Education Program, Emergence Contest Will Continue  

Despite the passing Monday of the desert tortoise Mojave Max, Clark County officials said that the Mojave Max Education Program and Emergence Contest will continue.  

A successor to Mojave Max, who died of natural causes at an estimated age of 65 years old, will be selected by the fall, officials said. 

The contest in which students guess when Mojave Max will emerge from his burrow each spring will continue in 2009.  Clark County and the program partners, including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Clark County School District and the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, are more committed than ever to bring environmental education to the students of Clark County through this program.

Mojave Max was a live desert tortoise residing at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  Like other Southern Nevada desert tortoises, he entered a burrow to brumate, the reptilian form of hibernation, every winter and emerged every spring.  

Mojave Max has been the representative of the Clark County Desert Conservation Program since he moved to his habitat at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in 1991.  He has also been the representative of the Mojave Max Education Program and the west coast’s weather prognosticator since the education program and emergence contest began in 2000. Approximately 100,000 students have learned about the Mojave Desert ecosystem through his representation.   

Mojave Max has emerged as early as February 14 and as late as April 14 during his nine-year tenure.  His earlier emergences correlated to earlier spring-like weather, and his later emergences also correlated to later warming in the Southwest.    

Volunteer and education programs occur year-round.  People interested in volunteering for the Mojave Max Education Program should contact the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association at (702) 258-7097. 

More information is available at www.accessclarkcounty.com.

Quotes from kids on the passing of Mojave Max June 30, 2008

He was awesome and a great inspiration for kids to learn about the environment they live in.  I will be sad.  I am curious to know what they are going to do now.  Coy Shinn, age 12.

Mojave Max will always be remembered for his awesomeness. Haley Blattel, age 10.

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