Our Mission
The mission of the Protectors of Tule Springs is to increase public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (TUSK), through aid to the National Park Service and support of programs for the interpretation and protection of Monument resources.
News About Protectors
The Protectors Board Welcomes Newest Member Dev Basudev
The Protectors of Tule Springs’ newest Board member, Dev Basudev, was born and raised on the shores of Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria. He says, “Now I’m in a desert, go figure!” Dev spent the first 15 years of his life in Uganda and Kenya (countries in East...
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Next Membership Meeting May 22, 2018
6-7:30 p.m. Sun City Aliante Clubhouse 7390 Aliante Parkway North Las Vegas 89084 The meeting will include an update from National Park Service TUSK Superintendent Diane Keith and a special guest speaker, Paleontologist Eric Scott! He will be speaking on a newly...
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Tufa Trail Hike Opportunity
Protectors Vice President Sandy Croteau and her team have created a brand new hike for 2018: the Tufa Trail hike. This path will follow some of the area where the first official trail in the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument will be constructed later this...
read moreOur 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.
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.
Following the unprecedented passage of the resolutions, county and city officials and staff members worked closely with an active coalition of national monument supporters to define boundaries and evaluate acreage, with considerable foresight and enthusiasm to help map a park management plan that will well serve an urban population.
In December 2014, the efforts of Protectors of Tule Springs and our coalition partners culminated in the designation of the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, and nearly 23,000 acres of Nevada was forever preserved!
The creation of this National Monument demonstrated a model of cooperation between Clark County, the City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the National Park Service, the State of Nevada, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Air Force, Clark County Schools and other educational institutions, tourism-generating initiatives, and citizen groups.
Protectors has a strong member base and continues to welcome new members to help us with the important work of developing Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument for future generations.
Community Outreach and Activities
- Get Outdoors NV
- Las Vegas Science Festival
- Mammoth Penny Push
- National Fossil Day/Contest
- Group/Class Presentation
Get Outdoors Nevada Day. You will find Protectors at a wide variety of community events, particularly those focused on connecting people with outdoor spaces, like the annual Get Outdoors Nevada Day event held in October each year.
Las Vegas Science Festival. Protectors has been a participant in this annual festival since its inaugural event. Protectors provides hands-on learning activities for children as well as written materials for adults.
Mammoth Penny Push. This annual event with the Clark County School District (CCSD) and a local Girl Scout organization introduces local students to the National Monument and engages them to support the National Park Service’s conservation and protection efforts. The program provides educational materials and teaching tools [link to Educational Outreach and Resources section], and incorporates a penny drive fundraiser to further invest the children of CCSD in the process of “building THEIR park.” In the program’s first two years, CCSD students contributed over $36,000, which is being used to facilitate clean-up efforts on Monument land and to develop classroom materials.
For the past two years, Protectors has partnered with the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and CCSD’s outreach office, to hold an annual art contest in celebration of National Fossil Day. In this program, students learn about the Pleistocene and submit artwork depicting the Ice Age mammals that once roamed Las Vegas. Winning students and their teachers receive money and other prizes for their efforts.
Group and Classroom Presentations. Protectors speaks to community groups and school classes to educate them about the resources of Tule Springs. Since 2007, we have been speakers at over 100 community organization meetings and have presented to dozens of classroom groups. We partner with the Nevada State Museum and the Las Vegas Natural History Museum on National Fossil Day and other ice age fossil educational programs for the public.
Protectors of Tule Springs served as the main driver of the broad public outreach efforts that were necessary while seeking the national monument designation. These efforts continue in partnership with the National Park Service, with a focus on educating and building public awareness of the Monument, the area resources, and the benefits of public lands more generally.
Support Protectors and the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument