As the Audubon’s Nebraska Crane Festival celebrates 44 years in the Platte River valley this weekend, the Sandhill cranes will have commemorated a few more – at least 2.5 million more, that is. Fossil evidence suggests the Sandhill crane may be the oldest living bird species on the planet. On their ancient migratory pathway from wintering in southern U.S. and Mexico to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska, they converge along a small swath of braided channels on the Platte River each spring. This …

A hooded merganser swims a quiet creek. A cardinal sings from a bird feeder on a bare cottonwood branch. A bald eagle crisscrosses the blue sky. Observed in a single morning, these birds were part of millions–33,464,616 to be exact –that made up the final tally of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) in 2013 when participants in 111 countries submitted 137,998 checklists, documenting more than one-third of the world’s bird species in just four days. Want to be a part of the experience? …

Photographers transcending time through tradition become no strangers: ancient wisdom in a modern world, a traveling exhibit from the Annenberg Space for Photography on display at KANEKO in Omaha through April 19, with an opening reception tonight (Feb. 7) from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Curated by Wade Davis, a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence with photographer Patricia Lanza, the Director of Content at the Annenberg Space for Photography, the images examine the complexities of upholding traditional ways of life in modern times through such themes as …

The regions oldest and largest artist exhibit dedicated to life on the Platte River, Wings Over The Platte, opens with a reception tonight (Feb. 13) from 6-8 p.m. at the Venue next to Bartenbach’s Galleries in downtown Grand Island. Hosted by the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, the exhibit is free and open to the public. “It’s a very unique time for us,” Joe Black, Executive Director of the Stuhr Museum, said in reference to the relocation of the …

Nebraska poets Twyla M. Hansen and Amy Plettner will present the Winter Poetry event on Jan. 26. from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Prairie Building Auditorium at Pioneers Park Nature Center in Lincoln. Recently named Nebraska State Poet, Hansen’s work has appeared in numerous publications.  She has published six books of poetry, and was presented with the High Plains Book Award and the WILLA Literary Award, as well as the Nebraska Book Award in 2004 and 2012. While grounds manager …

When Prince Maximilian contracted the services of artist Karl Bodmer to join him on a 2,500 mile expedition through North America in 1832, a masterful narrative of the existence of the Plains Indian was created.  Their two year travels would culminate in a journey up the Missouri River via steam ship, then keel boat, where stops at camps and trading posts gave Bodmer the opportunity to recreate village scenes, landscapes and portraits of the Plains Indians in remarkable watercolor detail. …

Whether it’s running down a tree head first or standing on hind legs to inspect an attractive aroma, raccoon behaviors can be fascinating to observe. Though easily identified by their distinctive black mask and ringed tail, witnessing a raccoon in the wild can pose a challenge due to their nocturnal nature. In the city, however, the odds of catching a glimpse of these mammals are considerably greater. With a population density and life expectancy higher than that of their country …