Hundreds gather for Nye County Earth, Arbor Day celebration in Pahrump

Hundreds packed the Bob Ruud Community Center and Petrack Park on Saturday as Pahrump’s 23rd Annual Earth/Arbor Day Celebration turned environmental awareness into a practical countywide showcase. About 30 organizations set up booths for the April 18 event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and drew residents looking for information on water use, cleanup efforts, habitat protection and local conservation work.

The event was listed on both the Town of Pahrump and Pahrump Community Library calendars, underscoring how firmly it has become part of the valley’s civic calendar. Free raffles, food, educational displays and family-friendly activities drew steady traffic, but the value for Nye County was more concrete than festive: the event connected people with groups working on the problems that shape daily life here, from desert water demands to roadside litter and the protection of fragile habitat.

Great Basin Water Co. used the day to hand out information and raffle off five-gallon trees suited to desert conditions, a reminder that shade in Pahrump is not just decorative but part of long-term water-conscious planning. Clean Up Pahrump promoted its roadside and desert cleanup mission, while the Community Environmental Monitoring Program explained how it tracks possible air and groundwater contamination linked to historic nuclear testing at the former Nevada Test Site. Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge also had a presence, sharing information about its purpose and the rare ecology that makes it one of the region’s most distinctive natural assets.

A live desert tortoise drew attention throughout the day, a crowd favorite and an unmistakable symbol of the Southwest’s wildlife. The gathering also honored local youth outreach, with Scot Troter named Earth Day 2026 Citizen of the Year for teaching youngsters about gardening. That recognition fit the event’s broader theme: getting younger residents involved in hands-on stewardship rather than leaving environmental issues to abstract discussion.

The celebration traces back to John Pawlak, who founded Pahrump’s Earth Day event before it expanded to include Arbor Day. The format has stayed focused on practical information and public education, a model that has helped the event endure. With water, cleanup, habitat and youth involvement all in one place, Saturday’s turnout showed why the Pahrump valley keeps returning to the same conversation each spring: how to live in Nye County without taking the desert for granted.