LINCOLN, Neb. – People may provide input on the proposed Fort Kearny Master Plan via the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s website.

An open house was held for the master plan June 22 in Kearney, but Game and Parks is inviting the public to provide additional input on future development of the state historical park and state recreation area through a digital platform. The platform can be accessed through July 16 by visiting outdoornebraska.gov/fortkearny or outdoornebraska.gov/fortkearnysra.

The platform is set up to be as similar to the open house as possible with five boards available for comment. There is no registration for the site.

Public input can make a difference in the future development of these two areas. Anyone with questions while on the site can click the “Contact Us” link.

The proposed master plan strikes a balance between historic preservation and recreation opportunities for current and future visitors.

Dead Timber SRA campground access road reopens

LINCOLN, Neb. – Construction has been completed and the access road to the Dead Timber State Recreation Area campground has reopened.

The campground access road at the Dodge County park area was temporarily closed earlier in June so that it could be widened. Other road improvements and flood repairs also were made.

A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park. Permits may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org.

Game and Parks accepting Gifford Point access permit applications July 1-31

LINCOLN, Neb. – People interested in hunting deer at Gifford Point Wildlife Management Area this fall may apply for access permits July 1-31. Two hundred of these permits will be issued to allow hunters access to the area.

The use of rimfire and centerfire weapons is prohibited at Gifford. Muzzleloaders are not allowed during the November firearm deer season.

The Gifford permit allows access to take deer with archery equipment from Sept. 1, 2021, through Jan. 16, 2022, and with a muzzleloader from Dec. 1, 2021, through Jan. 16, 2022, as specified by the deer permit. Successful applicants will be issued a combination for the lock to access the gate to the WMA. Only persons with a valid access authorization will be allowed on the area for scouting and hanging tree stands from Aug. 16, 2021, through the end of the deer seasons.

Deer hunters may apply as "buddies," which ensures that both or neither will draw an access permit. Only two persons may apply as buddies and both will apply on the same application. A buddy permit does not allow party hunting. Each individual must harvest his or her own animal.

Vehicle access will be limited to the rock road directly adjacent to the 8-foot-high deer fence on Educational Service Unit property. Only foot access to the interior of the area will be allowed.

Application forms are available at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offices at Omaha, Lincoln, Schramm Education Center, Schilling WMA, or can be downloaded at outdoornebraska.gov/huntingseasons. If applications exceed 200, a drawing shall be held Aug. 4.

Applicants shall be notified of draw status via email if provided; otherwise via standard mail. Successful applicants shall be issued the access permit once they provide Game and Parks with their applicable 2021 deer permit information. Applicable permits are: Muzzleloader, Statewide Archery, Statewide Youth, or Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo.

July in state parks system offers history, recreation, nature

LINCOLN, Neb. — History, recreation and nature. You will find events that will let you enjoy them all in Nebraska’s state park system in July.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission parks system centennial is in full swing, and July still offers plenty of opportunities to celebrate at state parks across the state.

Take a road trip and see what opportunities for adventure you can find.

 

Fort Atkinson to host Living History July 3-4

LINCOLN, Neb. – Listen as guest speaker Don Borcherding interprets Lt. Andrew Talcott, the man who drew up the plans for Fort Atkinson during Living History Days at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park on July 3-4.

Borcherding will give two presentations on his historical work following the routes of Talcott. The first will be at 1 p.m. July 3 called “Journey to Council Bluffs and Surveys at Fort Atkinson.” On July 4 at 1 p.m., his presentation will be: “Mapping a Route to Camp Coldwater (later Fort Snelling).”

Borcherding also will demonstrate surveying the "old" way. He is involved in a conversation with Capt. Matthew Magee who will travel with him to Camp Coldwater, and Maj. Stephen Long, who blazed the trail to Colorado and is famous for Longs Peak. The discussion between these men is about their upcoming expeditions.

For more information on the day’s schedule of events, see the calendar entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov.

A park entry permit is required.

 

Rock Creek Station to host Ranch Life Saturdays

LINCOLN, Neb. — Travel back in time to the mid-1800s during living history Saturdays at Rock Creek Station State Historical Park in southeast Nebraska

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 17, reenactors will bring history to life with period dress, interpretations and demonstrations.

The historical park — one of the Pony Express stations — is on 350 acres of prairie, its creek bottom timber-studded. Deep ruts carved into the earth by wagons traveling the Oregon and California trails remain plainly visible.

The historical park also contains the reconstructed Pony Express barn, bunk house and several cabins, viewable from the 6 miles of hiking and nature trails.

Learn more about the park at outdoornebraska.gov/rockcreekstation. Learn more about the event in the listing at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov.

A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park.

 

North Platte Pow Wow at Buffalo Bill Ranch SHP set for July 9-11

LINCOLN, Neb. – Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park will host North Platte Pow Wow: Honoring Our Veterans on July 9-11.

