Feb 16, 2023
Campground Electricity Among Chadron State Park Improvements
Campers at Chadron State Park soon will have more power — more electrical power, that is. Later this
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Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled interesting and engaging events for the curious in May. Here are some opportunities:
Adults looking to explore the outdoors with their young children are invited to Little Saplings, a monthly early childhood nature discovery program at Schramm Education Center near Gretna.
The series, which occurs the first Wednesday of the month, continues May 1 with the theme Backbones at 9 and 10 a.m. It is designed for children ages 2-5 and their adult caregivers. The cost is $4 per child and $5 per adult.
See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for more information.
Hop into the world of Nebraska frogs with state herpetologist Dennis Ferraro at the Schramm Education Center on May 4 in this kickoff to National Amphibian Week.
Learn about amphibians and how to help conserve them. Afternoon (Amphibians and Frog Catching 101) and evening (Frog Calls and Frog Calls 101) sessions will be offered; attend one or both.
See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for more information and to register. A park entry permit is not required in the Schramm Education Center parking lot.
Get involved with conservation and science by participating in Nebraska’s Big Butterfly Count Workshop at 1 p.m. May 4 at the Whitney Education Center, 2206 N. M Road, Marquette, Nebraska.
Participants will learn how to identify butterflies and contribute to Nebraska’s Big Butterfly Count, a community science project to collect statewide data to better understand butterfly diversity across the state.
The workshop is free but space is limited. See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov to register and find more information. For questions, contact Jamie.bachmann@nebraska.gov.
Homeschool families are invited to join an outdoor educator on a guided hike at Schramm Park State Recreation Area near Gretna during the Homeschool Hikes program at 9 a.m. May 15. This month’s theme is Wildflowers.
Homeschool Hikes is a monthly nature exploration program hosted by the Schramm Education Center geared toward homeschool families and ages 5 and up.
Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance through the event listing at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov.
Grab your fellow nature nerds and join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as it hosts five Nebraska Nature Nerd Trivia Nights on May 15.
Get your teams of no more than five players and be ready to compete for prizes. Registration is not required. These events are for adults only and are free to attend with a purchase from the host brewery.
The Nebraska Nature Nerd Trivia Nights, which begin at 7 p.m. local time, are at:
For more information and or questions, email monica.macoubrie@nebraska.gov.
Become a community scientist and help conserve Nebraska’s rare, at-risk butterflies. Training for the Monarch and Regal Fritillary Survey will be from 1-5 p.m. May 18 at Homestead National Historic Park near Beatrice.
The survey is a community science project where volunteers help biologists document monarch and regal fritillary butterflies in Nebraska.
Join the first hour to learn information about butterflies and other community science opportunities. Then, anyone interested in becoming a survey volunteer is invited to stay to learn how to participate.
For more information, see the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov or contact Cody Dreier at cody.dreier@nebraska.gov or 402-471-1755.
The Master Naturalist Mondays virtual webinar series continues at 12:30 p.m. May 20 with Low-tech Process Based Restoration in Nebraska.
Cassidy Wessel, a wildlife biologist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, will discuss this method of stream restoration that rapidly is gaining momentum in western states. Hear about Nebraska’s unique stream resources, the challenges they face, and some discussion on where LTPBR might be an applicable solution.
Nebraska Master Naturalist is a statewide volunteer conservation program that recruits, trains, manages, and provides resources for our volunteer naturalist members.
For more information or to register, visit the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov. Email any questions to jamie.bachmann@nebraska.gov.
Come to Platte River State Park on May 23 when Becoming an Outdoors-Family presents Dutch Oven Cooking.
Learn all aspects of cooking with Dutch ovens, which make it easy to enjoy a tasty outdoor meal. The fee for the event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex, is $15. Equipment will be provided.
To register, see the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov.
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park will host a reptile program at the newly renovated James Family Conservatory and Nature Center over Memorial Day Weekend.
The park’s naturalists will have live reptile presentations at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on May 25 and at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on May 26.
Admission to the James Family Conservatory and Nature Center is free.
