Our Mission
Protecting, preserving, supporting and promoting responsible stewardship of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and Ice Age Fossils State Park.
Upcoming Events
TUSK TURNS 10!
Please join Protectors of Tule Springs as we celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument! Event will be held on December 19, 2024, 5;30-8:00pm, at the Los Prados Golf Club, 5150 Los Prados Circle, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The celebration includes a special guest speaker from the National Park Service, the unveiling of a limited-edition art series, the debut of a new musical about Nevada’s paleontological wonders and amazing silent auction items!
Space is limited – purchase tickets here. Please visit the Events Calendar for additional information.
Our Story
Protectors of Tule Springs was informally founded in 2006 in an effort to preserve the last of the undeveloped portions of the Upper Las Vegas Wash basin in the northwest portion of the Las Vegas Valley.
In the early 2000s, those areas were proposed as a disposal area for the further development of the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, and unincorporated Clark County. During a meeting held to finalize the proposed disposal of these lands, a small group of citizens became aware of the unique paleontological and biological resources that would be forever lost to more roads, housing and commercial development should the proposed disposal boundary be approved.
This small group of North Las Vegas residents began an 8-year effort to forever protect what was nearly lost.
Protectors of Tule Springs became a formal non-profit corporation and recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 2012.
Monumental Mammoth Sculpted from Recycled Desert Trash
Southern Nevada now has an iconic, life-sized Columbian Mammoth sculpture, inspired by the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument! The Monumental Mammoth is now permanently installed at Ice Age Fossils State Park, standing as a symbol of Nevada's Pleistocene past and enhancing the visitors' experience for years to come!
News About Protectors
Don Tuohy Hike
Join Protectors of Tule Springs for the Don Tuohy Hike at 8am on October 26, 2024. The hike length is 2.8 miles and takes approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours. This hike is of moderate difficulty, transversing rough desert terrain with some small hills. Participants will be...
Super Quarry Hike
Join Protectors of Tule Springs for the Super Quarry Hike at 8am on September 28, 2024. The hike is 2.5 miles and takes approximately 2½ to 3 hours. This hike is of moderate difficulty over rough desert terrain with some small hills. In 2011 the San Bernardino County...
Parks for Pollinators – BIOBLITZ
Come visit us Saturday, September 14, 2024 at the Parks for Pollinators: BioBlitz 2024 event at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. Learn about our organization’s efforts to save the Las Vegas Bear Poppy Plant and the Mojave Poppy Bee by stopping by our table in the hay...
10th Annual Art Contest
Annual Student Art Contest - April 5, 2025 Each School year, Protectors co-hosts an annual art contest for Clark County students where they learn about Nevada’s Pleistocene past, the fossil beds, and the flora and fauna that are found in these protected lands just...
September General Meeting
September General Meeting The next Protectors of Tule Springs general membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. The meeting will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Sun City Aliante Clubhouse, 7390 Aliante Parkway. The agenda will include updates...
Fossil Day Art Contest for Students
Protectors of Tule Springs, in partnership with the Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival, Las Vegas Natural History Museum and Clark County School District School-Community Partnership Program, is hosting our 9th annual art contest: “I’m A Protector Too…Past...
Partnerships and Support
Protectors’ public awareness campaign evolved into a partnership with a diverse group of organizations and a broad base of public support. Managed by the National Park Service, the effort to make this area a national monument attracted the unanimous support of local elected officials, the United States Air Force, the Las Vegas Paiute tribe, tourism industry leaders, educators, scientists, conservation organizations and community groups. In addition, thousands of citizens registered their support.
Four local government entities – the Clark County Commission, the Las Vegas Mayor and Council, the North Las Vegas Mayor and Council, and the Tribal Council of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe – voted on and unanimously passed a resolution in November 2009 asking Congress to make Tule Springs a part of the National Park System.