The event will feature dance and drum contests and include singers, more than 20 food and merchandise vendors and special guests. The Grand Entry each day will be at 7 p.m. July 9, 1 and 7 p.m. July 10, and 1 p.m. July 11.

Admission is $7 per day or $15 for a weekend pass. Part of the proceeds benefit Operation Christmas Card, which sends Christmas cards to American troops deployed around the world.

For more information, contact Char Swalberg at 308-520-9516. Camping will be available.

A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park.

 

Calamus Kayak Adventure Race scheduled July 29

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Calamus Kayak Adventure Race is scheduled for July 29 at Calamus State Recreation Area.

The race will have competition in four divisions: kids, adults, open class and 2-person. Kayaks will be provided for the kids and adults divisions; personal kayaks may be used for the open class and 2-person divisions.

Registration will be held at the York Point Picnic shelter from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The races will start at 11 a.m. in the cove at York Point. If wind is an issue, the races will be moved to the Buckshot Bay boat ramp area. Trophies will be awarded to the winners of each division.

A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the park.

 

Discover diversity of Wildcat Hills during BioBlitz

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join natural resource experts and community volunteers in discovering the diversity of the Panhandle during the Wildcat Hills Bioblitz July 16-17.

This free event, hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in partnership with the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, is designed for the entire family. Engaging sessions will include camera trapping, birds, wildflowers, spiders and insects, and reptiles.

Registration is required and can be completed by calling 308-436-3777 or emailing [email protected].

A park entry permit is required.

Catch these Game and Parks education events in July

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled a month full of interesting and engaging events for educators and the curious in July. Here are a few opportunities:

 

Virtual Project WILD and Aquatic WILD educator workshop is July 6

LINCOLN, Neb. – A virtual Project WILD and Project Aquatic WILD educator workshop, hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, is scheduled for July 6 at 9 a.m.

Project WILD and Project Aquatic WILD teach lessons such as life cycles, habitats, wildlife populations, biodiversity, land management, and human-wildlife interactions. Project WILD focuses on terrestrial habitats while Aquatic WILD focuses on aquatic habitats.

The free Project WILD workshops, for formal and informal educators, provide training for both Project WILD and Aquatic WILD guides. Participants will receive both the Project WILD and Aquatic WILD guides and can expect to learn content knowledge and skills to implement activities into their settings.

Registration is required and can be completed by emailing [email protected].

 

Growing Up WILD Educator Workshop set for July 13 in Kearney

LINCOLN, Neb. – A Growing Up WILD educator workshop, which provides an early foundation for developing positive attitudes and behaviors about nature and lifelong social and academic skills, is scheduled for July 13 at 6 p.m. at the Kearney Public Library.

This award-winning early childhood curriculum guide is for educators of children ages 3-7. The guide builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature by providing age appropriate, interdisciplinary lessons. Each thematic lesson includes multiple activities which teach math, reading, letter recognition, science, social studies as well as social-emotional skills.

Registration is required and can be completed at apps.outdoornebraska.gov/WildlifeEduEvents. For more information, email [email protected].

 

Spectacular Stars, Magnificent Moths event is July 17

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Northern Prairies Land Trust to discover the world of nighttime insects during the Spectacular Stars, Magnificent Moths virtual event at 7 p.m. July 17.

The free event, which coincides with Moth Week, will show how plants and wildlife depend on nocturnal insects and how they all depend on humans to minimize light pollution. There is no better place to appreciate this relationship than at Merritt Reservoir, renowned for its dark skies and spectacular stars.

See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for the registration link. For more information, email [email protected] or check out the Facebook pages for Nebraska Wildlife Education or Northern Prairies Land Trust.

 

Project WILD and Aquatic WILD educator workshop July 17 in Kearney

LINCOLN, Neb. – A Project WILD and Project Aquatic WILD educator workshop, hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, is scheduled for July 17 at 10 a.m. at the Kearney Public Library.

Project WILD and Project Aquatic WILD teach lessons such as life cycles, habitats, wildlife populations, biodiversity, land management, and human-wildlife interactions. Project WILD focuses on terrestrial habitats while Aquatic WILD focuses on aquatic habitats.

The free Project WILD workshops, for formal and informal educators, provide training for both Project WILD and Aquatic WILD guides. Participants will receive both the Project WILD and Aquatic WILD guides and can expect to learn content knowledge and skills to implement activities into their settings.

Register at apps.outdoornebraska.gov/WildlifeEduEvents. Contact For more information or questions please email [email protected] for more information.

 

Dig into the past July 20 at Nebraska Nature Nerd Night: Life in the Past Lane

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission science educators will dig into the past with a virtual event Life in the Past Lane: Discovering Nebraska’s Prehistoric Creatures at 7 p.m. July 20.

Shane Tucker, a highway paleontologist with the University of Nebraska State Museum and the Nebraska Department of Transportation, will be the guest.

