On February 12, 2022, Shine City Project got down and dirty with Get Outdoors Nevada. Get Outdoors Nevada is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people of all backgrounds and ages to Nevada's diverse outdoor places. With service projects every week, Get Outdoors Nevada encourages everyone to discover, experience, and connect to the state of Nevada's public lands, urban trails, and community parks.
On this Saturday morning, Shine City Project volunteers found themselves at the corner of Bruce and Owens at a native pollinator habitat with Get Outdoors Nevada. This habitat was started by Get Outdoors Nevada in order to provide pollinators such as hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies an opportunity for food and shelter. This habitat has a number of native flowers including Firecracker Penstemon, Apricot Globemallow, Desert Marigold, and others.
After receiving instructions and guidance from Get Outdoors Nevada staff, their volunteers helped to remove cages from plants that have outgrown them, as well as remove weeds and grasses that have overtaken the native plants. For a lot of the plants, there were stems or leaves that have protruded out of the wire cages. These stems and leaves could tear away from the plant, so the volunteers proceeded with caution. Once cages have been removed, stakes also had to be pulled out of the ground.
For this service project, they had thirteen total volunteers representing Shine City Project. For two of their volunteers, it was their first time joining us. Overall, it was rewarding being able to work in the native pollinator habitat, and it was equally satisfying being able to pull out stakes, weeds, and grasses after a short tussle. With all that they did, they still had to show some care and love for the plants as they didn't want to harm them. Time and patience were key to their success. By the end of the service project, the group had a great time being at the native pollinator habitat and helping out Get Outdoors Nevada.
