Where: Hoover Dam, NV

When: 16 and 17 October 2009

Target species: Bassariscus astutus (ringtail)

Food provided: none

Details: We will meet on the 16th October at 4.30 pm at the parking lot on the left side of the road (when driving from Boulder City) just before the Hoover Dam check point. If you don't want to drive all way to the dam, you can meet us at 3.30 at UNLV, in front of the Mammalogy lab building.

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) employees will meet us at the parking lot, where we will consolidate and put as many people as possible into vehicles to have the minimum number of vehicles possible going to the trapping sites in the high security areas. The BOR employees will have government vehicles which will be escorting us to and from the trapping sites. We should be done by 7pm. There will be about 30 traps available, each student should set at least one. Additionally, the BOR employees will be setting bat detecting equipment.

The following morning (Saturday, October 17th) we will meet at the same spot at 7.30 am (6.30 am at UNLV), and do the same thing as the previous night with consolidating vehicles. The BOR employees will once again escort us to and from the trapping sights. The instructors only will handle the animals. We should be done by 11 am.

After that, the BOR employees will be going up to the top of the dam for a tour and those who would like to may join them. The cost is $11 / person which include includes the Visitor Center, Observation Deck, Old Exhibit Building, and a Tour of the Powerplant (actually go down inside the dam and see the generators and penstocks). The highlights of the Visitor Center and the Powerhouse Tour can be done in about an hour, but for those that would like to make the most of the trip and do not have a time restriction, about 2 hours is a better time estimate. There are also a few stores for souvenirs as well as the Hoover Dam High Scaler Café for those that would like to get lunch.

 

Recomended equipement:

Full shoes (tennis shoes, hiking boots), gloves (for trap handling), water, jacket, camera