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Celebrate state parks centennial at Rock Creek Station Natural History Day

LINCOLN, Neb. – Learn some history, gain some knowledge on resource management and celebrate state parks on May 8 at Natural History Day at Rock Creek Station State Historical Park.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is hosting the event, which is open to the public and part of the state parks centennial celebration. Landowners and conservationists are encouraged to attend.

The event will feature eight 45-minute hikes on natural history, land and game species management, geology and history from which to choose. Following the final hike, a question-and-answer session will take place at 12:15 p.m. over lunch. Participants must bring their own lunch and drinks.

COVID-19 protocols will be followed. All hikes will start at the visitors’ center.

The schedule of hikes, with times in Central, is:

8:30 a.m.:
• Bird Hike, with Game and Parks Watchable Wildlife Biologist Olivia DaRunga
• Use of Grazing and Fire in Prairie Management, with Northern Prairies Land Trust Ecologist Kent Pfeiffer

9:30 a.m.:
• History of Rock Creek Station, with Park Superintendent Michaela Clemens
• Oak Woodland Management, with Northern Prairies Land Trust Ecologist Krista Lang

10:30 a.m.:
• Geology of Rock Creek Station, with retired University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor and Research Geologist Bob Diffendal
• Bobwhite quail and Greater Prairie Chicken Management, with Game and Parks wildlife biologists Brad Seitz, John Laux and Rick Souerdyke

11:30 a.m.:
• Spring Flora of Rock Creek Station, with Game and Parks Botanist Gerry Steinauer
• White-tailed Deer and Wild Turkey Management, with Brad Seitz, John Laux and Rick Souerdyke

Rock Creek Station SHP is located east of Fairbury in Jefferson County.

For more information on Nebraska’s state parks centennial, visit parks100.outdoornebraska.gov.

About Jerry Kane

Jerry Kane is the news manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He can be contacted at jerry.kane@nebraska.gov or 402-471-5008.

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