LINCOLN – Bird watchers of all ages are invited to join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for Southeast District Birding Day on May 11 at Burchard Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This event is a great opportunity to get into the field, learn a bit about birds and local resource areas, and visit with agency staff and partners. Participants will meet at the WMA parking area at 7:30 a.m. Lunch and presentations are at 11 a.m. Participants should bring binoculars, …

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 …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s youth fishing instructor certification workshop scheduled for April 24 in Gering has been cancelled. These workshops are conducted across the state each year. Youth fishing instructors receive training and tools to conduct fishing clinics. These volunteers have access to Nebraska Game and Parks’ loaner fishing equipment and educational materials for events, as well as receive program incentives. They also volunteer for such Nebraska Game and Parks programs as Family Fishing Nights and …

LINCOLN – A free kids’ fishing clinic will be held April 30 at the Valentine State Fish Hatchery. It will be hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Valentine Lions Club. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the clinic starts at 10, rain or shine. Free rod-and-reel combos provided by the Nebraska Walleye Association and donations from other sponsors will be handed out to the first 75 registrants. In the morning, participants will learn about knot-tying, casting, lures …

LINCOLN – Learn more about the wildlife of Ponca State Park during Saturday Fun Day on April 23. The event, which is suited for all ages, focuses on education about the various animal and bird species that live in the park and along the Missouri River. “Ponca has a diverse range of wildlife,” says event coordinator Lynn Mellick. “We have an abundance of songbirds, as well as beavers, turkeys, and raccoons, to name a few. This event is an exciting …

LINCOLN – Visitors to Conestoga Reservoir State Recreation in Lancaster County may find temporary area closures as an Aquatic Habitat project begins there this week. The long-awaited project for this popular destination between Emerald and Denton will continue through the summer of 2017. BSB Construction Inc., of Curtis, Nebraska, was awarded the contract to excavate deposited sediment, build sediment traps and wetlands to improve water quality, stabilize eroded shorelines, and install several fish- and fisherman-friendly amenities. Some areas will be …

LINCOLN – Guests to the third annual Toast Nebraska wine festival, set for May 6 and 7 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, can expect a variety of entertainment, along with unlimited wine and hard cider samplings. Local bands, including Ro Hemple, Belles and Whistles, and the Bottle Tops, will be performing at the festival. There will also be a variety of food, and artisan and craft vendors. Wine education topics will include Wine Pinterest, Cheese and Wine Pairing, and …

LINCOLN – Improving pheasant hunting in Nebraska is the goal of a draft comprehensive pheasant management plan that the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider at its April 22 meeting in Chadron. The objective of the Nebraska Mega Plan for Improving Pheasant Hunting is to produce the best pheasant hunting experiences for the most people over the next five years. Since the first reports in Nebraska around 1900, pheasants have become a fixture of the state’s agricultural and cultural …

LINCOLN – The outdoor archery range at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will be closed to the public from sunrise to sunset on April 23. The closure is due to a tournament. The education center is located at 4703 N. 44th St. Aside from special closures, the outdoor archery range is open every day and the indoor ranges are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from …

LINCOLN – Turkey hunting is challenging and fun, and a great way to spend a spring day with family or friends. Spring turkey season opens for shotgunners on April 16 in Nebraska. Wendy Horine, hunter education coordinator with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, has the following tips for making a turkey hunt safe and successful. — Always practice muzzle control. Know where the muzzle of your gun is pointed and never aim at anything you don’t intend to shoot. …