date(s) you may be available, and how many people will be in your party. If you have anyone under the age of 18 in your group, we will provide a parental approval form before the volunteer project date.