Girl Scout’s Design Project Recycles Material from Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument

NV Energy has donated $10,000 to the Protectors of Tule Springs, a nonprofit organization that supports the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. The donation will kickstart the design and production of a large mammoth sculpture to be located near the National Monument in North Las Vegas. NV Energy presented a check to the Protectors at their membership meeting on Tuesday night.

Seventeen-year-old Senior Scout Tahoe Mack had the idea to create a massive sculpture using metals that have been collected during clean-up efforts of the National Monument. The life-sized sculpture of a Columbian Mammoth, one of the many ice age animals that roamed in this area during the Pleistocene Epoch, will stand approximately 16 feet tall. She is using this project as her Girl Scout Gold Award project, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. To bring her vision to fruition, Tahoe has partnered with two local professional artists, Luis Varelo-Rico and Joel Spencer, to design and build the sculpture.

“When I had the idea for this project, I was told I was too young to take on something this mammoth. It’s a dream come true to see it coming together, and I’m honored to work with a great team of mentors,” said Girl Scout Tahoe Mack. “Working with councilman Cherchio has been an invaluable lesson about working with local government to achieve results. NV Energy’s generosity in kick-starting the effort to raise private funding for the sculpture is key to the project’s success. I’m learning so much, but most importantly the power of teamwork!”

In partnership with the City of North Las Vegas and KBSSOR, the developer of the Villages at Tule Springs master planned community, the sculpture will be located on city land adjacent to the Monument, at a location that will eventually be a trailhead through the fossil beds.

“We are really excited about this project and very grateful to NV Energy for this generous donation and their ongoing partnership,” said Protectors president Jill DeStefano. “Student education and community involvement is a big part of our mission, so to have a local Girl Scout create something so important, and so beautiful, for our National Monument is just really amazing.”

NV Energy’s donation kicks off a fundraising effort to fully fund this project. The sculpture will cost approximately $100,000 to fully design, produce and install. To donate to this project, please visit the “Get Involved” page at www.protectorsoftulesprings.org.