OUTDOOR BRIEFS

PLAY A KEY ROLE

Amphibians in the desert important

Few people have heard of the Amargosa toad and even fewer have seen one. Yet, every night throughout the summer, the Amargosa toad can be found along the Amargosa River near the town of Beatty, about 120 miles north of Las Vegas. It is only here, in the Oasis Valley, along a 10-mile stretch of the Amargosa River and some adjacent upland springs that the toad is found.

Brian Hobbs, a native fish biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, is one of the few who have seen the toad. Recently he and several teams of biologists and volunteers from NDOW, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and several other organizations spent a week searching for and capturing Amargosa toads. From 8:30 p.m. to midnight, the toad catchers collected data that will help NDOW and the other agencies to better understand the toad, its current status and the environment in which it lives.

Data is obtained from the toads by screening them with a device that picks up a signal from a PIT tag placed in their body. If the toad does not have a tag and is larger than 50mm (2 inches), one is inserted through the skin of the animal, usually near its shoulder. The toad's length is measured and recorded along with its gender, location and proximity to water.

These surveys are conducted because populations of frogs, toads, newts and salamanders are declining worldwide.

LADIES ONLY

Day in the outdoors just for women

Women who are new to the world of outdoor sports, as well as those who are still on the outside looking in, will have a chance to get their feet wet at a "Women in the Outdoors" workshop Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Las Vegas chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, with the Nevada Department of Wildlife as co-host, and will be at the Spencer Kimball Boy Scout Reservation, just outside of Las Vegas near Mount Potosi.

Early bird registration is $50 per person if postmarked by Saturday and $60 thereafter. A mother and daughter duo can get in for $80, but the daughter must be 14 to 17 years old. Participants must register no later than Sept. 20. Registration forms can be obtained by calling Wendy Andersen, (951) 600-9268; Jessica Johnson, (702) 204-8127; or Margie Klein, (702) 486-5127, ext. 3502.

With paid registration, participants may attend their choice of four classes and will receive lunch and access to the sporting equipment required to participate in the classes they choose.

The Kimball Boy Scout Reservation is located at 10877 Mount Potosi Canyon Road, 20 minutes west of Las Vegas on Highway 160, also known as Blue Diamond Road, en route to Pahrump. Outdoor enthusiasts can check the NDOW Sportsmen's Calendar at www.ndow.org/about/calendar for additional events.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Clark County students gear up for trout

Some Clark County school students will soon be learning about the life cycle of rainbow trout, and they will be doing so right in their classrooms. It's all part of Nevada Department of Wildlife program called "Trout in the Classroom" that's made available to students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades.

Teachers who provide the Trout in the Classroom experience must first receive training and equipment from NDOW. This fall that training is scheduled for Sept. 6.

Teachers interested in this program can register online at the NDOW "Trout in the Classroom" Web site www.ndow.org/learn/tic or by contacting Ivy Santee at (702) 486-5127, ext. 3503, or via e-mail (isantee@ndow.org).

PICKED FOR 2009

Lent selected as Commission chair

Reno resident Gerry Lent, one of four newly appointed members of the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners, has been selected by fellow commissioners to serve as the board's chair for fiscal year 2009. Commissioner Ron Lurie, the former mayor of Las Vegas, was selected as vice chair for the same term. The selection took place Friday morning during the Aug. 15-16 meeting of the commission in Eureka.

Gov. Jim Gibbons recently appointed Lent as a sportsmen's representative to the nine-member board. Other new board members include Grant Wallace of Dyer, representing farming interests, Michael McBeath of Las Vegas, representing sportsmen, and Thomas Cavin of Carson City, representing sportsmen.