Astronomy, Native Market, and Pioneer Butter: The California Trail Interpretive Center Announces October Programs
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ELKO, Nev. – Learn the major constellations, purchase Native American art, and make pioneer butter at the California Trail Interpretive Center.
The Trail Center is presenting a variety of family friendly programs throughout October. The following programs are free and open to everyone:
Oct. 6, 10:00 a.m.: Meet Gideon Fitzgerald, California Trail Emigrant
The year is 1850. Gideon Fitzgerald, a young man from Tennessee, is on his way to California, hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields. Fitzgerald has set up camp near the California Trail.
Listen to Fitzgerald share his experiences that include hunting buffalo in Nebraska, meeting Native Americans, and the tragedy that took place in what we now call Wyoming. Volunteer Brandon Allen portrays Gideon Fitzgerald in this living history program.
Oct. 7, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: Pioneer Journaling: A Glimpse into the Past
Attention all kids: How do we know what the pioneers thought and felt? Because they wrote their stories down in journals and diaries. Join Southern Nevada Conservancy Interpreter Jordan Thomas and learn about pioneer journals, and create your own journal to document your journeys.
Oct. 12, 6:00 p.m.: Astronomy Program: Learn the Constellations
For thousands of years, people from throughout the world have gazed into the heavens and connected the stars to create animals, heroes, and a variety of shapes. A planosphere is a simple tool that is useful for identifying constellations.
Join Nevada Outdoor School Director of Programming Jackie Lucero and create your own planosphere. Lucero will then show visitors how to use a planosphere to identify major constellations.
Oct. 14, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: How to Make Pioneer Butter
Making pioneer butter required much preparation and hard work. Join Volunteer Dinna Frost and learn how to make butter like the pioneers.
Oct. 20-21, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Native Market
Learn about the history and traditions of Great Basin Native Americans. This year’s Native Market features handmade crafts, collectibles, jewelry, and more. Native American art makes great Christmas gifts.
The event also features the exhibit, “Through Our Own Eyes: A Native American Youth Art Exhibition.” The exhibit includes over 100 paintings by students from the Owyhee Combined School, located on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
Oct. 28, 2:00 p.m.: Junior Ranger Program: Oxen: Strong, Slow and Thick Skinned
Oxen are the unsung heroes of the California Trail. Oxen are smart, strong, obedient, and if you wound up in a desperate situation, they were delicious.
Due to their reliability and low cost, oxen were the preferred wagon haulers for most pioneers. Join Park Ranger Greg Feathers and learn how oxen were used on the California Trail. To conclude the program, junior rangers will drive their own “ox team” through a fun and challenging obstacle course.
The California Trail Interpretive Center is located eight miles west of Elko on I-80, Hunter exit 292. The Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.