Get Outdoors Nevada reports 29 park volunteer events, 2,858 hours and native‑habitat plantings

Joe Kennedy, executive director of Get Outdoors Nevada, told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on May 6 that the group partnered with the city on dozens of volunteer projects this season and will expand programming into summer youth experiences.

Kennedy said Get Outdoors Nevada ran 29 volunteer events in 27 different Las Vegas parks during the 2024–25 season and generated about 2,858 volunteer hours in city events, collecting 4,902 pounds of waste and planting more than 170 trees and 750 Mojave native plants in park native‑habitat gardens. He said the organization emphasizes spreading projects across wards and partnering with groups such as UNR Extension Master Gardeners and corporate sponsors.

“One of our goals is to connect more Nevadans with the outdoor places that make Nevada uniquely home,” Kennedy said. He highlighted a Cox Communications‑sponsored pollinator garden at Lorenzi Park and a sensory‑designed native garden at the same site; the Cox sponsorship provided about $25,000 in program funding, with $10,000 moving directly to the city team, Kennedy said.

Kennedy also described summer plans: Get Outdoors Nevada will offer guided field trips to Mount Charleston for roughly 50 students from city summer programs, funded in part by transportation money from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, to give children access to higher‑elevation outdoor experiences that present transportation barriers.

Kennedy invited commissioners to volunteer at upcoming maintenance and appreciation events, noting the group’s Volunteer Appreciation Day on June 7 at Baker Park and Pool with food and a pool party for volunteers.

Ending: The commission took the presentation as informational and thanked Kennedy; no formal city action was requested during the May 6 meeting.