Let me apologize for leading this post with a photo captured outside Nebraska. As much as I’d like to claim that image, the credit instead goes to my wife Cricket who was riding shotgun while I was behind the wheel. It tops any elk photo I’ve ever shot and I might be a tad jealous. She did a great job composing the scene, but dare I suggest that a few others deserve credit for that image? We must also step …

Sometimes nature is pretty obvious with its signs about what a person shouldn’t touch. Cacti, yucca plants, porcupines and rattlesnakes, for instance, have signals akin to a flashing billboard. Then there are more devious dangers such as poky thorns on beautiful rose bushes and rash-inducing urushiol on unassuming poison ivy plants. I’m not sure where the subject of the following story fits into that spectrum, but I’ve become convinced I should have been paying a little closer attention to some …

CRAWFORD, Neb. — The Cheyenne Trotters, a group of skilled horse enthusiasts who specialize in cavalry demonstrations, parades and drill team performances, will entertain audiences during a series of appearances at Fort Robinson State Park in August. Drill performances are set for Thursday, Aug. 11, prior to the fort’s weekly rodeo at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m., also at the rodeo arena. Cavalry performances will be Friday-Sunday, Aug. 12-14, on the park’s parade grounds at 10 …

CHADRON, Neb. — Bats, owls and other nocturnal species will be in the spotlight this week as the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission presents its Creatures of the Night program at Chadron State Park. The program, which is open to the public free of charge, will be Saturday, July 30, at 8:30 p.m. beginning at the lagoon shelter. Amanda Filipi, an educator for the Commission, will lead the hike through the dark, in which participants may bring a flashlight or …

This week’s installment of the summer speaker series at northwestern Nebraska’s two state parks has been postponed because of illness. The “Creatures of the Night” presentation at Chadron State Park, which was planned for the night of Friday, July 8, will be rescheduled for a date to be determined. The series will resume Friday, July 15, at Fort Robinson State Park with the same “Creatures of the Night” presentation by Amanda Filipi, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educator.

MINATARE, Neb. — A pair of free programs at Lake Minatare State Recreation Area on Saturday, July 16, will help participants enjoy and appreciate nature and the outdoors. The sessions, which will be at the Scouts Cabin, will teach how to build campfires and inform about the regal fritillary butterfly. The first session, which begins at 9 a.m., will focus on building campfires. By learning about the five most common types of campfires, attendees will gain a valuable tool in …

CHADRON, Neb. — Chadron State Park is inviting people to attend and afternoon of spirited competition at its annual Fur Trade Funday on Sunday, July 10. The event, part of Chadron’s annual Fur Trade Days celebration, features the Crooked Arrow Obstacle Course at 1 p.m. followed by the Kiwanis Fur Trade Regatta at about 3 p.m. The timed obstacle course near the park’s tennis courts challenges participants to post the best time in navigating a variety of challenges such as …

Agriculture producers in the northern Panhandle are among many Nebraska landowners who may be eligible to earn extra income by helping the region’s pheasant population and other wildlife. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering special incentives to landowners within what has been labeled a Pheasant Opportunity Area in Box Butte, Dawes and Sheridan counties. The range of properties has been determined to have the best conditions and potential for pheasant hunting. The Commission is offering $3 per acre …

The Intertribal Gathering Powwow, scheduled for June 18-19 at Fort Robinson State Park, has been canceled. The Friends of the Intertribal Gathering, the committee that oversees the event, decided earlier this week to cancel this year’s powwow, citing a lack of funding that led to a low number of committed participants. The committee is working to bring the powwow back next year. Although the powwow has been called off, the gathering’s popular 5k run is still a go. It will …

Chadron State Park will celebrate its distinction as Nebraska’s first state park and its 95th anniversary Saturday, June 11, with a wide variety of activities for all ages. Park employees are encouraging people to spend the entire day, as all of the park’s regular activities will be in full swing along with many special offerings at the Trading Post and other locations. Start and end times of the activities vary from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but almost all of …