After 21 years of educating the public on NDOW's work, Conservation Educator Joe Doucette is retiring. Joe, a Nevada Wild podcast regular and familiar face to many Nevadans, ran educational programming in eastern Nevada. He spent years creating videos on NDOW's various projects and recording news segments to help share the agency's story. In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Joe to look back at his time at NDOW, give NDOW's future employees some encouraging w...
Jan 07, 2022•27 min
The youth portion of the Wild Sheep Foundation's Sheep Show, the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE), is back! YWCE will take place during the Sheep Show at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on January 13-15. School groups will attend a private experience on the first two days, then on January 15, YWCE opens up to the public for FREE! In this week’s Nevada Wild NDOW’s Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Ryan Brock to talk what activities to expect ...
Dec 22, 2021•28 min
In this week’s Nevada Wild, we’re covering a perfect way to get outdoors this winter, snowshoeing! NDOW’s Ashley Sanchez, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with author of Snowshoeing Around Lake Tahoe, Kathryn Reed. Kathryn fills us in on great snowshoeing advice, the best places to go, and where you can find her book, along with her other books that focus on outdoor adventures around Lake Tahoe!
Dec 22, 2021•29 min
The cold weather and recent snow in northern Nevada means it's almost time for great ice fishing! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk to Conservation Educator Joe Doucette about when waters will be safe for ice fishing, and which waters to head to when the time is right. They also go over ice fishing equipment and gear that could make great gifts for the angler in your life, and safety information to keep in mind when heading out on the ice. For fishing reports click...
Dec 17, 2021•28 min
In the spirit of NDOW’s 25 Days of Fishmas celebration, this week’s Nevada Wild covers Trout in the Classroom (TIC), a popular education program NDOW has put in classrooms for more than 20 years to teach students about the science, art, recreation and other values of fish and aquatic life. Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk with NDOW Angler Educators from across the state Abbey Czarnecki, Jan Nemec and Julie Gabrielson to explain what to expect for this year’s program, how your kids can join i...
Dec 10, 2021•28 min
Black Friday weekend is here! That means people are rushing to the stores to find the perfect gifts for their family and friends. NDOW wanted to help you out with some gift ideas! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Amanda Perez and Eric Cachinero to share gift ideas for hunters, anglers, and anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors.
Nov 24, 2021•26 min
In the spirit of Thanksgiving next week, this Nevada Wild covers all things turkey. Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Upland Game Staff Specialist Shawn Espinosa to talk about the history of Nevada's wild turkeys. Shawn explains how they got here, and where you can find turkeys in the state. They also cover turkey hunting and some fun turkey facts, like explaining what a snoods and wattles are!
Nov 19, 2021•29 min
In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez sit down with western Nevada’s former Supervising Fisheries Biologist, now Grant Coordinator for NDOW’s statewide Sportfish program, Kim Tisdale. Kim fills us in on her 27 years with the agency, how she started her career at NDOW, and the most memorable projects she’s been a part of. She also explains her new role and tells us about the state’s Trophy Fish and Native Fish programs, which are open to anyone to take part in. Learn more he...
Nov 12, 2021•28 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by writer, angler, cook, forager, among many other titles, Hank Shaw! For more than a year NDOW has shared Hanks's recipes on social media for Wild Food Friday. Hank, who has five published cookbooks, manages the popular Hunter Angler Gardner Cook website, and hosts the Hunt Gather Talk Podcast, explains how he first started with wild game cooking, tells us about his cookbooks, gives great insight to help you bec...
Nov 05, 2021•30 min
This week's Nevada Wild celebrates Bat Week, the annual, international celebration of the role of bats in nature! Hosts Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by Wildlife Educator Jess Brooks, who explains the educational programs NDOW runs to inform the public on bats and other wildlife. Programs include the popular bat walks that Jess and other wildlife educators organize around the state. Jess also shares some interesting bat facts and explains the important role they play in our ecosyste...
