Nice NTV Interview for the Center

Weekend Wild Walk - River Explore

In this summer's final Weekend Wild Walk, we'll take a stroll in the Platte River. Yes, in the river itself! We'll examine the many forms of life we can find along and in the water: amphibians, birds, plants and more. We may take a dip net or two along and see what we can capture. We'll walk from our sandbar between the footbridges to the Alda Road bridge.

The part of the river we'll be strolling is fairly shallow, generally a few inches deep, with occasional spots up to a foot in depth. Wear shorts and a shirt that can wet and dirty; same with footwear -- sandals or old tennis shoes are strongly recommended. (Flip-flops are easily lost and are not recommended.) A towel to dry off is optional.

The walk begins this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and will end no later than 11 a.m. Admission is free, and all ages are invited. The walk will be cancelled if conditions are rainy or stormy. If weather is questionable, please call 308-382-1820 for an update.

Weekend Wild Walk - Dragonflies

The warm summer months have brought dragonflies (and their relatives, the damselflies) out in droves.

North America is home to over 300 species of dragonflies. While dragonfly identification can be confusing, some -- like the female Widow Skimmer above -- are easy, particularly if you can get them to stand still! Dragonflies are indicators of an aquatic ecosystem's health, and they consume many insect pests such as mosquitoes.

In this walk, we'll take a dragonfly field guide, cameras and binoculars into the field and see what dragonflies we can find and ID. We'll take half of the Prairie Loop trail, stop by the pond (dragonfly central right now) and head back. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and will last no more than 90 minutes. (Walk distance will be approximately one mile.) The walk is free and all ages are invited to attend.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center now Certified by Greener Nebraska

LINCOLN, NEB. (Aug. 8, 2011)—Eight Nebraska businesses recently earned certification from Greener Nebraska by meeting green performance standards.

The eight businesses qualifying for certification were:

Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center, Wood River
Western Nebraska Segway Experience Center, Scottsbluff
Lincoln Children's Museum, Lincoln
Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon
Green Acres Motel & RV Park, Red Cloud
Best Western Settle Inn, Omaha
Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, Denton
Mom's Pantry, Ogallala

Greener Nebraska, developed by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism Division, strives to reduce the tourism industry’s impact on the environment and to attract travelers interested in visiting green destinations. Its certification process previously had been restricted to tourism-related businesses along Nebraska's nine Scenic Byways; the program expanded this year to help businesses across the state become more environmentally friendly.

Now that the program is open to businesses throughout the state, getting certified through Greener Nebraska is a simple and free way to promote your conservation efforts.

Visit our website, GreenerNebraska.org , to learn more about the program and to begin the certification process.