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When Will He Emerge?
Mojave Max, the Amazing
Hibernating Desert Tortoise
Move over, Punxatawney Phil! Here comes Mojave Max, the cartoon desert tortoise and spokes-tortoise for the Clark County (Nevada) Desert Conservation Program. Max is more than a cartoon, however--he is a real live tortoise who lives at BLM's Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas.
Max has been hibernating since last fall, and is expected to emerge sometime this spring. His activity is the subject of intense speculation, with regular news coverage by Las Vegas Channel 13 and local radio stations.
The reason for all this? It's the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest, with prizes ranging from pizza parties to special tours of the Red Rock Canyon with BLM's Environmental Education specialists. It all started two years ago with 400 students participating. Last year, it grew dramatically--more than 6,000 students in Clark County participated in the contest and more than 10,000 participated in Mojave Max educational programs. The winner guessed the exact minute when Max made his dramatic appearance! Anyone can make a guess, but contest winners are drawn from the schools of Clark County, Nevada--and they can win t-shirts, trips, and special tours of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Mojave Max is the mascot of Clark County's Desert Conservation Program.
He has inspired a large website with lots of cool information about the plants and animals of the desert. Teachers have used Max and his friends to teach thousands of students about desert ecosystems. The program presents interactive lessons in classrooms with trained volunteers from the community, BLM, and participating universities. Everyone has fun--and everyone learns something about the desert ecosystem.
The cartoon Max has a whole desert full of educational information.
The real Max is currently in his burrow at Red Rock Canyon
But what about Max? He went underground last October 22, and hasn't been seen since.
Want to learn more? Visit some of these websites:
MojaveMax.Com--The official website of Mojave Max and his emergence.
Red Rock Canyon Environmental Education Programs--Classroom activities, resources, field trip information and more, sponsored by BLM's Red Rock Canyon Environmental Education center.
Mojave Max Latest Update--This is the best place to check the current status of the real Max.
To correspond with local teachers who are involved in this project, select this link.
Kathy August, the BLM education specialist at Red Rock is interested in contacting people who have other "hibernating" creatures to compare. For more information on this program, contact Kathy at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: Kathy_August@blm.gov