Green

PHOTO/SAGE LEEHEY

Lisa Godenick is an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer who works as the development coordinator for Envirolution and who planned the No Impact Man screening.

Without a trace

Envirolution hosts a No Impact Man showing and panel discussion

`If you’re trying to find some inspiration about how to live with a lower environmental impact or just trying to feel a bit less cynical about the world, come out to Envirolution’s showing and panel discussion of No Impact Man on by May 23-24.

Sage Leehey “It’s a really awesome movie. It’s really inspiring,” said Lisa Godenick, sagel@ AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and development coordinator of Envirolution. newsreview.com “Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things going on in the world and feeling like everything is going to hell, and we’re destroying our planet, destroying all these resources, but it’s inspiring to watch someone’s experience trying to live a more sustainable life.” No Impact Man is a documentary that follows the journey of Colin Beavan, his wife, Michelle Conlin, their 2-year-old daughter and their 4-yearold dog through a year of living off the grid and trying to create as low of an environmental impact as possible in New York City. The event will take place at Goodluck Macbeth Theatre Company at 7 p.m. both nights. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per person and include the showing, popcorn and panel discussion. Other refreshments can also be purchased. Godenick helped plan this event and said it is a fun and educational event for anyone interested in learning more about sustainability. “The main goal of this showing is to educate the Reno community about how they can live their lives with a lesser impact on the environment, whether that be by riding your bike, buying local food or not buying things that come in plastic,” Godenick said. “It can also help people to be conscious of every choice they make because every choice we make is a choice to either help the planet or hurt it.” Godenick said she is especially excited for the panel discussion following the movie, which will feature community members from the Reno Plastic Bag Ban and the Be the Change Project. At least one member from each group will be present for the discussion each night. “That’s my favorite part, and that’s why people should come to this as opposed to watching it on Netflix at home by themselves,” Godenick said. “We have some really awesome speakers. They’re going to be talking about how they, in Reno, are trying to live with less of an impact.” The panel discussion will feature community members from the Reno Plastic Bag Ban, Lisa Schmidt, and the Be the Change Project, Katy and Kyle Chandler-Isacksen. Schmidt and her boyfriend try to accumulate as little as trash as possible and are “slowly but surely cutting plastic from their lives.” The Chandler-Isacksens are trying to live off the grid with their family. Both couples will be speaking about their experiences. Anyone will be allowed to ask questions and talk during the discussion.

To buy tickets for This showing is also a fundraiser for Envirolution. The funds raised will the No Impact Man go to educational programs hosted by the organization, like their summer

Showing hosted by Envirolution, visit www.brownpaper camp, the Three Spheres Leadership Academy, and an upcoming program for next school year called Project ReCharge. In this program, they will be tickets.com/ working with schools to evaluate what’s working inefficiently in their buildevent/378613 or email ings and how to decrease their energy bills. lisa.godenick@ envirolution.org. At the event, there will also be a raffle each night, with prizes including Patagonia jackets valued at $200 each, which Godenick said is “another great incentive to come watch.” Ω

Gift certificates make great gifts! Visit www.newsreview.com

Wildlife

in the Black Rock Desert / High Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Don’t let the name fool you – the Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA) is teeming with wildlife. You’ll thrill to the sight of a peregrine falcon soaring majestically overhead, or enjoy the sweet notes of a meadowlark’s song. Bighorn sheep, wild horses, and pronghorn antelope grace the landscape, and if you look closely you may also spot kit fox, pygmy rabbits, fairy shrimp, and horned lizards.

From the desert playa to aspenlined canyons to high elevation peaks, the NCA’s 1.2 million acres of public land preserve habitats for hundreds of wild creatures, including many endangered species unique to this area and over 250 types of migratory birds. One of the best places to view wildlife in the NCA is in High Rock Canyon. Home to great horned owls and golden eagles, among others, this wild place is identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by The Audubon Society. You’re also likely to see bighorn sheep on the steep canyon slopes, and while you may not see the elusive mountain lion hiding in the rocky shadows, they will surely see you. Another great place to view wildlife, believe it or not, is the Black Rock Desert playa. Dunes and hummocks surrounding the playa are home to kit fox, antelope, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, horned lizards, badgers, and rattlesnakes. When the playa remains wet for a month or more, the shallow waters teem with newborn fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp–which in turn provide aquick shrimpsnack for migratory birds.

Friends of Black Rock High Rock works year-round with the Bureau of Land Management protecting the NCA’s unique landscapes and wildlife making it fun, accessible, and educational for all. This are your public lands and every minute you volunteer to sustain it, is a gift to future generations! Visit www.blackrockdesert.org or give us a call at 775–557–2900 to find out about upcoming volunteer days.