Nevada
Students connect to nature in Lake Tahoe through experiential classwork | University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s Wayne L. Prim Campus, nestled in the mountains and surrounded by pines, provides researchers, faculty and students with a vast outdoor laboratory that brings coursework to life. Many classes at the University’s Lake Tahoe campus, like Chris Smith’s Ecology and Population Biology class, allow students to learn from faculty currently researching the area, and to have access to an ecosystem that helps them forge tangible connections to the material from their textbooks.
Smith has taught courses at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe since 2020, primarily focusing on ecology, natural history and statistics. During his time on campus, he has developed a curriculum that elevates his coursework by bringing course material to life through experiential learning in outdoor labs and trips. This semester, Smith’s Ecology and Population Biology class brought students outdoors on various occasions. During the field day trips, students observed the ecology of Taylor Creek in South Lake Tahoe during the annual Kokanee Salmon spawning, for example, and took a deeper look at snowflake structure, snowpack and avalanche science, wildlife adaptations to winter in Tahoe Meadows, and measured old-growth trees and tree rings on stumps in Mount Rose Meadows to understand their history and record climate change impact on stumps.
“I’ve seen the field components really have an enormous impact on students,” said Smith, “We read about these things in textbooks, but we actually experience them and have connections and interactions with them. It makes that material come to life for students – not only do they remember it better, but they take away a personal connection to that experience.”
During a fall field course, he and his students drove up to Mount Rose Meadows to take an in-depth look at the ecology of the region and used information gathered during the lab to study historical impacts on the region and what it means for the future of the forest.
“150 years ago, all of most of the Lake Tahoe Basin was cut over for the mining over in Virginia City,” Smith said, “They left a few stumps, and it’s possible for us to go back and measure the diameter of these stumps to reconstruct the structure of the old forests. We can then compare the current structure of the forest 150 years later in our present day, to see if they have recovered to the point where they were 150 years ago.”
The group also visited a high-elevation meadow under threat from climate change.
“During the lab, we talked about succession and trees starting to invade these open grassy spaces that are often wetter, and with climate change drying things out and changing winter conditions, lodgepole pine trees especially are moving into these areas. It’s easy to drive past the meadow and not pay attention to it at all. But when you stop and look, you can see these trees that are slowly moving into the middle of the meadow, and maybe in 100 years, many of these meadows may not be here. It’s cool to be able to see that and talk about it and open students’ eyes to maybe something they’ve been seeing for years of their lives.”
Smith’s courses provide more than just hands-on class content; getting students out into the field is also paramount in creating a connection between students and the area, promoting environmental stewardship and a love for the region. This connection, Smith states, develops a passion for the land and the area that drives students to care about the environment.
“My hope is that the coursework in my classes gives students a connection to Lake Tahoe that ultimately gives back to the health of the lake,” Smith said, “When students care about a place and form a personal connection with it, they naturally want to take care of it. In all my courses, I hope to create a connection so that students gain a deeper appreciation of what’s around them, and my hope is to show how important the health of Lake Tahoe is.”
Smith’s course, like many courses at the Lake Tahoe campus, offers an unmatched experience for all students, breaking the boundary between disciplines to focus on interdisciplinary collaboration with coursework, projects and research that focus on the lake.
With classes and coursework modeled after the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students can earn a Sustainability Certificate while honing in on skills in their field with knowledge that aims to protect the environment through practice and thoughtful communication. To fill out an interest form for a semester at Tahoe or to learn more, visit the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe website.
About the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe
Located less than one mile from the shoreline of Lake Tahoe, the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s Wayne L. Prim Campus merges experiences across education, research, creative and scholarly work in a stunning mountain environment. Beginning Fall 2024, undergraduate students are invited to earn their Certificate in Sustainability during a single-semester program that will incorporate outdoor and experiential learning into the coursework. Events and activities throughout the semester encourage a deep sense of community while inspiring environmental stewardship of the Lake Tahoe Basin and all our planet’s most precious natural resources.
In addition to its education offerings, the campus offers a robust program of community events and private conferences, welcoming the brightest minds in science, art and sustainability to Lake Tahoe.
The 18-acre setting in Incline Village includes 10 classrooms, several meeting/conference rooms, both large and medium events spaces, a cafeteria and catering service, highly equipped laboratories, 88 dorm rooms and the Lou Sardella Student Commons Lawn. The natural setting provides a living laboratory and serves as creative inspiration for both scientists, artists and students alike.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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