A celebration of nature and community

Environmental empowerment was the star of the day as the community gathered to celebrate two holidays with a focus on the interconnection between the health of the planet and the people who make it their home, Earth Day and Arbor Day.

Taking place Saturday, April 18 at the Bob Ruud Community Center, the Pahrump Earth/Arbor Day Celebration was hosted by the Southern Nye County Conservation District. This year marked the 23rd for this annual event and it was definitely one for the books, drawing a large crowd and plenty of participation by area entities.

“We are delighted to say that the 23rd Annual Earth/Arbor Day event was a great success,” Earth Day Committee member and lead event organizer Tamalyn Taylor raved afterward. “We had a wonderful turnout from the community, with over 300 participants in attendance – which is about 100 more than last year! We also had 30 organizations who generously committed their time and efforts to the event.”

In addition to the many vendors who regularly make the Earth/Arbor Day event a part of their yearly calendar, there were several new vendors taking part and Taylor said each was very pleased with the interest shown by the public throughout the four-hour event.

“We had one vendor tell us she was really impressed with the turnout, interest and passion of the participants and organizations, and several others have thanked us for inviting them to participate, saying they thought it was a great event overall,” Taylor detailed.

While the various organizations at the event were undoubtedly out to educate residents on how their work impacts the environment, there was a definite focus on fun. There were a variety of mini-games at the booths, as well as a putt-putt strip by new vendor Lakeview Executive Golf Course. The Pahrump Drum Circle also joined in the celebration with a performance in the grass adjacent to the community center. An assortment of free prize drawings took place and there were refreshments given out at no charge for all who wanted them.

There was a very special award waiting to be presented that afternoon, too, with Scot Troter earning the honor of Earth Day 2026 Citizen of the Year. “We want to recognize Scot for his dedication to school gardens and working with families in the 4-H Garden Club,” Taylor explained. “He has been an awesome influence for the youth and a real treasure to have in the Pahrump community.”

As well as marking its 23rd year, the 2026 event is the first without its founder, John Pawlak, who passed away in November last year. There was some sadness among the Earth Day Committee members but, as Taylor noted, there was also a determination to carry on what Pawlak started.

“Many of us on the Earth Day planning committee are thinking about John Pawlak, who was an environmental advocate and the founder of the Pahrump Earth Day event. He had a strong interest in protecting our water resources and educating us on all kinds of environmental topics,” Taylor remarked. “He also had a keen desire to keep Earth Day as a fun and festive event for families. He always wanted to encourage the younger generations to get involved in caring for the planet.

“We would like to keep John’s vision alive as we plan for future Earth Day events. We will continue to focus on environmental education and increasing awareness on the need to protect our natural environment,” she continued. “We will also strive to increase activities that would be of interest for the younger generations.”

The Earth Day Committee offered its gratitude to the organizations that participated and helped make this year’s event such a success, as well as the entire community for taking the time to attend.

“We are fortunate to have so many dedicated individuals that really care about making Pahrump a more beautiful and healthier place to live,” Taylor concluded. “Thank you to all of organizations, the community members who came out to spent some time with us and a special shout-out to the Indivisible Prickly Pears, who provided a warm welcome to all, along with the members of the Southern Nye County Conservation District, which hosted the event.”

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com