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FlashFlood2 - The ORI-GEN Experience’s flash-flood exhibit room (above) sends 5,000 gallons of water crashing through a simulated ravine.
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Lizard Habitat - After you stroll through the botanical Gardens, you can learn how desert animals such as this lizard have adapted to survive the desert elements.
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Water Can Theatre - The eight-acre botanical Gardens feature the Watering Can Theater (above), for irrigation instruction.
By Connie Mancillas
It’s hard to believe that for centuries human inhabitants congregated around a small parcel of lush, fertile land in the middle of what is now Las Vegas. The freshwater springs and surrounding meadow attracted Mormon and Spanish settlers to the area in the 1800s. Spaniards called the area “Las Vegas,” which translates to “the meadows.”
Over time, the railroad purchased land and water rights near the springs to power their steam locomotives. The advent of the railroad created a booming Las Vegas town site. However, by the 1960s, humans had sucked the springs dry. The tale is as much a lesson in the consequences of water depletion as any from Nevada’s past. Today, the area is the site of Springs Preserve, where locals and visitors learn to become stewards of our environment and how to sustain a quality of life for themselves and future generations.
Ten years of planning went into the development and design of the Springs Preserve, which opened in 2007. The development is a 180-acre campus located a short distance from the Las Vegas Strip. In 2008, more than 200,000 visitors experienced its 200-plus interactive exhibits.
The property’s seven buildings are Platinum LEED Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for sustainable architectural design, construction, and operation. Solar panels generate enough energy to power 75 percent of the attractions. Two large buildings have walls constructed of straw bale. All water used at the facility, as well as the rain collected by butterfly roofs and cisterns, is filtered and recycled for landscape irrigation and water features, and piped back into the restrooms.
Although an innovator in green technology, it’s the educational aspect that the Preserve wants its guests to explore. That experience consists of strolling through a variety of gardens, which include more than 128,000 plants. Demonstrations and displays feature irrigation systems, gardening techniques, and various materials that can be used for mulches, including tumbled, colored glass. Landfills contain 75 percent of the 40 billion glass bottles made each year. This unique alternative for mulch makes a landscaped area that much more sustainable by keeping glass out of the landfills—which is good for the environment—as well as maintaining moisture in the soil. Plus, the colors add aesthetic value to any planting project.
The Sustainability Gallery demonstrates what lifestyle changes people can make to become more environmentally responsible. Wherever you live, the sensory journey through this gallery offers valuable insight for adults and children. “This is a wonderful educational setting for my fourth grade daughter who is learning about geology, recycling, and energy conservation at school,” says Alexandra Handley, who is visiting the Springs Preserve from York, Pennsylvania with her family.
You can also look under the hood at the engine of a hybrid vehicle, or walk through the “green house” and see cabinets made from husks of sunflower seeds and counter tops created from recycled paper. Meanwhile, you’re standing on carpet made from recycled plastic soda bottles and floors made from bamboo. Even the kitty box gets filled with wheat litter!
Locals and tourists can participate in hundreds of classes, seminars, and other offerings. The staff includes a number of curators, as well as a biologist, ecologist, archaeologist, and horticulture specialist. There are classes such as “How Big Is Your Carbon Footprint,” “Green Weddings,” and “Edible Flowers and Landscapes.”
Historical and archaeological displays guide guests along walking trails containing historical springhouses, water derricks, and ancestral Puebloan pit houses. The Cienega Trail recreates the original springs’ desert wetland ecosystem. This lush vegetation has attracted wildlife to the site, including 30 species of birds. A simulated canyon is home to animals that are native to the desert area, including a brown recluse spider and a grey fox.
In the ORI-GEN Experience, hands-on participation is highly encouraged. Exhibits explain the history of the springs, as well as what the future may hold for generations to come. This is your chance to participate in the re-creation of the 1905 land auction, sit among other riders in a replica of an early 20th-century train traveling into Las Vegas, stand over the Colorado River and watch as Hoover Dam is constructed before your eyes, or stand by as 5,500 gallons of water simulates a flash flood. A series of cylinders show how increases in population in Las Vegas since the 1940s have affected water demand.
Nancy Sandle, a Las Vegas resident, visited the ORI-GEN with her two grandchildren. “They absolutely love it here! They are so fascinated with all the exhibits and enjoy coming so much that we’ve purchased annual passes the past two years,” she says. The arcade in the ORI-GEN Experience reinforces sustainability principles with such features as the Lawn Gobbler, the Preserve’s version of Pac-Man. For a more realistic activity, one can maneuver a SkyNews helicopter over the Las Vegas Strip and pick up news stories along the way. “I believe people truly learn when they are engaged and entertained. Just taking time to play can teach a lot,” says Springs Preserve representative Pietra Sardelli.
Just when you think you’ve experienced all that the Preserve has to offer, there’s still more. You can even learn the art of Gyotake (fish printing), practice disciplines of yoga and Tai Chi, or sign up for on- and off-site guided tours. Or perhaps you’d rather attend a concert at the outdoor amphitheater, have lunch at the Springs Café by Wolfgang Puck, or walk through galleries of featured artists and traveling exhibits. Whether you’re a science buff, history buff, or a child at heart, Springs Preserve will entertain and educate.
Contact Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, 702-822-7700.
Rates: Nevada Residents - Adults: $9.95 (Seniors, Students, Teachers, & Military: $8.95); Children (5-17): $4.95; Younger than 5: Free.
General Admission: Adults: $18.95; Child (4-17): $10.95; Younger than 4: Free.
The Gardens, trails, children’s play area, café, and gift shop are free to the public.
Nov./Dec. Gallery Exhibits:
Robert Beckmann: Elemental Landscape Exhibit
Big Springs Gallery in the ORI-GEN Experience
Thru Jan. 6, 2010
Free with general admission and for Annual Pass members
Currently living in Oregon, Beckmann is a long-time Las Vegas artist whose paintings skillfully capture the essence encountered in both locales. Elemental Landscape features oil paintings of the Las Vegas Wash and the Pacific Northwest using waterways as a common thread to these two very different environments.
Act Responsible - Advertising Sustainability
Patio Gallery in the Desert Living Center
Nov. 14 - March 14, 2010
Free with general admission and for Annual Pass members
Originally collected by Advertising Community Together, this exhibit showcases advertisements from around the world, connected by the common theme of sustainability. Ad professionals are in a unique position to help promote awareness, as their work is seen by millions of people.
As an exhibit visitor, you are invited to share your responses to these ads and to the greater issues they bring to your attention. This exhibit strives to show that each of us can make a difference by educating ourselves, and others, by minimizing our use of resources and demanding change.
Springs Preserve was originally published in Nevada Magazine, www.nevadamagazine.com