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Outdoor notes: Catch these Game and Parks education events in April

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled interesting and engaging events for the curious in April.

Monday, March 20th 2023, 2:11 PM CDT

Updated:

Tuesday, March 21st 2023, 12:09 PM CDT

By Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled interesting and engaging events for the curious in April. Here are some opportunities:

Little Saplings program presents Terrific Trout

Adults looking to explore the outdoors with their young children are invited to Little Saplings, a monthly early childhood nature discovery program at Schramm Education Center near Gretna.

The 2023 series continues April 5 with the theme Terrific Trout at 9 a.m. It is designed for children ages 2-5 and their adult caregiver. The cost is $4 per child and $5 per adult per program and includes admission to the Education Center after the program.

See the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov for more information.

Wildcat Tales preschool program is April 11

Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area will host the monthly Wildcat Tales preschool program April 11.

The program Rowdy Reptiles will meet at the Nature Center at 10 a.m. Mountain time. There will be a lesson plan, story and hands-on activity specifically targeted for children ages 2-6.

The program is free, but a vehicle park entry permit is required. For more information, contact the Nature Center at 308-436-3777. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Homeschool Hike set for April 19-20 at Schramm Park SRA

Homeschool families are invited to join an outdoor educator on a guided hike to learn about bird language at Schramm Park State Recreation Area near Gretna during the Homeschool Hikes program at 9 a.m. April 19 and 2 p.m. April 20.

Homeschool Hikes is a monthly nature exploration program hosted by the Schramm Education Center geared toward homeschool families.

Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance through the event listing at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Cost is $4 per child and $5 per adult per program. This includes admission to the Schramm Education Center after the program. Schramm Family Pass members participate free.

This program is recommended for ages 5 and up.

Participants should dress in season-appropriate layers and wear closed-toed shoes that can get dirty. Hats and water bottles are recommended.

Connecting Communities to Urban Biodiversity is topic of webinar

Join the free virtual webinar Connecting Communities to Urban Biodiversity: The What, the Why, and the How at 12:30 p.m. Central time April 12.

Learn why urban biodiversity is so important and how we connect our communities to it to inspire stewardship.

This webinar is part of the Conservation Education Lunch and Learn Series, which dives into the science behind educational efforts and practices by learning from experts on a variety of science and educational topics. Direct questions to [email protected].

Visit the event listing at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov to register and get more information.

Enjoy Frog Fun at Schramm Education Center

Celebrate national frog month in April by making a foldable frog lifecycle booklet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the maker space at the Schramm Education Center near Gretna.

While you’re there, discover some fun facts and information about these awesome amphibians.

The center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and ages 4-12, and ages 3 and under are free.

Wildcat Hills to host Fishy Friends homeschool program

Participants will learn about different types of fish, fish anatomy and take part in an art project during the Wildcat Hills Homeschool program Fishy Friends on April 13.

This program meets at 10 a.m. Mountain time at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center.

The program is free, but a vehicle park entry permit is required. For more information contact the Nature Center at 308-436-3777. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Serenity Garden open house is April 22 at Schramm

Join an open house for the new Serenity Garden, located between Schramm Education Center and Schramm Park State Recreation Area from 10 a.m. to noon April 22.

The garden includes signage encouraging activities supporting serenity in the outdoors, an art feature including the work of local artisans, and stone benches. Master Naturalist Jeff Lacey will share his knowledge about nature journaling before an 11 a.m. guided hike to experience nature journaling.

The program is free, but a park entry permit is required.

Go on a frog hike this spring

It is mating season for frogs and the right time of year to hear their calls after dusk. So, why not go on a frog hike this spring? Nebraska state parks are wonderful places to keep an ear out.

Male frogs use their calls to attract a mate and can also use alarm calls to signal a predator. Listen to their chorus and try to identify a few of the 11 types of frogs and toads in Nebraska.

Frogs are most active at night and prefer areas with emerging vegetation and stagnant water. Your likelihood of hearing frogs is greater with warmer temperatures, low wind and with little-to-no precipitation.

Boreal chorus frogs are about the size of a quarter. Their call is a series of rapid short notes that sound like running your fingers down the length of a comb. Northern leopard frogs have a long, deep croaking call. Blanchard’s cricket frogs have a loud clicking sound, like tapping marbles together. Cope’s gray tree frogs make a fast, angry sounding “blaaaapt!” or yell, “blah! blah!” Bullfrogs are the bass section of the chorus, with a deep sounding “jug-o-rum” call.

