Parks

Did you know that cabins and other lodging facilities are available for rental this time of year at five Nebraska state park lands with various discounts and special packages? They sure are! You may even be able to rent one for a night or two over this holiday period with your family! Find out which ones and more about state park lodging by tuning in to my Weekly Outdoor Report this Thursday evening during the 6 p.m. CST sportscast with Ross …

It usually takes some prodding to get me into the holiday spirit. I’m much more inclined to get excited about the arrival of ice for fishing this time of year than the coming of Santa Claus and his reindeer. Thanks to one event this season, though, I moved the needle a little closer to the “St. Nicked” side of the holiday excitement meter from its position at “Scrooged.” My wife and I attended Fort Robinson State Park’s annual Christmas dinner …

Join Ponca State Park for the Annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 14. Experienced and novice birders, nature enthusiasts, and families are invited to participate in this 115-year-old tradition sponsored by the National Audubon Society. Guests are advised to dress accordingly and to bring their binoculars and bird books. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center. A chili feed will be offered at noon amid counting. This event is …

With the popularity of the new Hunger Games movie Mockingjay – Part 1 , the sport of archery is on fire and it takes center stage on my Weekly Outdoor Report on Omaha’s WOWT 6 News Thursday night LIVE at 6 p.m. CST during the sportscast. I’ll be highlighting two, free, big public archery events that will be held this this Saturday, December 6th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new NE Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in …

The 1st Annual Snowman Building Contest at Ponca State Park started Saturday, November 29th with extremely challenging conditions. With highs in the 60s snow was scarce. However, Lee Brogie and her granddaughter Hazel took on the challenge. They found 2 patches of snow between the new playground and the East shelter and were able to construct this 8-inch snowman with a twig nose and a leaf hat. Entries for the Snowman Building Contest will be accepted thru March 19 ( …

Today is Black Friday, the big shopping day to kick off the holiday season, tomorrow is Small Business Saturday encouraging folks to holiday shop at small businesses, and then Monday is Cyber Monday the largest online shopping day of the year.  I am here at home blogging (before the Husker/Hawkeye football game) while my wife is working at The Nebraska Medical Center and my daughter Emma is still out shopping after pulling an all-nighter going after those tremendous deals on holiday gift items at various stores for the family. Well,  Emma, …

Celebrate Thanksgiving weekend at Ponca State Park this Saturday, November 29. With Christmas just around the corner, warm up your cookie decorating skills and get a head start on holiday crafts such as homemade ornaments and greeting cards. The day will conclude with free family photos and lighted hayrack rides. All activities will meet at the Resource and Education Center. All ages welcome. Start your Christmas Day countdown by making your own natural chalkboard at 9 a.m. Participants must preregister …

Visit Ponca State Park on Saturday, November 22 for a natural science lesson on turtles, tortoises and the Missouri River. Bring your camera to learn about nature photography, and then make a scrapbook to share all your memories. Meet at the Resource and Education Center for all programs. All ages are welcome. At 10 a.m., meet the park’s resident turtles and tortoises and learn the differences between the two species. Bring your own camera to learn how to properly take …

Celebrate the fall season on Saturday, November 15 at Ponca State Park. Enjoy crafts such as painting and building your own twig vase, while learning about natural science. All activities will take place in the Resource and Education Center. Meet at 10 a.m. for Q-tip painting. Learn why the leaves change color and fall as you paint your own autumn treescape. All ages welcome at $1/craft. Then discover the different kinds of trees around the park as you make your …

A special group of workers completed four and a half weeks of sprucing up Nebraska Game and Parks Commission properties in northwestern Nebraska this week. The seven workers of the team were enrolled in AmeriCorps, the federal National Civilian Community Corps program that provides intensive service learning opportunities for adventurous workers ages 18-24. The group joined Commission staff in completing a variety of projects to improve Walgren Lake State Recreation Area, Chadron State Park, Metcalf Wildlife Management Area and Chadron …