Oct 28, 2021•28 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Biologist Heather Reich to talk about Nevada's black bears. She explains everything from their population size, where in Nevada they can be found and where the population comes from to their diets and behavior. She also covers how to live responsibly in bear country.
Oct 22, 2021•27 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW's Wildlife Veterinarian Nate LaHue to talk about Chronic Wasting Disease(CWD), a transmissible neurological disease that is always fatal to animals in the deer family. Nate explains the state's efforts to prevent the disease from entering Nevada, and explains what hunters can do to help. For more information and a list of the check stations mentioned in this podcast, visit here: http://www.ndow.org/Nevada_Wildlife/Hea...
Oct 14, 2021•28 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by Sara Gedo with Clark County Water Quality and NDOW Angler Education Coordinator Abbey Czarnecki to discuss Stormwater Pollution Awareness Month in October. Sara explains the importance of the campaign's slogan to put #OnlyRainInTheStormDrain to preserve the water quality of Nevada’s precious waterways. Abbey explains what you can do to prevent the impacts of stormwater pollution on Nevada's fisheries and highlights NDOW's ...
Oct 08, 2021•25 min
Upland game hunters have a lot to look forward to! The youth chukar hunt continues this weekend, ending on Sunday (Oct. 3), and the general season opens October 9! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW's Upland Game Staff Specialist Shawn Espinosa, who breaks down the 2021 Chukar Forecast and gives great chukar hunting tips to hopeful hunters! He also talks sage grouse and quail. View the Chukar Forecast here: http://www.ndow.org/uploadedFiles/ndoworg/Con...
Sep 30, 2021•25 min
In this week’s Nevada Wild, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by spotlighting Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO), an organization created to provide a platform for Hispanics/Latinos to contribute knowledge and perspectives about public land conservation. Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with HECHO Program Manager Bianca McGrath-Martinez and NDOW Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones to talk about the importance of HECHO’s mission and connecting more comm...
Sep 24, 2021•28 min
There is no better excuse to explore Nevada than by celebrating Nevada Public Lands Day next Saturday, September 25. Nevada Public Lands Day, which also falls on National Public Lands Day (NPLD), encourages Nevadans to discover the many exciting and affordable recreation opportunities right in their own backyards. In this week's Nevada Wild, NDOW's Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk to Jenny Ramella, Kim Zuch, and Carson Fehner with Nevada State Parks to highlight parks you can explore near yo...
Sep 17, 2021•26 min
In this weeks’ Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez are joined by NDOW Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones and Outings Leader for Latino Outdoors Dagmar Galvan to discuss Hispanic Heritage Month. Dagmar tells us about her background and how she came to Las Vegas to pursue her career. The group has a great discussion on the importance of outdoor experiences for young and old. As a Latino Outdoors Outings Leader, Dagmar explains how she plans to engage with Latinx communities and sh...
Sep 11, 2021•27 min
NDOW's Conservation Education Division has a wide variety of education programming free for classrooms, homeschoolers, and after-school programs! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Wildlife Educator Jess Brooks and Urban Wildlife Coordinator Lauren MacLeod to talk about two programs classrooms will take part in this fall: Know Your Nevada, which teaches fourth-grade students all about Nevada's living state symbols and Nevada Knockout, NDOW’s award-winn...
Sep 03, 2021•27 min
Upland Game hunters... it's that time of year! September 1 is the opener for dove, ruffed grouse, blue grouse, Himalayan snowcock and crow. On top of that, many more upland game seasons are approaching! In this week's Nevada's Wild Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Upland Game Staff Specialist Shawn Espinosa and Migratory Game Bird Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme to talk about the upcoming upland game seasons, the best places for hunters to have success, and more!
Aug 27, 2021•28 min
NDOW is working on duck banding projects across Nevada through the end of September. NDOW uses these projects to capture waterfowl and place bands on them to help track the species and collect data. In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Migratory Game Bird Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme to explain the duck banding process, why data from these bands is critical in making management decisions, how you can help us track our waterfowl populations, and more...
