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April 2026 Newsletter
"Red Rock Audubon’s mission is to protect and restore habitats for birds and other wildlife, promote sustainable practices, and engage communities in support of conservation efforts. Through education, advocacy, and outreach, we strive to inspire individuals to act as environmental stewards and to ensure equitable access to nature for all."
Dear Red Rock Audubon Society Members and Friends,
April is here, and with it comes the spring migration—always one of the most enjoyable times to be outside in Southern Nevada. Birds are on the move again, and each week brings a few more species passing through or returning to familiar places. It’s a great excuse to grab your binoculars, take a walk, and see what’s new out there.
Our local parks, wetlands, and open spaces are especially lively right now, and spending time in them reminds us why these habitats matter. Your interest and involvement—whether through bird walks, volunteer projects, or simply paying attention to the natural world—helps keep our conservation work strong.
I hope you get a chance to enjoy the season and maybe spot a few surprises along the way. Here’s to a month full of fresh air, good company, and memorable sightings.
Sincerely,
Zane L. Marshall, President
Red Rock Audubon Society
Happy Birding!
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April General Meeting: Saturday, April 11th, 2026 9:30am - 12:00pm
Please join Red Rock Audubon for our monthly meeting. We meet at the Nevada State Museum at the Springs Preserve.
As a reminder, please park in the upper lot at the Springs Preserve which is closest to the Museum. Doors open at 9:30 and the meeting will start at 10:00.
Our guest speaker is Alina Lindquist, artist in residence at Mystery Ranch (Awe Kwa Ame National Monument) , Great Basin National Park and Valles Caldera National Preserve. Her talk is titled: Painting as Advocacy: Working Within Public Lands.
Battery Recycling! As a follow up to our March 2025 presentation from Clark County's All-In Sustainability, Red Rock Audubon wants to make it easier for you to recycle your batteries. Bring your batteries to the general meeting and we will take them to a Clark County Drop-off location. We cannot accept automotive, cracked or leaking batteries. Click here for more details on the battery recycling program.
Recruiting for Finance Committee
Are you good with numbers? Do you like to keep your checkbook organized? Birding skills are not required for you to contribute to Red Rock Audubon. You won’t be asked to recall the differences between a Lucy’s Warbler and a Virginia’s Warbler on demand. Thank goodness because I know I couldn’t do it without looking in a field guide. However, I have been happy to volunteer my accounting skills to this great organization, and I am looking for someone to share in the joy of reconciliations! Would you like to be a part of the finance committee? If so, please reach out to me at jennifer.dudek@redrockaudubon.com.
RRAS field trip to San Diego on March 21-22 was a huge success and a lot of fun! Tom Clay led the group to many areas from San Diego down to the border. 98 species were identified across Saturday and Sunday!
Other RRAS Events
Native Plant Sale. Join the City of Henderson, Red Rock Audubon, and Desert Love Native Plant Nursery at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve for our seasonal native plant sale! Learn all about what attracts birds and other wildlife to your yards and see what Desert Love has in stock to keep your gardens bird and desert friendly!
Bumblebees of the Mojave Desert and the Bumble Bee Atlas. Join Morrigan DeVito for a special Zoom presentation about bumblebees, birds and how you can help monitor bumblebees on April 16. Register here!
Bumblebee Bee Atlas Training - As a follow up to Morrigan DeVito's Zoom presentation on Bumblebees, the Xerces Society will present training on Zoom for people who would like to participate in doing the Bumble Bee Atlas surveys. The Zoom training is on April 23. Register here.
Lucy's Warbler - The Tiny Desert Songbird With a Big Story. Join Skyler Peterson for a Zoom presentation about the story of the Lucy's warbler, exploring its life and how local science, conservation, and community interest come together to support one of our most beloved spring and summer visitors on April 30. Register here.
Ask a Birder at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is a chance for you to interact with birders from RRAS and learn more about this important habitat and Red Rock Audubon. Join us to talk birds. We'd love to meet you! We are there 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Observation Platform on the following dates. No registration required.
Apr 4, Apr 9, Apr 18, Apr 23
Birds, Beers, and Bites! Enjoy the company of fellow birders and nature enthusiasts at Birds, Beers, and Bites! Have fun and meet Red Rock Audubon Society members and other enthusiastic nature-lovers while talking about birds or just socializing and having fun. Hope to see you there!
Teen Birding. Get outside and connect! Teens are invited to explore the cliff swallow colonies at Arroyo Grande Sports Complex and learn about the wonders of spring migration. Participants will observe birds in action, build bird identification and field skills, and connect more deeply with the natural world. Guardians are welcome to join their teens. April 19that 9:30am. Register here.
Partner Events
Southern Nevada Conservancy Birding Events at Red Rock Canyon
Visit the SNC pagefor more details about events and to register. Visitors needatimed entry reservation if entering after 8am from October 1 to May 31.
Bat Walks - Join RRAS's Iris Lautermilch and Red Rock Canyon NCA for two guided bat walks at Ash Springs at Red Rock Canyon.
