Take ’em Fishing is all about sharing the experience of the sport. It’s about the excitement of feeling the tug of the line in your fingers for the first time. About the sound of someone’s first catch — big or small.

It’s about the memories made. And the adventures to come.

Participants in the 2022 Nebraska Game and Parks fishing challenge will have a chance to win adventure through this year’s four grand prizes:

three Stay and Play fishing adventures, including a two-night cabin stay plus fishing and outdoor gear; or
one Float and Play fishing adventure, including a kayak plus fishing and outdoor gear.

Other prizes include a lifetime fishing permit for a Nebraska youth, fishing gear and more. To be eligible for the grand prizes or other giveaways, anglers should take a beginner fishing between April 15 and Sept. 15, snap a photo of the experience and submit it online at OutdoorNebraska.org/TakeEmFishing.

“Fishing is fun, convenient and a great way to spend time outdoors with family and friends,” said Dean Rosenthal, Fisheries Division administrator. “And we know it’s because of anglers and their passion that we are able to maintain the health of Nebraska’s lakes, streams and rivers.”

Anglers help conservation efforts at Nebraska water bodies and improve access through the purchase of their fishing license and aquatic habitat stamp. These dollars help support the development and improvement of great fishing spots, such as at Fort Robinson State Park in northwest Nebraska and at Conestoga State Recreation Area in the southeast, as well as dozens of ponds, lakes and streams in between.

“Without the support of anglers, these projects wouldn’t be possible,” Rosenthal said. “Take someone fishing because more anglers ensure the health and vitality of Nebraska’s aquatic resources for generations to come.”

Since the start of the annual challenge in 2019, nearly 14,000 beginning angler experiences have been submitted to the program.

Learn more, or see a gallery of participants, at OutdoorNebraska.org/TakeEmFishing.

For fishing resources, including top places to fish, angling tips and fishing stockings, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/HowToFish.

Help document urban wildlife by participating in City Nature Challenge

Nebraskans of all ages are invited to participate in the City Nature Challenge, a global event to find and document urban wildlife.

The challenge, which is April 29 to May 8, is a chance to look for nature in urban areas and learn about the animal and plant life discovered there.

Using the free iNaturalist app, participants will photograph wildlife and upload their observations to the app between April 29-May 2. They’ll then help identify observations between May 3-8.

Wildlife can be any wild plant, animal, fungi or other evidence of life, such as scat, fur or tracks. Participants can even document species through their windows.

Though anyone may participate in the CNC global project, Nebraska partners are hosting the challenge from five urban locations across the state. Search iNaturalist for the following project near you:

Lincoln-Lancaster County
Norfolk-Madison County
North Platte-Lincoln County
Omaha Metro
Scotts Bluff County
Global Project

Three participants from the state level and three each from the city projects will be randomly selected to receive a token of appreciation for supporting the challenge.

Brush up on the animals, plants and fungi you might discover by participating in City Nature Challenge Speaker Series online chats from 7 to 8 p.m. Central time April 19 and 26. Register to attend through the event listings at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Or get help identifying your observations or learning about how to identify local wildlife by joining virtual informal ID parties daily May 4-6 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Central time. Register to attend through the event listings at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/CityNatureChallenge for more information about the City Nature Challenge, including a video about how to use iNaturalist and partners on the projects.

The City Nature Challenge, launched in 2016 as a competition between two U.S. cities, is now an international competition to document nature and better understand urban biodiversity. In 2021, more than 400 cities in 44 countries participated, contributing more than 1 million observations to iNaturalist.