As the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest prepares to parade a Christmas tree from Northern Nevada to the nation's capitol, a Virginia City 4th grader is getting ready to take the same journey.
Nine-year-old Grady Armstrong will light the "People's Tree" at the Capitol in December. Representatives from the Nevada Lieutenant Governor's Office surprised him with the news at Hugh Gallagher Elementary School last month, saying he won the essay contest that the office held to choose a student to light the tree.
"Nevada is not just a desert," he said, reading aloud from his winning essay in front of his class. "It's full of life, history, and beauty. And I think everybody in the country should know how important it is to protect and enjoy these amazing places."
Armstrong knows firsthand the joys of appreciating Nevada's outdoor spaces.
"Outside of school, I usually just like to run around and look for bugs and chase lizards and that stuff," he told 2 News Nevada in an interview at White's Creek Park - where he did exactly that, catching grasshoppers in the sagebrush, and leading his two younger sisters to an anthill.
He said that he hopes reading his essay at the Capitol inspires others to get outside.
"I would just say they should just get out there and watch a trail of ants and find out what they can actually do," he said, explaining that he's learned a lot about ants and nature from up-close observation.
As for Armstrong's parents, they say they're looking forward to seeing Grady and his sisters expand their horizons during the family's trip to the Capitol.
"It has been a whirlwind, but a blessing. So excited. So proud," said Brent Armstrong, Grady's father.
