Outside Las Vegas Foundation

Supporting Outside Las Vegas Foundation means supporting education, volunteerism, outreach and collaborative programs that enrich this community. It means helping to improve the quality of life for Nevadans by fully utilizing vast resources and unique natural landscapes, and world-class outdoor recreational opportunities. 

Your contribution provides the support necessary to plan and execute education and volunteer programs and community events.

Our Goals

• Enrich children’s lives by providing experiential learning programs that inspire a lifelong penchant for learning and reverence for the outdoors

• Provide meaningful volunteering opportunities leading to the stewardship of our natural landscapes, urban parks and trails

• Provide communities access, resources and education that promote a deep connection and respect for Nevada's outdoor environments

• Empower residents and visitors by offering and promoting options for healthier and happier quality of life

Programs and Projects:

Youth Education:

To foster stewardship, OLVF designs programs that enrich children’s lives by providing experiential learning opportunities inspiring a lifelong penchant for learning and reverence for the outdoors.

Meet YOUR Mojave

 MYM Curriculum Supplemental programming consisting of an interpretive and educational curriculum that increases community knowledge natural resources. The awareness of the intricacy of the natural environment opens the door to science and addresses Nevada’s the need for better Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills for youth through outdoor education.

 MYM Outdoor Classroom Experiential learning program providing discovery and education that explores the habitat of local plants and animals and how they survive and thrive with one another within Nevada’s ecosystems.  This addresses Nevada’s need for an outdoor science education program, by providing science MYM curriculum, transportation, program supplies and logistical support to schools and community organizations wishing to learn about and visit Nevada’s special outdoor places including Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, Clark County Wetlands Park and a wide variety of regional parks and trails.  

MYM Micro Grants A grant program by which OLVF funds transportation to outdoor classroom learning for at-risk youth and school groups to parks and public lands. This addresses Nevada’s lack of community connectedness by directly providing transportation to community park and trail resources, to further exploration and education of the outdoors.

Impact Since 2012, OLVF has

• Connected 10980 urban children to Southern Nevada’s outdoor classrooms aka parks and trails

• Delivered 1047education programs to youth reaching 71,759 people

• Provided transportation to 271 youth groups

Volunteerism: OLVF asks residents and visitors to lend a hand, take part in taking care of the trails and parks that belong to all of us.  Through a turnkey program, Improve YOUR Backyard (IYB) allows the community to step in and just enjoy the experience of giving back to the outdoors.

OLVF organizes volunteer programs supporting the beautification and transformation of parks and trails in partnership with the municipalities.  GON provides the focused task, tools and plan of execution to ensure that the precious volunteer hours and spirit are put to productive use.  We strive to have all volunteers leave with a sense of accomplishment, pride and an ongoing connection to GON, the community and THEIR backyard.

Your volunteer time and contributions make a difference. Our volunteers are the backbone of our organization and remind us of the importance of community. Get Outdoors Nevada volunteers contribute nearly 5,500+ hours annually to programs that revitalize precious parks and trails. We work with all sectors of the community to develop and organize an event unique to each group's interest.

If you live, work or play in Nevada, come volunteer with us and explore the amazing landscapes, trails and parks that make Nevada a great place to just...BE.

The incredible parks, trails and unique landscapes of Nevada belong to all of us. So, come on out and take the next step. Be a partner in your public parks and urban trails. Be a volunteer.

Impact:

Since 2012, OLVF has generated:

• Almost 18,000 Volunteer hours.  
• Over 200 volunteer events, with 77 alone in 2016
• Engaged alomost 4000 volunteers

Get Outdoors Nevada Day celebration

At OLVF, we are passionate about participating in outdoor activities as individuals and as a community.  Get Outdoors Nevada Day celebrates the incredible outdoor opportunities that we have in Nevada.  This free, family-friendly event introduces the community to our backyard, from regional parks and trails to places further afield.  Get Outdoors Nevada Day brings in outdoor retailers, companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies who focus on connecting people to outdoor experiences.  The event combines fun with themes of stewardship for these incredible places.  Get Outdoors Nevada Day is designed to:

• Help more people to discover and experience new recreational activities, different parks, learn about various organizations and businesses by increasing access for all.

• Create an appreciation for what the outdoors brings to the quality of life for the community through discovering, exploring and connecting to unique landscapes, parks and urban trails.

• Inspire a love of outdoor places for a new generation.

This community event offers a chance for people of all ages to get outside and celebrate all that we love about Nevada’s Great outdoor places.   From park and picnic fun with activities like rock climbing and fishing, to meeting outfitters and organizations featuring the latest in recreation opportunities.  The event is a free and fun day out for the entire family.

Because Nevada has so much to offer, the idea was born to highlight, introduce and bring the community to a great outdoor place in a different city each year.

• 2014 North Las Vegas’ Craig Ranch Regional Park

• 2015 it was held in Clark County’s Sunset Park

• 2016 it was held in the City of Las Vegas’ Lorenzi Park

• 2017 we look to the lovely City of Henderson at Cornerstone Park.

The next park location will be announced at Get Outdoors Nevada Day on Saturday, October 7th, 2017.

In 2016, with over 3,500 attendees, 70 exhibitors and 21 major sponsors, GON continues to grow and expand this event, dedicated to connecting the community to all the rich outdoor resources Nevada has to offer.

Impact

2016 Survey

• 96% of participants reported that “Get Outdoors Nevada day made me more likely to participate in outdoor recreation activities in the future.”

• 88% of participants reported that “Get Outdoors Nevada Day made me more likely to volunteer with an organization in Southern Nevada.”

• 98% of participants reported that “Get Outdoors Nevada Day made me more likely to support the vendors I visited here.”