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
Update on the Proposed Greenlink West Transmission Project
Protectors continues the fight to protect our Monument. Although the period for public comment has ended, the work has just begun. Click here to read the full joint statement by the National Parks Conservation Association and Protectors of Tule Springs. See our fact...
Protect Our Park & FIGHT FOR THE FOSSILS!
NV Energy has requested approval of a right-of-way to construct, operate and maintain a system of transmission facilities and associated infrastructure that would transmit electricity between Northern Nevada and the Harry Allen Substation in Clark County – known as...
Meet the Latest Teacher-Ranger-Teacher!
This summer, Protectors funded another Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) position for the National Park Service. Damon Wahl has been a teacher for 20 years in the Clark County School District and currently teaches the Gifted and Talented Education Program at Kay Carl and...
Trust the Science!
There's a lot of talk of "science" these days, but you may not know how important a role that the Tule Springs area has in modern-day scientific methods. It started with the first documented fossil discovery in 1903, the Fenley Hunter archaeological expedition in the...
Happy New Trails to You!
Recently, 15 volunteers led by Dev Basudev and Sandy Croteau marked and cleared two loops off of Durango Drive and Moccasin Road to create new temporary interpretive trails inside Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. Just follow the markers through one of...
Meet Our Newest V.I.P.!
At our January membership meeting, Holly Good was named as our latest V.I.P. – Very Important Protector. Holly was recognized for her tireless work to get the new Horse Patrol program underway. She received the thanks of the Board along with a certificate and a $50...
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.