CHADRON, Neb. – A series of ranger programs is ramping up at Fort Robinson State Park and Chadron State Park this week. The educational programs, which address a wide variety of nature and history topics, are produced as a collaboration between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and the U.S. Forest Service’s Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center. The events at Chadron State Park will be at the Trading Post. Those at Fort Robinson will convene …

GERING, Neb. – Participants of the Wildcat Hills Bioblitz at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area near Gering observed 141 species of plants, animals and insects Friday night and Saturday morning, July 7-8. About 70 volunteers became “citizen scientists” in taking a survey of the area from 1 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday. Amber Schiltz of the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies said good fortune came to the event from the start as a wild six-lined racerunner, a small lizard species, …

CHADRON, Neb. – The public is invited to learn about and search for “Creatures of the Night” at Chadron State Park. On Saturday, July 8, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission outdoor education specialist Amanda Filipi will lead attendees on a journey to explore the park’s nocturnal animals, such as bats and owls. The group will meet at the lagoon deck near the park’s office at 8:30 p.m. The activity is open to the public free of charge, but a park …

CHADRON, Neb. – Amateur disc golfers and canoeists are being invited to participate in fun competitions at Chadron State Park on Sunday, July 9. As part of Chadron’s annual Fur Trade Days celebration, the park will be the site of the inaugural Disc Golf Challenge at 1 p.m., followed by the Kiwanis Fur Trade Regatta, the yearly canoe race, at 3 p.m. Each event will begin with registration at the shelter near the park’s lagoon 30 minutes prior to start. …

CRAWFORD, Neb. – When tourists catch sight of a bighorn sheep in the Pine Ridge, or a herd of bison grazing at Fort Robinson State Park, they likely give little thought to the people responsible for those animals being there. One such person is Lon Lemmon, a life-long resident of the Crawford area who was at the forefront of many projects resulting in the wild animals and lands people enjoy today during his 39-year career with the Nebraska Game and …

CRAWFORD, Neb. – A broken dam board in the outlet structure at the lower Ice House Pond on Fort Robinson State Park caused the water level to drop about 10 feet during the weekend. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been in the process of designing aquatic habitat and angler access improvements for all fishing areas on Fort Robinson State Park and the aging outlet structure on the lower Ice House Pond was identified as needing repairs or replacement. …

GERING, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is inviting the public to celebrate the completed construction at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center and Shooting Complex during a grand opening Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The festivities will begin just south of the nature center with remarks and a ribbon cutting by Commission officials and partners involved with the two projects. A free hot dog lunch will be available while supplies last, and guided tours and other activities …

CHADRON, Neb. — Chadron State Park will again celebrate its distinction as Nebraska’s first state park with its 96th anniversary Saturday, June 10. Activities will take place at various locations throughout the park beginning at 9 a.m. At the park’s group meeting facility, visitors can dine on a lunch of bison sloppy joes or hot dogs for 96 cents each – a price that goes up a penny a year to reflect the park’s age. The band Cheap Date will …

Sometimes, if you want to get where the fish are, you have to go where other people are not. Such was the case for fisheries biologists in the Pine Ridge last week, as they recruited the help of a Game and Parks Commissioner, a Wyoming outfitter, and six four-legged friends to study one of Nebraska’s most remote public fishing areas. With the help of horses and mules owned by Commissioner Rick Brandt of Roca and outfitter Casey Cary of Powell, …

CHADRON, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is urging Panhandle landowners to enroll in programs to improve habitat for upland game birds and other wildlife while providing public hunting access. The programs are key components of the Commission’s Berggren Plan, a five-year initiative for improving pheasant hunting in Nebraska. “These programs not only provide incredible conservation benefits, but also help families get into the field to enjoy the state’s hunting heritage,” said Matt Steffl, the Commission’s northwest district …