How can I get involved with the Pahrump Earth/Arbor Day activities?

Every April, people all around the globe are encouraged to commemorate two environmentally-focused holidays, Earth Day and Arbor Day, and here in the Pahrump Valley, these celebrations are combined into one large community event.

Bringing together a vast array of organizations, entities and businesses that support the concept of conservation, the Pahrump Earth/Arbor Day Celebration offers residents of all ages the opportunity to spend a day learning about the many and varied aspects of environmental stewardship.

But this annual festival of the planet would be nothing without the booths and exhibits brought in by those organizations, which makes recruitment in the months leading up to the event absolutely imperative.

Preparations for the 23rd Annual Earth/Arbor Day Celebration – hosted by the Southern Nye County Conservation District - kicked off in December, with lead event organizer Tamalyn Taylor already reaching out to various organizations to secure as many participants as possible.

In years past, this event has seen entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, Bureau of Land Management, Amargosa Conservancy, Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, Valley Electric Association, Great Basin Water Company and many others turn out for the celebration and Taylor is optimistic that this year’s gathering will be just as popular.

Any business, organization, state or federal agency interested in sharing their take on caring for the planet and its people is encouraged to sign up.

Pahrump’s Earth Day festivities, which later merged with Arbor Day, were originally started by the late John Pawlak. Known as a staunch environmental champion, he spent his life encouraging others to learn about the natural world and find ways to preserve and protect it. As a member of both the former Pahrump Nuclear Waste and Environmental Advisory Committee and the Southern Nye County Conservation District, Pawlak led the local Earth/Arbor Day event for over two decades, growing it into an annual gathering anticipated by the valley’s many environmentally-minded.

In 2025, with limitations due to declining health, Pawlak handed over the torch to Taylor, another proponent of personal and planetary health. He passed away on Nov. 11, 2025 and the 2026 celebration will be the very first without Pawlak in attendance.

“We were all saddened by the news but we’re determined to take his legacy forward,” Taylor remarked.

The 23rd Annual Earth/Arbor Day Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bob Ruud Community Center.

For more information, contact Taylor at Tamalyn@NyECC.org

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com