​Nevada Historical Society presents High Noon with Neal Cobb, a wonderful history series that delves into fascinating Nevada topics with local experts. Neal Cobb is a passionate historian and honorary curator for the Nevada Historical Society. He loves all things Nevada.  Join Neal Cobb and our monthly speakers as we explore interesting topics and join in the audience conversations.

September Guest Speaker: Pat Bruce, Stewardship Program Director/Sheldon Lead, Friends of Nevada Wilderness
Program Title: Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

Pat Bruce will give a short history on the Friends of Nevada Wilderness organization. He will give a detailed discussion about what kind of work the organization does for Nevada and their work on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness organization is dedicated to preserving all qualified Nevada public lands as wilderness, protecting all present and potential wilderness from ongoing threats, informing the public about the values of and need for wilderness, and restoring and improving the management of wild lands.

Founded in 1984, Friends of Nevada Wilderness has helped protect over 3.4 million acres of Nevada’s wild lands by leading efforts in the expansion or designation of all 70 Wilderness areas in the state. Over the past twenty years, the Wilderness Stewardship Volunteer Program has generated over $2 million of in-kind services to benefit Nevada’s public lands.

Biography:

Pat Bruce joined our staff in February of 2006 as Friends of Nevada Wilderness’ Field Project Coordinator. Pat oversees Friends of Nevada Wilderness’ growing and nationally recognized wilderness stewardship program, and the FNW safety and training program. Since 2008 Pat has coordinated volunteers and crews on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.

Pat brings a wealth of experience to this job, including years of managing volunteers and programs from Boy Scouts to archaeological field schools at University of Nevada, Reno. Pat was born in Scotland and has lived in Nevada since 1982. Pat became a US Citizen and Public Lands owner in August of 2020. With a BA in Anthropology from UNR, Pat focused on early man sites in the Great Basin.

Pat has grown the Friends of Nevada Wilderness stewardship program from its inception into a nationally recognized program winning the Bob Marshall Award for Group Champion of Wilderness Stewardship in 2008 and in 2012 he was personally awarded BLM’s prestigious “Making a Difference” National Volunteer Awards at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. he was a founder of the Black Rock NCA Dutch Oven Cookoff and received multiple awards for his Dutch oven skills. Pat loves Nevada and is dedicated to ensuring the state’s wild places are protected and preserved.

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