Three archers repeat as NASP state champions

Three archers repeated as state champions at the National Archery in the Schools Program state tournament March 17-18 at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln.

Winning back-to-back titles were Harrison Harvey of Lincoln Southwest in the high school division, Ayla Salistean of Milford in the middle school division and Paul Ng of Omaha Mater Dei Academy in the elementary division.

Harvey and teammate Aaron Wohleb scored 284 points — out of a possible 300 — for the highest scores in the tournament. Harvey then won the tiebreaker for first place. Salistean’s 283 was the highest female score of the tournament. Ng’s 278 was 20 points better than his closest competitor.

NASP is an in-school curriculum covering target archery for students in grades 4-12. The state tournament is the largest archery event in Nebraska.

The 17^th state tournament saw nearly 700 student-archers from 30 schools competed in the traditional bull’s-eye tournament. More than 230 from 18 schools also participated in the 3D Challenge tournament.

To download photos of state champions, visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Facebook page.

The results:

Individual Results

Elementary

Female – 1. Charley Kathman, Lawrence-Nelson, 255; 2. Jacey Wagoner, Cornerstone Christian, 251; 3. Emery Korth, Lincoln Blessed Sacrament, 248; 4. Nora Bettes, Cornerstone Christian, 246; 5. Mary Ng, Omaha Mater Dei Academy, 245.

Male – 1. Paul Ng, Omaha Mater Dei, 278; 2. Caden Fritz, Cornerstone Christian, 258; 3. Devin Pofahl, Lawrence-Nelson, 257; 4. Dillon Laughlin, Lawrence-Nelson, 254; 5. Asher Scott, Tri-City Homeschool, 252.

Middle School

Female – 1. Ayla Salistean, Milford, 283; 2. Claire Danner, Lincoln Blessed Sacrament, 270; 3. Natalie VanderVelde, Tri-City Homeschool, 270; 4. Natalie Meysenburg, Lincoln Blessed Sacrament, 269; 5. Melanie Elssasser, Lincoln Pound MS, 267.

Male – 1. Grant Torson, Lincoln Blessed Sacrament, 279; 2. Luis Rascon, Omaha Mater Dei, 276; 3. Sam Millen, Lincoln Park MS, 274; 4. Camden Roker, Lincoln Pound MS, 273; 5. Kallen Pulliam, Omaha Mater Dei, 271.

High School

Female – 1. Natalie Nutzman, Milford, 277; 2. Winnie Plants, Lincoln East, 274; 3. Gabrielle Stoner, Lincoln East, 274; 4. Autumn Wissenburg, Milford, 273; 5. Maddie Tinsley, Lincoln Pius X, 272.

Male – 1. Harrison Harvey, Lincoln Southwest, 284; 2. Aaron Wholeb, Lincoln Southwest, 284; 3. Landon Sterns, Lincoln Southwest, 283; 4. James Wissenburg, Milford, 282; 5. Aiden March, Lincoln Southwest, 280.

Overall High Score

Female – Ayla Salistean, Milford, 283

Male – Harrison Harvey, Lincoln Southwest, 284

Nebraska Bowhunters Association Sportsmanship Trophy – Milford

Team Results

Elementary – 1. Cornerstone Christian, 2,704; 2. Omaha Mater Dei, 2,594; 3. Lawrence-Nelson, 2,528.

Middle School – 1. Lincoln Pound MS, 3,095; 2. Lincoln Blessed Sacrament, 3,015; 3. Omaha Mater Dei, 3,015.

High School – 1. Omaha Mater Dei, 3,218; 2. Lincoln Southwest, 3,215; 3. Lincoln Pius X, 3,194.

