Shine City Project
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Jeffery Silerio
On March 30, 2019, Shine City Project joined Get Outdoors Nevada for a service project at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve! Located next to Wetlands Park and the Henderson Water Reclamation Facility, the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve contains nine ponds and occupies an area of approximately 140 acres. As the third-largest body of water in Southern Nevada, the nine ponds serve as a habitat for more than 270 species of local and migratory birds in Las Vegas.
On this morning, volunteers joined Get Outdoors Nevada and the City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department to help plant about 400 native plants at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve! These plants would help threatened and endangered pollinators such as native bees and butterflies have food, water, and shelter for their survival.
We had seven volunteers representing Shine City Project, and out of those seven volunteers, we had one veteran volunteer recently returning after several years, Lowell! Lowell first joined our group in September 2013 and had been a regular of our service projects for a couple years. It was great having one of our veteran volunteers join us again!
Although our Shine City Project volunteers had hoped to be more hands on with the plants that were being planted, our group was given the responsibility of putting together wire cages. These wire cages would help prevent rabbits from munching on the newly planted plants. It was a delicate and time-consuming task, but we were able to practice a heart of gratitude! We were happy to help with whatever task that was given to us! After more than an hour, we placed our wire cages around the plants and staked them into place.
Overall, it was a peaceful experience being at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. It was nice to be surrounded by water while hearing the sounds of birds and breathing in the fresh air. Although we were not too far from the sounds and the sights of the city, we could easily connect with nature. In a place that is often called a desert, the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is an oasis in the desert which is filled with beauty and life and God's love.