Before Plains Indian tribes developed the complete written form of their languages, oral tradition was used extensively to preserve tribal histories. Pictorial accounts painted on bison hides, also known as a “winter count,” include symbols arranged chronologically. Each image marks a single year and depicts a collective, memorable event of the tribe. For the Lakota people, a year of the winter count measured from first snowfall to first snowfall. Oglala Lakota visionary Nicholas Black Elk referred to his December 1863 …
Read More »Fall Activities at Ponca State Park
Celebrate the fall season on Saturday, November 15 at Ponca State Park. Enjoy crafts such as painting and building your own twig vase, while learning about natural science. All activities will take place in the Resource and Education Center. Meet at 10 a.m. for Q-tip painting. Learn why the leaves change color and fall as you paint your own autumn treescape. All ages welcome at $1/craft. Then discover the different kinds of trees around the park as you make your …
Read More »Fall Crafts at Ponca State Park
Come celebrate the beginning of the holiday season on Saturday, November 8 at Ponca State Park. The entire family can make pinecone owl ornaments, fall wreaths and then test their archery skills at the Eric Wiebe Shooting Complex. Meet at the Resource and Education center at 10 a.m. to learn about the owls of Ponca State Park while making your own owl craft to display at home for the fall season. All ages are welcome at $2 per craft. Then …
Read More »Photographing the Other Fall Color
Fall can be a magical time for photography. But when the last of the golden leaves fall from the trees, some photographers find themselves wishing for a white Christmas … or Thanksgiving, or any day for that matter … and waiting impatiently for spring and the return of green to the forest. But wonderful fall color can be found long after the leaves fall. In fact, the trees aren’t even the first vegetation to put on an autumnal display. Native …
Read More »Ponca State Park’s Hallowfest Proceeds Go Back to Community
Ponca State Park’s 16th Annual Hallowfest enjoyed beautiful fall weather this past Saturday, October 18. Crafts and activities were enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. The park’s main attraction, Haunted Hayrack rides, pulled in over 900 guests. Proceeds from the rides were given back to the surrounding communities through: Ponca Fire and Rescue, Allen Consolidated School’s Junior Class, Ponca High School’s “One Act” group, and the Ponca Honor Society. The event’s famous pumpkin rolling contest had three age …
Read More »Top Spot for Fall Color Viewing on WOWT 6 Outdoors
I’ll be taking you to what many believe (including myself) is the top spot for viewing fall foliage color in southeastern Nebraska on my Weekly Outdoor Report on Omaha’s WOWT 6 News. Take a look at the photograph below. Any guesses as to where we might be heading? It’s a beautiful state park located about 90 minutes south of Omaha and the fall color peak there is just around the corner! Here’s your answer. The park also has a fun-filled …
Read More »Go Big Red Means Go Outdoors
“Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory.” Question: When is the absolute best time to go outdoors — hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, boating, etc. in the fall here in Nebraska? I’ll tell you. There’s no debating it either. It’s a Saturday (like the one coming up) when the University of Nebraska Cornhusker football team is playing a game during the daytime on television. Home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln take even more people away from the woods, waters and prairies here in Nebraska …
Read More »Soldiers Point the Way at Fort Atkinson SHP
By Julie Ashton, Friends of Fort Atkinson If you have driven into Fort Calhoun lately, you’ll notice a few new soldiers standing on the north and south sides of town. These soldiers, made of iron and painted to look 3-dimensional, are part of an effort to bring additional recognition to Fort Atkinson State Historical Park and help brand the area as a “fort” town. A plan was laid out that would involve the Commission, the Fort, the City of Fort …
Read More »BOW Workshop Empowers Women
Nestled in beautiful fall colors and cool temperatures of the Nebraska National Forest, the Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop was held last weekend at the 4-H camp near Halsey. The BOW workshop is a place where women of all backgrounds and ages gather to learn more about the outdoors in a non-intimidating, friendly environment. It is a weekend of hands-on experiences, learning new skills, making new friends, renewing old friendships and having a great time. I write about this …
Read More »Tweet Me Tomorrow
My first LIVE chat on Twitter is tomorrow from Noon to 1 p.m. CST and I hope you’ll be joining me! Use @NEGameandParks and #AskWags to ask a question or two or share a comment about Nebraska’s great outdoors. I’ll be directed and assisted by Game and Parks compatriots Dylan McCaugherty and Maximillian Wesely. Now, I don’t pretend to know everything about the Husker State’s outdoor scene and am always constantly in learning mode, but I’ve been around for a while, spend a ton of time …
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