Tag Archives: Conservation

Who doesn’t enjoy seeing native wildflowers in good habitat on a farm, huh? I know I do! I am so wild about wildflowers (forbs) that I have planted a number of applicable varieties on our 148 year-old southeastern Nebraska farm in our Conservation Reserve Program acres. I am proud of the pollinator habitat we have established. Here it is at work! According to the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), pollinators play a crucial role in the reproduction of many plants, including many of …

“A man may not care for golf and still be human, but the man who does not like to see, hunt, photograph, or otherwise outwit birds or animals is hardly normal. He is supercivilized and I for one do not know how to deal with him.”  – Aldo Leopold. It’s mid-June and I’m grumpy. There’s yard work to be done, household projects to be completed, weekly errands to be ran, and a variety 0f other tasks that need to be accomplished. Ugh, the rat race gets …

Don’t miss Nebraska Conservation Officer Rich Berggren of Waterloo on my Great Outdoor Radio Show Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. CST on Omaha’s KOZN Radio/1620 AM “The Zone.” Here’s a photo of Rich (left) and I at a recent youth fishing event. Rich and I pre-recorded the hour-long show covering various do’s & don’ts, regulation reminders and hunting tips for Nebraska’s big 9-day firearm deer hunting season on its opening morning. You’ll find this program quite informative, be sure to listen!

Over UNL’s recent fall semester break, I accompanied my son Micah, a junior at the university, on a mission to collect certain insects for his entomology class on a friend’s natural area just north of Omaha. There was just one problem though, Micah forgot his insect collecting gear back at the Acacia House fraternity back in Lincoln where he resides, along with his officially-licensed Husker apparel that he wanted to wear on the insect hunt for this blog, BUMMER! So, …

He was recently named one of Field & Stream Magazine’s Heroes of Conservation because of what he and the non-profit organization he founded have greatly accomplished for conservation and conservation stewardship. He’s a life-long angler. He lives in Bellevue, NE. And, he’s coming to my Great Outdoor Radio Show tomorrow (Saturday) morning! I am proud to announce that Teeg Stouffer of Recycled Fish (www.recycledfish.org) joins me on my airwaves. Here’s a shot of Teeg with the mag. You’ll find Teeg …

I ALWAYS like to get a plug in for the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program when there is a sign up period happening for it. In fact, we are in the midst of one right now and it continues through June 14th! Let me tell you, in today’s world, there is no other conservation program that has done so much for habitat on such a broad scale for so many different wildlife species than the CRP. I know first hand as …

One of the most enjoyable things I get to do in my job is meet a lot of outstanding anglers and outstanding people.  One that I originally crossed paths many years ago is Teeg Stouffer, the founder of an organization called Recycled Fish, http://www.recycledfish.org/index.htm .  Teeg is one of those folks who seems to have boundless energy and enthusiasm, you know the kind of guy who has caffeine coursing through his veins.  His energy and passion is infectious and you …

I perform a wide variety of duties here at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and honestly love every challenging minute of it! A couple weeks ago Ralph Wall who does a fantastic job of shooting video and making video productions for the agency, I might add, hit me up to be the voice of one of our country’s first conservation-minded presidents — Theodore Roosevelt. “Say what? Are you serious, Ralph?” was my response to his asking me to be the …

I’m helpin’ to get the word out to you – fellow farmers/ag producers – that a USDA General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Sign-Up Period is coming in May. It is set to get underway on May 20th, WOO-HOO!!! This was announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this past Saturday, February 16th at the National Pheasant & Quail Classic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here’s the press release from Pheasants Forever on the details of the announcement: http://www.pheasantsforever.org/default.aspx Keep in mind that …