National Public Lands Day in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument & Opening Reception for the Mojave Shadows Exhibit

Join us for a day of volunteering and art! If you want to get involved in a service project, you can help with a site clean-up, rock garden restoration, inventory in the bunkhouse, or ranch house cleaning. Interested in our newest art exhibit? Check out Steve Dudrow's Mojave Shadows in our exhibit space.

• 8 a.m.: Ranch opens for service projects

• 10 am - 1 pm: Mojave Shadows Exhibit is open in the ranch house

• 12 p.m.- 1 p.m.: The Mojave Shadows Reception, including meet-the-artist talks

Mojave Shadows Opening Reception

We will also have the opening reception of Steve Dudrow's exhibit. Mojave Shadows is an art and science exhibition that explores the importance of shade and shelter in the harsh Mojave Desert. Featuring photography, painting, illustration, and essays inspired by Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, the exhibition examines the connections between shadow, heat, time, and the survival of desert life. By blending scientific understanding with creative expression, Mojave Shadows offers a fresh perspective on the hidden ways life adapts and thrives in the Mojave.

Volunteering Project Description

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in collaboration with partners groups and volunteers will hold a National Public Lands Day event in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument at Walking Box Ranch on October 3, 2026. The primary activity will restoration and clean-up work on the area referred to as the caretaker house, this will serve the ongoing and necessary rehabilitation of an area previously impacted by human habitation, restoring the condition of the site to the period of historical significance. The secondary activity will involve gathering stones from throughout the site that were originally part of the rock garden, as part of an effort to recreate the historical viewshed and experience.

Event activities will be occurring at the following location(s):
Walking Box Ranch, Searchlight, Nevada

35.489124°, -115039977°

Event activities are to begin at 8:00am (subject to change). All project activities will conclude by 1:00pm.

Caretaker Site Clean-Up:

Volunteers may choose to participate in the site clean-up of the former caretaker site. This will involve using hand tools such as shovels, pick mattocks, and rock bars to dig out construction materials, moving and lifting materials by hand or wheelbarrow, and collecting trash and other debris by band. Fence posts will be removed either via jacks or heavy equipment depending on availability. Training will be provided by the heavy equipment operator on how to work in conjunction with the equipment prior to anyone being authorized to be near it. Participants will be accompanied by BLM staff and partner organization staff. Volunteers will be provided with gloves, helmets, hand tools, and other items needed to complete the project. Volunteers are asked to bring water, closed-toed shoes, sun protection (e.g., sunblock, long sleeve shirts, long pants, hat, glasses).

Volunteers will be required to be familiar with hand tools and attest to their physical ability to conduct the tasks assigned. All volunteers will need to fill out volunteer forms and attend safety briefing(s) prior to commencing work. These will be provided at work site(s) by BLM staff.

Rock Garden Restoration

Volunteers may choose to participate in gathering specific rocks from throughout the grounds of Walking Box Ranch and pilling them in the location of a developing rock garden. This will involve moving medium to heavy rocks by hand, wheelbarrow, or hand truck. Hand tools such as shovels, pick mattocks, and rock bars may be used to extract the rocks from the ground or load them onto wheeled devices. This project will be led by members of the Friends of Avi Kwa Ame. Volunteers will be provided with gloves, helmets, hand tools, and other items needed to complete the project.

Volunteers will be required to be familiar with hand tools and attest to their physical ability to conduct the tasks assigned. All volunteers will need to fill out volunteer forms and attend safety briefing(s) prior to commencing work. These will be provided at work site(s) by BLM staff.