SACO Duels – 1. Lincoln Southwest; 2. Lincoln St. John the Apostle; 3. Superior; 4. Lincoln Pound MS

Nebraska Endowment Scholarship – Females: Gabrielle Stoner, Lincoln East, $2,000; Ayla Salistean, Milford, $1,000; Winsome Plants, Lincoln East, $500; Males: James Wissenburg, Milford, $2,000; Aaron Wohleb, Lincoln Southwest, $1,000; Paul Ng, Omaha Mater Dei, $500

NASP All-Nebraska Academic Archer Team

Talin Abney-Cook, Lincoln Southeast

Cheyenne Blackenship, Cornerstone Christian

Olivia Canaday, Lincoln Southwest

Hunter Falkinburg, Lincoln East

Andrew Furasek, Lincoln Pius X

Harrison Harvey, Lincoln Southwest

Piotr Korlacki, Lincoln East

Aidan Mach, Lincoln Southwest

Isaac Michaelson, Lincoln North Star

Celia Mueller, Burwell

Will Muff, Lincoln Pius X

Natalie Nutzman, Milford

Kade Peters, Lawrence-Nelson

Nathan Pofahl, Lawrence-Nelson

Josh Richardson, Lincoln Pius X

Sean Rodrigo, Lincoln Pius X

Camdon Roker, Lincoln Pound MS

Connor Rowe, Lincoln Southwest

Ayla Salistean, Milford

Brody Schnieders, Lincoln Pius X

Gabrielle Stoner, Lincoln East

Natalie Vander Velde, Tri-City Homeschool

Jacob Volpp, Lincoln Pound MS

Autumn Wissenburg, Milford

James Wissenburg, Milford

Aaron Wohleb, Lincoln Southwest

Stoner’s 289 is high score at Western Nebraska NASP

Gabrielle Stoner of Lincoln East had the highest score of the day with a 289 at the Western Nebraska NASP Regional Tournament on Feb. 25 at the D&N Event Center in North Platte.

More than 170 student-archers in grades 4 through 12 from 23 schools in Nebraska and South Dakota competed in the fourth annual event.

The results:

Individual Results

Elementary

Female – 1. Brooklyn DeVall, Tri-City Homeschool, 219; 2. Jacey Wagoner, Cornerstone Christian, 219; 3. Sarah Rhodes, Tri-City Homeschool, 193; 4. Elle Shefferd, Tri-City Homeschool, 169; 5. Natasha Thompson, North Platte Cody Elementary, 153.

Male – 1. Asher Scott, Tri-City Homeschool, 261; 2. Jase Antle, Tri-City Homeschool, 234; 3. Sawyer Prier, Cornerstone Christian, 221; 4. Bennett White, Cornerstone Christian, 216; 5. Michael Morris, North Platte Cody Elementary, 213.

Middle School

Female – 1. Lorie Kolb, Spearfish MS (SD), 276; 2. Ayla Salistean, Milford, 275; 3. Maddie Hoyle, Lincoln Pound MS, 272; 4. Allie Gerdes, Milford, 265; 5. Aspyn Callaway, Lincoln Pound MS, 256.

Male – 1. Camdon Roker, Lincoln Pound MS, 281; 2. Canon Hulsebus, Lincoln Pound MS, 257; 3. Zephyr Mowinkel, Milford, 256; 4. Sam Millan, Lincoln Park MS, 255; 5. Kolbe Brock, Tri-City Homeschool, 254.

High School

Female – 1. Gabrielle Stoner, Lincoln East, 289; 2. Natalie Nutzman, Milford, 275; 3. Celia Mueller, Burwell, 274; 4. Sydney Havlat, Milford, 266; 5. Isabel Wendt, Spearfish HS (SD), 264.

Male – 1. Harrison Harvey, Lincoln Southwest, 284; 2. Aaron Wohleb, Lincoln Southwest, 283; 3. Will Muff, Lincoln Pius X, 282; 4. James Wissenburg, Milford, 276; 5. Kellen Johnson, Lincoln East, 269.

Overall High Score

Female – Gabrielle Stoner, Lincoln East, 289

Male – Harrison Harvey, Lincoln Southwest, 284

Team Results

Middle School – 1. Lincoln Pound MS, 2,921; 2. Tri-City Homeschool, 2,876; 3. Spearfish MS (SD), 2,756.

High School – 1. Milford, 3,144; 2. Lincoln East, 3,002; 3. Cornerstone Christian, 2,562.

Regional Nebraska Academic Archer Team

Kolbe Brock, Tri-City Homeschool

Anna Diessner, Tri-City Homeschool

Hunter Falkinburg, Lincoln East

Allie Gerdes, Milford

Harrison Harvey, Lincoln Southwest

Sydney Havlat, Milford

Maddie Hoyle, Lincoln Pound MS

Canon Hulsebus, Lincoln Pound MS

Hayes Jensen, Burwell

Kellen Johnson, Lincoln East

Ethan Joy, Burwell

Ben Kendle, Lincoln East