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Take the Nature Quiz

Alright blog readers, let’s have a little fun and see how much you know about nature in Nebraska by taking this simple, random ID quiz that I developed. Share your results in the comments portion of the blog if you like. Good luck!

1. This is the unmistakable bark and trunk of what tree? HINT: It is the official Nebraska State Tree.

2. The leaves of this plant turn a brilliant red color in the fall. Can you name the plant?

3. The leaflets of three on this vine go from green in summer and early autumn to yellow in mid to late fall. What vine is this?

4. This cool-season grass serves as good nesting cover for various upland game birds. Can you name this grass?

5. A beautiful pollinator insect. You all should know this winged creature, right? Then, what is it?

6. What is this common songbird?

7. These are the feathers of what upland game bird?

8. Can you identify the pair of wild ducks in the foreground?

9. A popular game fish for kids and adults alike to catch, do you know what it is?

10. This is the Nebraska State Fish and another popular game fish anglers like to catch. Do you recognize it? Be specific with your answer.

11. What fur-bearing animal is in this tree?

12. This track belongs to what large mammal?

(13) And, what animal makes this track?

How do think you did? Here are the answers: (1) Eastern Cottonwood. (2) Smooth Sumac. (3) Poison Ivy. (4) Smooth Brome Grass. (5) Monarch Butterfly. (6) Cardinal. (7)  Wild Turkey. (8) Mallard Ducks. (9). Largemouth Bass. (10). Channel Catfish. (11) Raccoon. (12) Whitetail Deer. (13) Wild Turkey.

Get ’em all correct? If not, you may want to make it a point of spending more time outside in nature. How about a chance at some bonus points? Okay, here we go with a bonus round which will prove to be much more challenging.

14. This tree also has unique, unmistakable bark. What is this hardwood tree?

15. The leaflets on this vine also become red in fall. Name the vine.

16. Pollinator habitat is critical for wildlife and humans. Do you know what pollinator plant this is in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland acres?

17. Can you identify the songbird at the bird feeder in this photo?

18. How good are you at identifying reptiles? Well, what’s this turtle?

19. Can you ID this fur-bearing mammal caught on a friend’s trail camera without seeing its face?

20. And, from good friend LeeAnn Ryan of Omaha’s WOWT 6 News comes this cool (pun intended) photo of a hawk in a bird bath. Identify the hawk.

(21) This fish spawns in the fall. What’s the fish in Daryl Bauer’s photo?

Answers: (14) Hackberry Tree. (15) Virginia Creeper. (16) Goatsbeard. (17) Downy Woodpecker. (18) Smooth Softshell Turtle. (19) Bobcat. (20) Cooper’s Hawk. (21) Brook Trout.

So, how’d you fair on the advanced part of my little nature quiz? Don’t worry, if you didn’t do well. All of us are constantly learning about nature where all things are connected! I hope you had fun!

About greg wagner

A native of Gretna, NE, a graduate of Gretna High School and Bellevue University, Greg Wagner currently serves as the Communications and Marketing Specialist and Manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Service Center in Omaha. On a weekly basis, Wagner can be heard on a number of radio stations, seen on local television in Omaha, and on social media channels, creatively conveying natural resource conservation messages as well as promoting outdoor activities and destinations in Nebraska. Wagner, whose career at Game and Parks began in 1979, walks, talks, lives, breathes and blogs about Nebraska’s outdoors. He grew up in rural Gretna, building forts in the woods, hunting, fishing, collecting leaves, and generally thriving on constant outdoor activity. One of the primary goals of his blog is to get people, especially young ones, to have fun and spend time outside!

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