Blog: Organizing - Nevada Water Tour

June 2017

This month, I helped to coordinate and co-lead the first Nevada Water Tour. The tour was a collaborative, intersectional effort and a great opportunity for members of various communities throughout Nevada, young and old and of various diverse backgrounds, to take a 3-day trip together throughout the Great Basin desert to learn and engage more about the state of water and the impact we (people) are having in our own backyard; in other words, this tour served as a teaching moment to shed light on the social and environmental injustices plaguing people, especially already marginalized communities, the land, wildlife and even the air we breathe-in everyday.

Participants of the tour had a chance to connect with individuals and leaders of the various, rural communities we came across to learn directly from them on what we, collectively, can do to be a part of the solution (of being better stewards of our collective life source: water).

The water tour had two starting points: one out of Reno, NV, and the other from Las Vegas, NV, with a central meeting point just outside the Great Basin National Park parameter. Once at Great Basin, we setup to camp overnight, followed by engagement activities with the community near the park. We also explored the adjacent caves (Lehman Caves) of this beautiful area that is also designated as an International Dark Sky Park! And, groups hiked to the area where some magnificent Bristlecone pines exist.

In order to help extend the benefits of the water tour to a wider audience, especially for those that could not participate in-person, we documented the entire trip in high-definition and interviewed individuals along the way. I would personally like to have this video completed by the fall and coordinate multiple film screenings with community partners across the state starting Spring 2018 for people to attend and engage with one another on this very important topic impacting everyone, and all of life: water. Stay tuned.

Onward.