Youth Advocate from Iowa Joins AWHC for Hands-On Experience with Wild Horses

The AWHC Nevada team was excited to welcome a student guest volunteer for a week during June. Addax Hicks, a high school student from Urbandale, Iowa, had reached out to us and when he said he’d like to come for a week we wanted to make that happen!

We originally planned to have Addax see darting on the Virginia Range, but when that didn’t work out we adjusted our plans. We went over how we identify and track horses and determine when a mare needs her PZP vaccination, and how it works. Addax was already well studied on the use of PZP, as he’s done his research, written school reports, and even presented on it to his FFA club. 

We saw horses on the Virginia Range and discussed the issues of development encroachment and why humanely addressing the population with PZP is so important on this range. We looked at mitigation efforts by the City of Reno which allowed water access, and another area where newly installed fencing will prevent horses from getting to water sources. He also got a chance to target practice to see how the darts are delivered. 

While visiting the Fish Springs range, we were lucky enough to see one of the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates dart a mare who was due for her booster. We visited just a small bit of the Conner Fire burn area, as the fire was still active and we couldn’t access the parts of the AWHC Land Preserve that had burned yet. 

And then for our final day we visited the Pine Nut Mountains HMA where one of our range partners, Wild Horse Preservation League, has an MOU to conduct fertility control with PZP and our Conservation Scientist, Nicole, was able to dart a mare. 

Addax and his mom were amazing guests, soaking up whatever we were willing to share. For us, this was such an incredible visit. Engaging youth in the future of America’s wild horses is so important and Addax was a delight. America’s youth have a voice to share, they just need the access and platform to do so. This kind of engagement gives me hope and Addax’s proactive reach-out, and coming all the way from Iowa, made for such an enjoyable week! 

We hope to see you back, Addax!