Discover how Tucker studies fossils as a means to travel through time, uncovering prehistoric landscapes and learning about the diversity of life that has walked, crawled and flown over Nebraska through time.

The event is part of the monthly Nebraska Nature Nerd Night virtual series for curious adults. These webinars, on the third Tuesday of each month, explore the secrets and science of nature in through storytelling and conversation.

Registration is required. See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for the registration link. Questions for the guest may be submitted during registration.

For more information, email [email protected].

 

Conservation Career Chat: Public information officer/NEBRASKAland photographer

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on July 21 in its series of virtual Conservation Career Chats. Julie Geiser will discuss her duties as a public information officer and Nebraskaland Magazine photographer.

Geiser, who lives in North Platte, covers west-central Nebraska as regional editor of Nebraskaland. She also organizes education and outreach regarding outdoor skills.

The series is held via Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. Central time as a different Game and Parks career is highlighted. Each interview will be recorded and uploaded to the Nebraska Game and Parks Education YouTube Channel.

See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for the registration link as well as a schedule of future Conservation Career Chats.

For more information, contact [email protected] or check out the Nebraska Wildlife Education Facebook Page.

 

Wonders of Wetlands Educator Workshop is July 22

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the Wonders of Wetlands Educator Workshop at 9 a.m. July 22 at Lincoln’s Pioneers Park Nature Center.

These diverse habitats can be found across Nebraska, and they are a fantastic tool for teaching about our state's aquatic spaces.

This curriculum is for formal and informal educators of grades K through 12. Participants will gain resources through the Project WET curriculum that will help define wetlands, their functions, their role as a habitat, and how people are active in them. Come learn new skills and ways to implement wetland-based activities in and out of the classroom.

Registration is required and can be completed at apps.outdoornebraska.gov/WildlifeEduEvents.

 

Educator workshop will focus on Beginning Nature Journaling

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join Nebraska Game and Parks Commission science educators for a Beginning Nature Journaling Educator Workshop at 6 p.m. July 29 at the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center in Denton.

Participants will learn about nature journals, discuss the types of observations, and talk about the importance of data collecting and how it relates to Nebraska and good science communication.

This free workshop is for formal and informal educators who want to start nature journaling to use the information in their classrooms or with their students. Participants will receive a nature journal, nature prompt book, literature, and some few basic art supplies. Participants must attend the entire class to receive these resources.

Registration is required and can be completed at apps.outdoornebraska.gov/WildlifeEduEvents. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Game and Parks Director receives conservation profession recognition


LINCOLN, Neb. —Director Jim Douglas recently was honored with the Sagamore of the Forest, Fields and Streams award for his contributions to the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (MAFWA), as well as for his leadership of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Keith Warnke, president of MAFWA and director of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, presented the award at a ceremony Tuesday in recognition of Douglas’ leadership with the organization for the past 10 years and with the Commission for the past 47. Warnke described Douglas as a “titan leader for the Midwest.”

“I would like to express my deep personal gratitude and the gratitude and respect of the entire MAFWA board for your dedicated, untiring service,” Warnke said.

The Sagamore award is given, only when earned, to a state agency director who has contributed significant service to MAFWA. Douglas served as president of MAFWA in 2017 and is the current co-chair of the organization’s Midwest Landscape Imitative. He is also MAFWA’s official representative for the Federal Aid Joint Task Force, the Monarch Joint Venture Steering Committee and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative.

Douglas expressed his heartfelt thanks and appreciation to his colleagues and counterparts at the ceremony.

“I am humbled by this recognition,” he said. “There are so many moments that help make everything we do as a director worthwhile. We don’t remember days; we remember moments, and we remember so many special moments in our careers.”

“This is a noble profession, and I take pride in building upon the accomplishments of those who have come before me. As I approach retirement, I take great pleasure knowing those coming after me will continue to make great progress.”

Douglas will retire from the Nebraska Game and Parks in November after 47 years of service.

The Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is an organization that advocates for state’s rights in fish and wildlife issues, promotes efficiencies in government, promotes multi-state initiatives to keep species from being listed under the endangered species act and institutes fish and wildlife education programs. It was formed in 1934.

Participate in summer turkey survey during July, August

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is encouraging the public’s participation in its annual summer turkey survey July 1-Aug. 31.

The survey provides useful estimates about annual production by wild turkey hens and how many poults, or young turkeys, survive the summer brood-rearing period. These records and observations inform management decisions regarding wild turkeys.

During the months of July and August, survey participants may report all turkey observations they make. Visit outdoornebraska.gov/turkeybroodsurvey for instructions and the survey link. The link can be bookmarked on a phone for easy use in the field.

“We had great participation last year and had more observations than the rest of the Great Plains states combined,” said Luke Meduna, Game and Parks’ big game program manager. “Please consider participating so we can use this information in our management and keep Nebraska as a great place to hunt turkeys.”