Nebraskaland Magazine
What a great weekend it was – the weather held out so the public could come enjoy all the different outdoor learning events at the Kearney Outdoor Discovery Family Day. The well attended event was held at the Fort Kearney State Recreation Area.
I haven’t seen this many people excited and enjoying an event like this for well… I can’t even remember how long it’s been! This event made me remember why I love my job with NGPC so much – getting others involved in the outdoors and to respect and enjoy the outdoors as much as I do.
The event hosted several booths from bow fishing, Dutch oven cooking, furs and skulls to photography, kayaking and hands-on experiments for the kids. The families and people that were in attendance seemed to be enjoying every booth.
These girls were loving the tasty smores they made – just look at their faces, I bet you would have liked one of those ooey gooey treats too.
This event is one that incorporates fun and learning – so much fun that you don’t even realize that you are learning. Not only can the kids learn something from this event, parents and grandparents can brush up on some of their outdoor learning as well.
Learning in a fun environment was the key to success for this event. The booths kept everything simple so every age group could learn or try something new.
Shooting a bow or fishing or kayaking for the first time are just a few of the things everyone, no matter the age or skill level, could try at the Outdoor Discovery Family Day.
I love to see the excited looks on the faces of kids and adults alike after they have tried something new and really loved the experience. Trying out new things is what outdoor discovery days are all about.
Nebraska has such a vast number of fun and exciting things to do for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. Hopefully this event got several families and people to take the fun and knowledge that they gained and put it to use on their own. Developing an outdoor lifestyle is one of the things the NGPC employees are passionate about; they love to pass their knowledge on to others so everyone that wants to participate has the knowledge and confidence to do so.
Julie Geiser out of North Platte, is a public information officer for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Regional Editor for NEBRASKAland magazine. She can be reached at julie.geiser@nebraska.gov or 308-535-8025.