Volunteer Stewardship Event with Desert National Wildlife Refuge
Join the Desert National Wildlife Refuge staff at the Corn Creek Visitor Center in their monthly monitoring of habitat restoration! Volunteers will help staff with invasive species management, trail improvements, or planting native plants. Email cristhian_florestrujillo@fws.govfor more information and to sign up.
RRAS Community Action Update
Hello and Happy Spring!
March began with our volunteers helping UNLV students install Lucy's Warbler nest boxes at sites along the Las Vegas Wash. This was the beginning of a student-led project under the guidance of Dr. Adele Balmer to monitor the use of artificial nest boxes by Lucy's Warblers. As a cavity nesting species, Lucy's Warblers are vulnerable to habitat loss like invasive tamarisk replacing the native mesquite trees and are currently experiencing population declines. Data from this project will help inform future restoration opportunities for this species, and so we hope to see some Lucy's Warblers using the nest boxes this spring! Thank you to Clover, Zoe, Kristen D., and Iris for supporting UNLV students with nest box installation and ongoing monitoring.
March is our busiest month for youth field trips at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. A big thank you to our youth education volunteers for facilitating these field trips, and especially to Pam for booking them! Pam, Myranda, Sonya, Michael, Tamara, Linda and Lyla all played an important role in connecting students to the birds and plants of this critical wetland. We've taught 448 students this month from elementary and middle schools all around the Las Vegas Valley. We were also able to hand out 161 copies of Feather Wait, a coloring book field guide created by our artist Myranda Bair.
Our spring tabling season is off to a great start, with volunteers Laura, Linda, and Lyla spreading the bird word at Wetlands Park Art Day on March 21 and 848 people stopping by our table! Looking ahead to next month, you will find RRAS booths at events like Get Lost In Nevada at Sunrise Library, Springs Preserve Earth Day Celebration, and BioBlast at Clark County Wetlands Park. Our regular "Ask a Birder" booths at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve and Gilcrease Orchard continue to attract people wanting to learn more about birds, so a big thank you to Kristen O., Linda & Lyla, Michael, Rick, and Suzann! We also recently expanded "Ask a Birder" to Corn Creek thanks to our AmeriCorps service member Skyler Peterson.
On April 4th, we are also looking forward to hosting our third Native Plant Sale at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in collaboration with Desert Love Nursery. Come buy some plants to support the birds in your community... and say hi to us!
And lastly, a huge thank you to our trip leaders for continuing our regular "Birding in the Parks" all around the Las Vegas Valley this month. Our trips continue to have waitlists and attract both new birders and our own lovely community. We wouldn't be who we are without them.
Until next time,
Morrigan DeVito
Education & Outreach Director
April Birding Forecast
Do you want to see some awesome birds in April? Read our April Birding Forecast to find out where to go in the Las Vegas valley to bird watch!
Climate Corner
Red Rock Audubon is making a difference! Learn more and find out how you can help the environment!
Upcoming Event
Visit Allegiant Stadium on April 4th for a fun, interactive EV Ride & Drive and Recycling Event! Test drive electric vehicles, learn about clean transportation from local experts, and responsibly recycle electronics, paper, batteries, and more.
Climate Action Tip
Cooling stations are public spaces where people can stay safe during extreme heat events. Starting March 19, these centers are activated during heat warnings—check your local list of locations to stay cool.
Audubon Advocacy
All three Nevada Audubon chapters are supporting National Audubon efforts requesting $5 million for Fiscal Year 2027 to fully implement the USGS Saline Lakes Ecosystems IWAAs Program. A letter has been sent to the Nevada congressional delegation thanking them for level funding in FY2026 and urging continued support for this vital program.
Success Story
Thank you to all the volunteers who joined our 33-Hole Stewardship Event, helping keep Lake Mead clean and safe for both people and wildlife!
Membership and Donor Update
Thank you to our generous donors and members.
Red Rock Audubon’s activities are connecting people across the United States. We are grateful for your continued support.
Theresa Steckler Sierra Minnich Jennifer Georges Karrina Salazar Robert Hampton Henry Malinda Mark Johnson Brenda Favela-Belmonte Elisa Marcheschi Anthony Windebank Andrea Nelson Catherine Vadovic Barbara Beck Brad Jackson Linda Mattoon Noemi Flores-Sahagun Anner Davis Jashua Ayala Andrea Wirth Jillian Mancinik Shell Brewer Lynsey Plvan
Tracy Wakefield David Bradford Alexa Sweeney Paige Masimore Ralph Nietrzeba Erin Murtaugh Margy Park Theresa Gingras Vicky Grogg Tyler DeLorenzo Sarah Parker Martha Ray Narcisa Alprecht Naomi Eden Sarra Jones Keiko Moriyama Oscar Vazquez Zane Marshall Christine Newkirk Joan Paye Friends of Discovery Park
"Where flowers bloom, so does hope." — Lady Bird Johnson
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