Columnist Susan Snyder: Earth Day: Start to planet

Monday, April 18, 2005 | 8:22 a.m.

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park visitors can learn how to properly plant a tree and leave -- nothing behind, that is -- during one of many Earth Day activities planned later this week.

Earth Day turns 35 this year. And the state historic park situated in the middle of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the perfect place to appreciate the environment and learn how to better protect it, Scott Egy, Spring Mountain Ranch's new interpretive ranger, said.

"You look around out here, and it's such a beautiful area," Egy said. "It's a great location for an event like this."

Earth Day proper is Friday. But the ranch will spread the celebration over Saturday and Sunday with an extensive environmental information lineup that includes demonstrations on how to properly plant and prune trees and guided nature hikes through the park's ash grove.

Red Rock Audubon Society will conduct beginning bird-watching walks, and there also will be workshops on desert tortoises, a Leave No Trace wilderness travel course, and a session about desert snakes, lizards and other reptiles by a herpetology expert from UNLV.

"This is my new idea," Egy said of the two-day event. "I'm hoping to build this into a bigger and bigger event every year."

The sessions are to be conducted at various times Saturday and Sunday. For the day's complete schedule, log ontowww.earthday.net. Click on "programs and events" then scroll down to "events" and click again. Type in the geographical information requested and you'll get a listing of a number of Nevada Earth Day events.

The events include educational sessions and activities with the animals that live in the Las Vegas Natural History Museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Earth-appreciation activities from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Lied Discovery Children's Museum.

Summerlin will host its annual Earth Faire celebration starting at noon Saturday at Community Park on Town Center Drive.

Bicyclists can hit the roads and admire Red Rock Canyon with the annual Tour De Summerlin recreational bicycle ride, featuring routes of 15, 35 and 62 miles. Online registration has closed, but riders still can sign up from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday or at 7 a.m. Saturday. Call McGhies Ski-Bike-Board shop, 252-8077.

And those who want to celebrate Las Vegas' centennial year with their Earth Day can head out to Old Nevada-Bonnie Springs Saturday or Sunday for daylong events that include the usual Old West gunfights, in addition to a 19th century Mountain Man encampment and environmental preservation displays.

Marissa had a little lamb, and it behaved quite well -- good enough for a blue ribbon.

This fleece feat deserves an update. Marissa Dolfin, a Tonopah 16-year-old, and her lamb Gravy were featured in this spot a week ago in a column about the Clark County Fair Junior Livestock Show.

Gravy did marginally well in the April 7 market competition covered in Valley Views. But in an e-mail update sent Thursday, Dolfin said she and Gravy earned a blue ribbon in the showmanship contest two days later.

Not baaaaaad.