Conservation

LINCOLN – Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring May to be Nebraska Migratory Bird Month, underscoring the importance of birds in Nebraska. The governor signed the proclamation during a ceremony on Wednesday, May 4, at the Nebraska State Capitol. “Nebraska is home to four ecosystems – tallgrass prairie, mixedgrass prairie, shortgrass prairie and Sandhills – and birds are an integral part of each one,” said Nebraska Game and Parks Wildlife Education Specialist Lindsay Rogers. Nebraska Migratory Bird Month was …

I am a recreational birdwatcher, and proud of it! Even if I could get organized enough to keep a life list of birds I’ve seen, I simply enjoy just watching them and attempting to get some decent photos of them to share with you. Birders, or avid birders, as I call them, are easy to identify. They each keep a remarkable log of bird sightings to include the description of the species, numbers of them, date and time seen, as well as habitat and weather conditions along with any bird …

The heart of Nebraska is the sandhills.  There is nothing quite like them, they are uniquely Nebraska. Surprisingly, in some parts of those hills, nestled between the rolling, grass-covered dunes of sand, are lakes and wetlands, natural lakes and wetlands.  Some of those lakes, especially in the western sandhills, are too alkaline, “salty”, to support fish.  One of those alkaline lakes could be found on the land owned by my Grandpa, and even though it was alkaline and had no fish, …

Time to post my first report from Nebraska’s spring turkey “woods”.  My kids and I have been spending time with the birds for several weeks now, we started scouting before shotgun season opened.  We have been relatively casual about our hunting so far, going when we have time and hunting at a leisurely pace.  Nebraska’s spring turkey season lasts for several weeks and we are in no hurry right now.  There will be trips and days when we get a little …

Just got the newsletter on this spring’s efforts to collect adult endangered pallid sturgeon and I want to share it with you! If you wish, here is the .pdf file, 2016 Pallid Sturgeon Broodstock Newsletter Collecting eggs from sexually mature Pallid Sturgeon in Nebraska’s stretch of the Missouri River and then producing young fish from the eggs and milt of those brood fish for stocking back into the river is an important part of recovery efforts for Pallid Sturgeon.  This effort is …

This ole “inter-webby” thing is a great tool for information and communication.  Where would we be without it? Unfortunately, it is also a great source of misinformation and rumors.  You know what they say, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet”! Recently, I have become aware of a particularly nasty rumor that has been making the rounds: I categorically deny that this is a picture of me at my senior prom! Everyone knows I would have much preferred a …

LINCOLN – Bird lovers across the state will be congregating in May in dozens of get-togethers to celebrate International Migratory Bird Month, better known as Nebraska Bird Month. “The goal of Nebraska Bird Month is to help Nebraskans learn about and protect our feathered friends,” said Nebraska Game and Parks wildlife educator Lindsay Rogers. “Public awareness and concern are crucial components of migratory bird conservation.” Several Nebraska state parks and recreational areas will be hosting events: • Ponca State Park, …

Please allow me to interrupt my usual subject material here on my blog. . . . It is turkey season and my mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time.  Right now it bounces back and forth between spring turkey hunting, mushroom picking and fishing. Every morning I hear the birds singing, they may not be turkeys and I may be in the middle of town, but as soon as I hear them, my ears are straining to …

LINCOLN – Ordinary people become “citizen scientists” during a BioBlitz walk, four of which are being held for the first time in Nebraska this May. During a BioBlitz event, participants find and identify as many species of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as possible in a specific area. The information collected is passed on to wildlife biologists and conservationists, who use it to track populations of different species. “Participating in these hands-on studies is a fun and exciting way …

I again completely realize that I am “recycling” some information that has already been released and some folks already know about.  However, again I want to spread the word as much as possible and if you use Jeffrey Reservoir south of Brady you need to know about this: The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (HOLDREGE, Neb.) – The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is making preparations for a dredging project at Jeffrey Lake that will begin …