Aug 20, 2021•27 min
Bighorn sheep exist in the desert where no other native ungulates (hooved mammals) inhabit because of the limited water resources and plant life, and the rugged, precipitous terrain. But even desert bighorn sheep must drink water during the hottest months of the summer, which is why NDOW works with other land management agencies and conservation organizations to build “guzzlers” or water developments to provide water to bighorn sheep and other wildlife. In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez...
Aug 13, 2021•27 min
The Nevada Department of Wildlife is so lucky to be able to host Americorps members. Americorps is a nationwide community service program that gives young people a chance to gain professional experience while giving back to their communities. NDOW has been fortunate enough to attract really amazing members that have done invaluable work for the agency. In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez speak with NDOW Wildlife Education Coordinator Julie Bless, and Americorps Claire Cla...
Aug 06, 2021•26 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, we're looking at the importance of preparing for your hunt as seasons begin to open across the state. Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Big Game Staff Specialists Cody Schroeder and Mike Cox to talk about the best strategies for scouting, other critical ways to prepare for your hunt and more!
Jul 30, 2021•29 min
This week is Latino Conservation Week: Disfrutando y Conservando Nuestra Tierra, an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF), to support the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. In this week’s Nevada Wild, NDOW’s Ashley Sanchez and Bobby Jones sit down with Jessica Godinez from HAF’s Conservation Team to talk about Latino Conservation Week, the importance of this initiative and how to get involved. We also explain how ...
Jul 23, 2021•30 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by Wildlife Diversity Biologist Jason Jones to talk about the impact of drought conditions on reptiles, including snakes and Gila monsters. Jones clears up some common misconceptions, explains how important these critters are to Nevada's ecosystem, and walks you through what to do if you come across one.
Jul 16, 2021•26 min
The Summer Nevada Nature Blitz is underway, and anyone who wants to get outside this summer is invited to take part! This project is simple! The challenge is to record as much biodiversity as possible in northern Nevada during your outdoor adventures by downloading the iNaturalist app, join our project ‘Summer Nevada Nature Blitz’ and start snapping photos! In this week's Nevada Wild Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW's Julie Bless and Cynthia Scholl with the Museum Of Natural Hi...
Jul 02, 2021•27 min
With summer in full swing, now is the perfect time to get out on the water and cast a line. In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Angler Education Coordinators Jan Nemec, Joe Doucette, and Abbey Czarnecki. They cover fishing conditions on waters across Nevada, places to go to beat the heat, and provide new anglers with tips.
Jun 25, 2021•28 min
American Eagle Day (June 20th) is a special day to commemorate the anniversary of the bald eagle’s selection as our National Symbol and to celebrate its return to America’s skies. In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by Wildlife Diversity Staff Specialist Joe Barnes to talk about Nevada's eagles, the bald eagle and golden eagle. He talks about the work being done to manage these species, population sizes and a lot more! Learn more about American Eagle Day, and h...
Jun 18, 2021•30 min
After four decades with NDOW's Fisheries Division, Division Chief Jon Sjoberg is hanging up his waders! In this week's Nevada Wild, Jon joins Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez to reflect on his more than 40 years with the agency! He talks about the many positions he held around Nevada before landing in NDOW's Headquarters as the Fisheries Division Administrator, his favorite memories, success stories, even his favorite fish, and much more!
Jun 11, 2021•27 min
In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez are joined by NDOW's Wildlife Staff Specialist Mike Zahradka and Nevada Division of State Lands Administrator Charlie Donohue to talk about the recent announcement that more than 23,000 acres of wetlands and pasture in Churchill County has been transferred to the state. The area, referred to as Carson Lake and Pasture, will also soon be designated as NDOW's 12th Wildlife Management Area! The guests explain why and how this transfer happ...
Jun 04, 2021•25 min