The Great Basin Institute (GBI) is an interdisciplinary non-profit organization that promotes environmental research, education, and conservation throughout the West. Founded in 1998 at the University of Nevada, the Institute’s mission is to advance applied research and ecological literacy through community engagement and agency partnerships to support national parks, forests, open spaces and public lands.  The Great Basin Institute enhances community engagement through our Interpretative Association status at the Galena Creek Visitor Center (GCVC), a USDA Forest Service facility jointly managed by Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space. The Galena Creek Visitor Center, located just 30 minutes from the Lake Tahoe Basin and within the Galena Creek Regional Park, is a useful communit