LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With the beautiful weather we're seeing this weekend, you might be heading out to enjoy all the beauty that Southern Nevada has to offer.
There aren't many better ways to spend a morning than at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area—mixed in with all the hikers at a bustling Calico Basin on Saturday were a couple of dozen volunteers working hard to keep it beautiful as part of the Friends of Red Rock Canyon's "Adopt A Trail" program.
"It's just a great way to get outside and help out a little bit," volunteer Lance Randall said.
Adopting anything is a commitment—adopting a trail at Red Rock Canyon is a two-year pact to preserve part of the fabric of our community.
"I think these are some of the things that you kind of take for granted, you know?" Randall said. "We come and use these shared spaces, and you just kind of assume that maybe people come and empty the trashcans, and it just gets done, but it's actually the hard work of people like this."
That includes people like Randall and the rest of the volunteers from the Give Happy Foundation, who are the proud new protectors of Red Springs Trailhead at Calico Basin.
"The Give Happy Foundation exists to help bridge the gap between the for-profit community and the nonprofit community," Give Happy Foundation President Rhiannon Anderson said. "Helping inspire for-profit companies to give more to charities that need a little more support."
In this case, that's the Friends of Red Rock Canyon.
"It allows us to continue our mission of the preservation and enhancement of Red Rock Canyon through volunteerism, philanthropy and education," said Christina Bishop, Friends of Red Rock Canyon's new executive director.
Bishop says the $10,000 Adopt a Trail donation covers canyon cleanups, trail maintenance, protecting native species and at least four volunteer outings over the two-year commitment.
"It's also a great opportunity to teach the next generation, getting the kids involved, educating them and letting them know [about their environment]," Randall said. "They're the ones who are going to have to take care of the planet when we're gone, so it's really important."
Regular Red Rock Canyon visitors like Wally Hanson notice the difference, too.
"We love to come out here. We come out here about once a month," Hanson said. "I got out of the car today, and the first thing I said was 'It's great to see you guys doing this!'"
"I hope that people who are visiting see others volunteering, and that sparks an interest in their head: 'What can I do at home? What can I bring to my community?'" Bishop said. "I hope it's a wonderfully infectious, wonderfully contagious thing that people are seeing."
If you're interested in adopting a trail at Red Rock Canyon or volunteering with the Friends of Red Rock Canyon, contact Executive Director Christina Bishop by calling (702) 515-5360 or by emailing christina@friendsredrock.org.
