Students from Paradise, CA share lessons learned walking the California Trail

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Elko District Office

Media Contact:

ELKO, Nev. – At California Trail Days, a teacher and his students from Paradise, Ca. will present a special program about their experience travelling on the California Trail in Nevada.

The program, “Lessons Learned:  From the California Trail in Nevada to Paradise, California,” will take place May 18, at 11:00 a.m.

Last September, teacher and living historian Dave Vixie and his students, took a modern day trip on the California Trail in northeast Nevada. For five days, they lived like pioneers, wore pioneer clothes and walked beside wagons as they endured the heat and dust of the Trail.

But then in November, tragedy struck as the most destructive wildfire in California's history devastated their hometown of Paradise and the surrounding communities.

Vixie and his students will share their experience of walking in the footsteps of California Trail emigrants in Nevada and will discuss how the lessons they learned from the Trail helped them cope and rebuild following the catastrophic wildfire.

“We are grateful that Mr. Vixie and his students are willing to share their powerful stories and experiences,” said Supervisory Park Ranger Alex Rose. “We look forward to learning from them.”

The California Trail Interpretive Center will present the 16th annual pioneer reenactment, California Trail Days, on May 18-19, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The family friendly event is free and open to everyone.

For more information about California Trail Days, visit www.californiatrailcenter.org .

The California Trail Interpretive Center is located eight miles west of Elko on I-80, Hunter exit 292. The Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.