Home » Flora & Fauna (page 43)

Flora & Fauna

The Year to Become a Quailer

It is like no other form of hunting. It is exhilarating, action-packed, and humbling to even the most practiced shotgun shooter! I should know. I grew up with it on our southeastern Nebraska farm. What kind of hunting is it? IT is hunting the northern bobwhite quail. Have you ever hunted quail? It’s awesome! You need to try it. And, their numbers this year look outstanding! Flushing a covey of quail is as exciting as any outdoor activity gets! However, from years of first-hand experience I will …

Read More »

Chadron State Park Bioblitz tops 200 species

Kids with fish

CHADRON, Neb. – Participants of the Chadron State Park Bioblitz in late September identified 203 species of plants, animals and insects, providing evidence of the biodiversity in the Pine Ridge. Amber Schiltz, Nebraska wildlife education coordinator for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, was pleased with the tally, especially considering the time of year. Species ranged from the osprey flying high above the park’s pines to the smallmouth bass swimming below the pond’s surface. “We saw 45 bird species alone, …

Read More »

Foraging for Fall Fungi

It’s very unfair. Spring and its morel mushrooms get all the limelight, but hard-core nature enthusiasts in Nebraska know that autumn rains deliver a mushroom bounty in the woods that’s far more diverse, robust and rewarding. Fall mushroom hunting offers a bunch of benefits, and not just for fairy tale goblins and witches! It offers a refreshing, cool walk in the woods amid fall foliage colors, a chance to better understand forest ecology, and an opportunity to see a variety of woodland wildlife, as …

Read More »

Bioblitz returning to Chadron State Park

Bioblitz presentation

CHADRON — The public is invited to join Chadron State Park’s second annual Bioblitz on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29-30. The park’s group event facility will serve as headquarters for the more than dozen surveys and activities, which will take place at locations throughout the park. The free event will allow participants young, old and in-between to discover and celebrate western Nebraska wildlife. A bioblitz is an event where members of the public become “citizen scientists” and work with biologists …

Read More »

A New Fall Adventure — Becoming an Outdoors Woman

Our recent 80 and 90 degree days might lead you to think otherwise but September 22nd was the first official day of the fall season! Summer, you will be missed but I am more than ready for the cooler weather and festivities that accompany this time of year. For me fall is about spending as much time outside before hunkering down for winter. The crisp air and changing foliage make for perfect camping and hiking trips. Saturdays are spent with …

Read More »

October outdoor calendar

NGPC Latest News logo

LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in October. Get more event details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes. Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Statehood: A New Beginning, Rock Creek Station State Historical Park (SHP), Fairbury Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Wheels of Transportation, Arbor Lodge SHP, Nebraska City Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Youth waterfowl hunting season in Zones 2 and 4 …

Read More »

Commission study shows whooping crane migration is changing

NGPC Latest News logo

LINCOLN, Neb. – Endangered whooping cranes are migrating earlier in spring and later in fall, according to a newly published study by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources. The study reveals that since 1942 spring migration of whooping cranes occurs as many as 22 days earlier in spring and about 21 days later in fall. “Our study confirms casual observations that the timing of whooping crane migration is changing,” said Joel …

Read More »

Citizen science educator workshop Nov. 19 in Hastings

NGPC Latest News logo

LINCOLN, Neb. – Educators of younger students are invited to participate in a citizen science workshop Nov. 19 in Hastings. The workshop will be held at the Hastings Museum, 1330 N. Burlington Ave. Citizen science in the classroom provides opportunities for students to participate in real scientific investigations. Citizen science can inspire students to create meaningful connections to the natural world and help scientists gather data and monitor or interpret results to produce relevant research. Participants will receive an introduction …

Read More »

Where to Begin – Learn to Hunt

The first step in any journey can sometimes be the toughest one to take.  Hunting is no different. If you weren’t born into it or simply just taken along by family or a friend- Where do you begin? There is a growing trend nowadays in adults wanting to try hunting, too.  Some of us are interested in spending more time outdoors, others are drawn by the ability to secure local foods for our needs, and still others are simply getting …

Read More »

City Foxes

city foxes

A Facebook post leads to a mystery being solved. by Cara Pesek City Foxes Whether or not they’re distracted by a freshly killed chicken, foxes are more common in Lincoln and other cities than one might think, said Sam Wilson, the furbearer and carnivore program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.  Foxes compete with larger canids, such as coyotes, for habitat and prey. Coyotes kill foxes when they have the chance, Wilson said. But coyotes are less likely …

Read More »