LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Valentine Lions Club will host a youth fishing clinic at the Valentine State Fish Hatchery on May 3. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with the clinic starting at 10 a.m., rain or shine.  Free rod/reel combos provided by the Nebraska Walleye Association and donations from other local sponsors will be given to the first 75 registrants. Participants will learn about knot-tying, casting, fishing lures and baits, fish identification, water and boating …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has awarded 11 grants totaling nearly $100,000 for the promotion of outdoor activities across the state. The Outdoor Marketing Grant program allows visitors bureaus, historical groups and other organizations to apply for grant funds to promote outdoor recreation programs, events and opportunities. In Nebraska, outdoor recreation contributes approximately $2.4 billion annually to the state’s economy. The grants are intended to help communities and organizations connect with Nebraskans and visitors interested in spending …

LINCOLN – Volunteers are invited to Branched Oak State Recreation Area (SRA) on May 3 to clean the area for spring on Take Pride in America Day. Volunteers will paint sign posts and tables, pick up litter and do some landscaping around a new playground area. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. in the park office. Work will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m., and lunch will be provided. Call the office at 402-783-3400 to register. The …

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in May: May 1 – The Great Park Pursuit begins, statewide, negpp.org May 1-3 – Cornhusker Trap Shoot, Doniphan, cornhusker-trap.com May 3 – Catfish Classic Fishing Tournament, Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area (SRA), Ogallala, 308-284-8800 May 3 – Kids’ Fishing Day, Valentine State Fish Hatchery, Valentine, 10 a.m., 402-376-2244 May 3 – Take Pride in America Day Cleanup at Branched Oak SRA, 402-783-3400 …

LINCOLN – The 45th annual Cornhusker Trapshoot is May 1-3 on the home grounds of the Nebraska Trapshooting Association (NTA) in Doniphan. For the third year in a row, more than 2,000 shooters are expected to compete. Competition will take place in individual and team divisions. Junior high students will shoot 100 16-yard targets on May 1. High school competitors will shoot 75 16-yard targets on May 2, then 75 handicap targets on May 3. The high school shooter with …

LINCOLN – The public is invited to join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the Southwest District Birding Day on May 15 at Medicine Creek Reservoir and Wildlife Management Area in Frontier County. This free morning of birding will begin at 7 a.m. at the WMA headquarters on the east side of the reservoir. Birding will take place until 11 a.m. After returning to the headquarters for lunch, birding will continue until 3:30 p.m. Participants should bring binoculars, cameras, …

LINCOLN – Life at an 1820s military post will be depicted at Living History Weekend at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park on May 3-4. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., volunteers will demonstrate period trades, such as blacksmithing, carpentry, tinsmithing and coopering, as well as crafts such as quilting, spinning and weaving. Members of the American Mountain Men group will have an encampment on the grounds, portraying the fur trappers who helped settle the region. Fort Atkinson, the first military …

LINCOLN – Lincoln reggae group Ro Hempel Band will be the featured entertainment during the Toast Nebraska wine festival, slated for May 3-4 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park. Omaha group The Labels also will play during the first-ever wine festival, which will showcase wines from 17 wineries across the state.  Group Therapy Bike Tours will allow groups of up to 15 people to pedal around the park on a specially designed oversized bicycle. Experts will give educational seminars on …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will conduct prescribed burns of grasslands at several state-owned areas as weather conditions allow. These burns will stimulate the growth of grasses and forbs and remove invasive tree and brush species. Burning will take place pending approval from local fire chiefs. Burns are scheduled for the following areas, listed by county. All areas are wildlife management areas, unless otherwise noted: Antelope – Red Wing, Grove Lake;  Butler – Redtail; Cass –  Schilling, …

LINCOLN – It is not too late to register to Run Wild! Choose from a 10k or 5k through scenic, naturally challenging dirt trails at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park on May 17. Children can enjoy the 1-mile fun run. Before and after the race, Raptor Recovery will have live bird demonstrations. Or you can practice your archery skills, get your face painted like a wild animal and register to win a half-price youth lifetime hunt and fish permit. The …