Sustainability Gallery & Nature Exchange
At the NV Energy Foundation Sustainability Gallery, you can learn about eco-friendly lifestyles and the natural world around us through interactive, hands-on activities and classroom programs.
Springs Safari
Saturdays & Sundays at 11 a.m.
Join in on a safari-style adventure as we explore different areas of the Springs Preserve and discover more about the local environment. Recommended for ages 5-12. View upcoming safari themes.
Conservation for Kids
Saturdays & Sundays at 1 p.m.
How can we take care of and protect our planet? Learn more about the importance of conservation and sustainability while also having fun! Recommended for ages 5-12. View upcoming classes.
Badge Class
Saturdays & Sundays at 2 p.m.
From archaeology to zoology, explore different STEM disciplines every month while earning a take-home Springs Preserve Badge! Recommended for ages 7-12. Learn more about monthly badge topics.
Nature Exchange
The Nature Exchange at the Sustainability Gallery, open daily during regular business hours, is part of an international program that encourages young naturalists to explore nature and actively observe, study, responsibly collect and trade naturally found items such as shells, rocks, bark, pinecones and more.
Visitors earn points for each trade—based on criteria such as quality, rarity and knowledge of the item—then can trade points for other items.
The specially-trained Nature Exchange staff not only helps collectors learn more about their exchanged items, but also all of the wondrous artifacts that are part of the Preserve's own collection, including rocks, minerals, plants and insects from around the Desert Southwest and the world.
Trading rules
The Nature Exchange encourages responsible and ethical collecting.
✅ Items accepted: Bugs and insects, fossils, minerals, leaves and plant parts, rocks, and sea shells.
We only accept natural items that have not been worked on by people. We will accept casts of animal tracks. All insects or marine animals must be dead, dried out, and have died of natural causes.
🛇 Items not accepted: Nothing from protected lands or water areas (like parks and rivers), nothing with bones or from vertebrates (animals with backbones, with the exception of a shed snakeskin or shark teeth), nothing poisonous or venomous, and no bird feathers, nests or eggs.
We cannot accept items that damage the environment, come from endangered or threatened species, come from the Springs Preserve site, or are in the Springs Preserve's live animal collection.
The exchange process
- Bring it in and share: Bring in your collected items and describe what the object is, where it came from and why it is special. Be sure to clean up your items before you bring them in, and remember to limit your trading to your five best items each day.
- The exchange: Trade in your items for points. More points are awarded based on information provided and the uniqueness and quality of the item. Additional points are given for researching the items, so the more you know, the more you are rewarded. The Nature Exchange will also accept information in the form of reports, photographs, stories, etc.
- The account: Use your points to immediately "buy" other items, or save them up in the Nature Exchange computer trading data bank for future trades in the Exchange's constantly rotating collection.
- Take it home: Take your newly acquired items home to add to your permanent collection, or bring them back in to trade for other items at a later date.