Owls, art, and western history: California Trail Interpretive Center announces November programs
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
ELKO, Nev. – Learn about the history of prostitution in the early American West and the owls of Nevada at the California Trail Interpretive Center.
The Trail Center is presenting a variety of programs throughout November. The following programs are free and open to everyone:
Nov. 3, 10:00 a.m.: Upstairs Girls: Prostitution in the Early American West
Myths, legends and Hollywood have romanticized prostitution in the Old West. When separating fact and folklore, the reality of the hardships that early Western prostitutes faced becomes clear. Join Interpreter Jordan Thomas for stories of the soiled doves. These stories are fascinating, and provide a glimpse into a part of history that is often forgotten.
Nov. 4, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: The Secret Life of Owls
Owls are fearsome predators…. if you are a field mouse. Join Volunteer Christine Wheeler and learn all about Nevada owls. Dissect an owl pellet, create an owl face mask, and enjoy a 35-minute film, “Ecology and the Barn Owl.”
Nov. 10, 10:00 a.m.: Virtual Tour of the California Trail
Do you know what it was like to travel 2,000 miles in a covered wagon? Mariett Foster Cummings does, and she will share her experience of traveling the California Trail in 1852. See the sights, hear the sounds, and feel the emotions that a typical emigrant would have felt on the five-month trip. Park Ranger Greg Feathers will be joining Mariett to give some modern context to her experience.
Nov. 11, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: True Mountain Man Stories
Mountain men enjoyed making up tall tales about themselves and others, but some of their real adventures were stranger than fiction. Join Interpreter Tim Burns for a selection of stories about the early explorers of the West that sound like tall tales, but actually happened.
Nov. 18, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: Pioneer Art Walk
Join Volunteer Susanne Reese for a guided tour of the Trail Center. Kids will have the opportunity to dress up like pioneers, explore a wagon, build miniature log cabins, and learn about history through the Center’s beautiful, brilliant murals. Ages four and up.
Nov. 25, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: Corn Husk Dolls
Children's toys have changed a lot over the years. Corn husk dolls were first made by Native Americans and later adopted by the settlers. Join Jordan Thomas and learn how to make your own cornhusk doll.
The California Trail Interpretive Center is located eight miles west of Elko on I-80, Hunter exit 292. The Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.