Earth Day 2021 set for Ian Deutch park in Pahrump

After being forced to take a year off in 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic, organizers of the Pahrump Valley’s annual Earth Day and Arbor Day festivities are ready to get back into the events scene and the 2021 celebration is set to take place in just one week’s time.

Set for Saturday, April 24 at Ian Deutch Memorial Park, the Earth and Arbor Day event is being hosted once again as a collaboration between the Pahrump Nuclear Waste and Environmental Advisory Committee and Great Basin Water Co. A variety of other businesses and organizations are getting involved as well, including groups from the local University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Valley Electric Association, Clean Up Pahrump, the Southern Nye County Conservation District, NyE Communities Coalition, Red Rock Audubon Society and Joe’s Sanitation, all in an effort to provide area residents with an uplifting event geared toward bolstering awareness about environmental concerns, and giving residents tools and tips they can use to help make the world a more environmentally conscious place.

“After being cooped up for the past year, we see the need for people to find positive things to do and projects with an environmental theme make a good deal of sense,” Pahrump Nuclear Waste and Environmental Advisory Committee Chair John Pawlak told the Pahrump Valley Times. “We have them, and they are fun, educational and personally rewarding in most cases when we learn how to enhance our lives in an environmentally positive way.”

While there will be none of the Chicago-style hotdogs that have become so popular handed out at the event, as has been done for several years in the past, there will be plenty of other items given away but there’s a limited supply so event patrons won’t want to wait or they might miss out.

“We have coloring books depicting recycling and waste treatment from Pahrump Valley Disposal,” Pawlak detailed. “And we have books on tree planting from our cooperative extension and Master Gardeners and project books from the local 4-H group, as well as water-saving tips from Great Basin Water Company.”

Event attendees will also receive a fact sheet filled with 13 great ideas on how to help people save money on their electric bills. Pawlak noted that the goodies to be provided at the event include two items that are addressed in that fact sheet. No. 4 on that fact sheet suggests using a power strip, so this is one of the free items that Earth Day attendees will go home with. In addition, No. 10 on the fact sheet instructs people to install an aerator on their faucet and attendees will receive a free kit detailing how to go about doing so.

In addition to all this, there will be pine tree seeds of the mondel variety handed out, so attendees can head home and plant a couple of new trees in true Arbor Day fashion. All of these items will be packed into reusable shopping bags, provided by Valley Electric Association, along with night lights and a pencil donated by the utility co-op.

“We have 200 bags filled with these and other environmentally aware items for people to ‘grab and go’ at their year’s Earth Day and Arbor Day event,” Pawlak stated. “They’ll be handed out from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or as long as supplies last. We hope to see you all at Ian Deutch Park!”

The Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration is scheduled for Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ian Deutch Park. The event will be set up in the small parking lot between the ballfields, near the playground. Nye County Sheriff’s Office auxiliary will be on hand to help guide traffic and all attendees are asked to remain in their vehicles and drive through the “grab-and-go” event, where they will be given their goodie bags.

“You’ll find items in your environmentally aware shopping bag that will save you money, make your life a lot easier and help save our fragile environment for future generations,” a flyer for the event reads.

For more information contact 775-764-7586 or email BeWaterSmart@greatbasinwaterco.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com