Thank you, from Dr. Josh Bonde

Hello followers and supporters of the Nevada Science Center! As many of you have heard, I have accepted a position as the Director of the Nevada State Museum in Carson City starting next week. It has been a pleasure to meet many of you via our educational outreach programs, guests in the Science Center, and at our special events. When Becky and I started the Nevada Science Center in February of 2020 we were not expecting to be starting a non-profit in the midst of a global pandemic which has gone on for over 2 years now. I am proud that rather than throw our hands up, we doubled down and provided resources for our community through all of the ups and downs that the pandemic has brought us. We have been able to virtually take guests to dinosaur digs, to mountain ranges across the state, to museums around the region. The fun thing about doing all of these programs is coming to the realization that Nevada has so many stories to tell that we could never even scratch the surface of them if we did this the rest of our lives. Although I am moving on to my next post, I know that the Nevada Science Center will continue to tell as many of these stories as possible. I want to personally thank our Board of Directors for supporting and believing in the mission of the Nevada Science Center: Chris Palladino, Angela Chan-Stopa, Brenna Schrader, and Dr. Chris Adcock. I want to thank the collaborators who have contributed to our mission as well: Ralph Krauss and Dr. Bernard Means. Our research associates: Dr. Lauren Parry, Dr. Ewan Wolff, Dr. Peter Druschke, and Dr. Means. I am proud that in my time with the Nevada Science Center we have continued to produce new and original research, including naming Nevada’s first dinosaur: Nevadadromeus schmitti! The Nevada Science Center will continue to pursue its mission of bringing quality STEM programing to all corners of the Silver State and beyond, and I look forward to collaborating with the Science Center from my new position at the State Museum. Its important that we support those institutions which give so much to our community. If you enjoy the programming or see the value a small non-profit or institution brings to our state, please support them. Without the support we run the risk of losing these institutions which enrich our state. Before Becky and I began this journey of founding a non-profit I reached out to a friend and mentor of mine, the late Art Wolf. Art laughed at the news when I told him we were going to start our own non-profit. He reiterated the sacrifice and time required. And after his obligatory words of caution he generously said he was excited for us and offered his full support. I hope Art would be proud of where we are at with the Science Center now, and where it is going.

The first adventure blog I typed up for the Science Center over two years ago was highlighting our adventures up to Esmeralda County to explore for Miocene (23-5 million years old) fossils. I mentioned that the roads were empty, the wildlife flitted across the once busy asphalt. As I prepare myself for the trip up that same long stretch of US 95, the roads are far more busy, despite gas prices. The world has cautiously woken up from its pandemic induced slumber. The wildlife again keeps its distance from the shoulders of the highway. Many of us have found hardship over the past 2 years, many of us have had to start something new, have had to have difficult conversations, or make difficult explanations to our little ones. My hope is that through all of this that maybe a virtual field trip, or a social media post from our little non-profit helped you escape for moment and enjoy learning. I hope that where ever in the world you have joined us that you have taken something positive from the experience.

Finally, I want to say a big thank you to my wife, executive director and co-founder of the Nevada Science Center, Becky. Without her leadership and vision, the Science Center would not be a reality. She continues to wake up every morning working her hardest to come up with fun and interesting programs for the kids. She constantly brain-storms for new virtual field trip ideas. She continues to work on her personal research projects. All the while running a small business. She is an amazing person! In addition to all of what she does for the Science Center, she also is a loving and caring wife, an amazing mother and step-mother, and a caring mom to her furbaby Banjo. I love you Becky.

Thank you all for your support over the past two years. Continue to support the Nevada Science Center. The future is exciting for what is in store for the Center in the years to come.