28 Jun Programs at Niobrara NSR by Leona

It has been a busy first month here at Niobrara National Scenic River!
So far, we have had two junior angler clinics, one at Valentine State Hatchery and one at Cub Creek State Recreation Area. At the clinics, kids learned about fishing techniques and fish identification and earned their junior angler badge. Seeing the kids excited about fishing and watching some of them catch their very first fish has been a lot of fun! Even when kids caught no fish, they still had a good time perfecting their cast and learning about fish.
We also had an opportunity to be part of a science education day at the elementary school summer camp. Here I led migratory bird-themed games in the gym, including a racing game about stopover habitats for migratory waterfowl. Seeing the kids compete and become passionate about wetlands preservation was fun.

Another exciting program has been city park bird walks with local summer camps for elementary school kids. After teaching the kids about local birds and basic birding techniques, we take them on a walk through the park to identify the birds we see. It is terrific seeing their excitement when they see a cool bird and can tell what it is. After the walk, we go to the field to play games. Learning and creating bird-themed games to play with the kids has been a blast. They have lots of fun playing tag games and running races while learning about migratory bird conservation. The best review was one kid telling his teacher that Bird Day was his favorite field trip. It makes me happy to know that the kids are enjoying my programs!