Local Non Profit Hosts Brightest Event of the Year!

[Shevawn Von Tobel]

Gerlach, NV (July 26th, 2012)

The Perseids Meteor Shower is one of the more famous meteor showers  and never fails to give a stellar performance. This natural event  lasts an entire week in our region and seeing it in the darkest of  skies promises not to disappoint viewers. Friends of Black Rock will  set up camp on August 10th - August 12th and invite their members and  the surrounding community to come and be amazed at the wonders of the  universe. Join in the camp-out on the Black Rock Desert playa, which  are also designated public lands and add to your summer adventures. As  a local nonprofit organization, Friends of Black Rock  / High Rock  Canyon is dedicated to managing the cultural and ecological resources  of the Black Rock Desert region fostering a Leave No Trace experience.  By hosting a camp-out during the peak of the Perseids, they are  encouraging people to understand what the night skies bring and that  the desert is a very special place to have that experience with your  family or alone.

Campers will be able to see up to 50 meteors per hour, especially on  the peak nights of Saturday and Sunday. The surrounding hot springs is  open for public use and visitors will also be encouraged to explore  the several Conservation Areas. Staff and board members will be  present to answer questions and provide information about the region  on the weekend.

"The Black Rock Desert is one of the perfect places to catch the  Perseids Meteor Shower," says Will Roger Peterson, the Friends of  Black Rock's Vice President of the Board, "it's the largest campground  in the world. You have a clear view of the sky with a visible horizon in all directions." Will Roger and Friends of Black Rock, have been  camping out on the desert for over nine years to watch the Perseids.  These desert lovers and for many others know that this time serves as  an opportunity to get away from their normal life in the city and have  solitude. "I love to get out there in the middle of the playa and just  plug out. No cell phones, no computer. The place itself is so powerful  that it makes you smaller. Self-importance is out of the question."

Since the Black Rock Desert is so remote, Friends of Black Rock/High  Rock advise campers to arrive prepared. Temperatures can soar up to  the hundreds during the day so ample water and shade is necessary,  while warm clothing and blankets are recommended for the cold nights.  Of course, comfortable chairs and other camping necessities should not  be forgotten.

Friends of Black Rock / High Rock is a 501.c.3  nonprofit organization  which assists the Bureau of Land Management and other organizations  manage the resources of the Black Rock Desert region and educates the  public to foster stewardship to preserve its unique character.

For more information on the event and a recommended camping gear list,  visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.blackrockdesert.org"
www.blackrockdesert.org or call 775-557-2900.
Camp coordinates: N40.84428 W119.13412 or approximately 6 miles north  on West track starting from 12 mile, then 3 miles due East.