Trail

By Monica Macoubrie, Wildlife Education Specialist Winter is normally a time for hibernation. Sleeping five to sometimes nine months out of the year, animals will lay coiled up and cozy in an underground burrow, a pile of leaves or, as humans do, under a heated blanket in our beds. The negative temperatures, face-stinging wind, and feet and feet of shoveled snow could make anyone want to hibernate all season long in their heated homes. However, winter is a fabulous time …

Best of Show BEST OF SHOW – Sandhill Crane Preening on Platte River Bank Photo by Britton Bailey, Aurora @bfbinstailey With more than 3,000 entries submitted through Instagram, the 2021 Nebraskaland Magazine Photo Contest drew a record number of stunning images from Nebraska photographers in the categories of Wildlife, Flora, Scenic and Recreation. This year’s Best of Show winner, “Sandhill Crane Preening on Platte River Bank,” by Britton Bailey of Aurora, was shot at Rowe Sanctuary in central Nebraska. “To …

By Jamie Bachmann, Wildlife Educator This is the third and final installment of why I get my kids outdoors in the winter. Read Part 1 here: https://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2022/02/why-i-take-my-kids-outside-in-winter-part-1/ Read Part 2 here: https://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2022/02/why-i-take-my-kids-outside-in-winter-part-2/ Reason #4 – Learning Preparedness When I was little, I lost so many gloves and mittens. My mom would get frustrated trying to find replacements on our way out the door. And there were multiple Halloweens when I whined about having to put my coat over my awesome …

By Jamie Bachmann, Wildlife Educator This post is a continuation of the list of reasons why I coax my children out of doors on cold winter days. Read Part 1 here: http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2022/02/why-i-take-my-kids-outside-in-winter-part-1/ Reason #2- Accepting Change and Learning to Adapt What is your favorite season?  While I don’t think I have a favorite season, I have been able to recognize that what I enjoy most about the seasons are the moments of change between them. I love the relief that …

By Jamie Bachmann, Wildlife Educator Wow — the last couple days have been beautiful during this prairie winter, and warmer temperatures are forecasted to hold out through the weekend. I’m sure many of us are grateful for a reprieve from frozen nose hairs, children crying from painful, cold, red fingers, and the time it takes preparing kids to get out the door. I left the house this morning with no gloves at all. No gloves!  I don’t even know where …

By Amber Schiltz Woodpeckers are special birds known for exactly what their name describes — “pecking” at wood. Using their strong beaks to drill into living or dead trees helps them look for tasty bugs, build cozy nests for their young, and even allows them to talk to one another by the the sound of their drilling. Woodpeckers have incredible adaptations, or tricks, to help them drill. This includes a stiff tail that keeps them from falling as they drill …

Alternative Routes and Scenic Drives Best Ways to Travel Through State Desoto National Wildlife Refuge Drive the roads through the Desoto National Wildlife Refuge one afternoon and there’s no telling what you’ll see. Located 25 miles north of Omaha on Highway 30, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, ring-necked pheasants, waterfowl and bald eagles are visible from roads. A vehicle entry fee of $3 is charged, but waived for those with a The DeSoto Refuge annual pass ($15.00), Federal Duck Stamp and …

It’s winter. The daylight is short. The nights are long and dreary. Air temperatures outside are cold, downright frigid at times. Most likely, there’s some snow cover. We are all spending more a lot of time indoors this season, aren’t we? It is that time of year when we get that cooped-up, restless, nothing-to-do feeling that is referred to as “cabin fever.” Stuck inside, too many of us get weary and lethargic and spend long, endless hours watching TV re-runs, …

By autumn, the seeds of most prairie plants have fallen, and with luck, pounding rain, digging animals or winter frost heaving will work them into the soil to await germination. Some seeds, however, are stragglers — held in pods, shriveled fruits or tight bracts to face the elements of winter aboveground. Many of these will fall prey to hungry birds and mammals, and a lucky few will pass through the foragers’ gut unharmed and be dispersed about the land. Others …

A Great Time to Observe Nature Anyone can hike on a warm day, surrounded by birdsong and verdant meadows of wildflowers. The world is full of sights and sounds. But in the winter? That sounds ridiculous. It’s cold outside, the plants are all brown and animals are either hibernating or vacationing in warmer places. What are you supposed to do, tromp through the snow, bundled up like that one kid in that one movie? Well, yes. Whether you explore the …