Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled interesting and engaging events for the curious in April.
Don’t forget to purchase a vehicle park entry permit to enter the state parks, except one is not required to park in the Schramm Education Center parking lot. Get one at OutdoorNebraska.gov or at state park entrances.
Little Saplings program features rabbits April 2 — 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 2025 series, which occurs the first Wednesday of the month, continues April 2 with the theme Rabbits at 9 and 10 a.m. It is designed for children ages 2-5 and their adult caregivers. The cost is $4 per child and $5 per adult.
See the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov for more information.
Wildcat Hills to host Flower Power homeschool program — Explore the different parts of a flower, how they grow and their relationship to pollinators during the homeschool program Flower Power on April 10 at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area.
The free homeschool program meets once a month at 10 a.m. Mountain Time at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center. Topics change each month.
For more information contact the Nature Center at 308-436-3777. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
‘Science of’ tree frogs scheduled in April — Discover the fascinating world of tree frogs April 10 as the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s popular “Science of” virtual webinar series returns.
In this series, on select Thursdays at 3 p.m. Central Time, Game and Parks educators discuss some of the science behind common things regarding nature and animals.
The hourlong webinars are free, but separate registration is required for each. See the calendar event entries at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov for registration links.
Homeschool Hikes set for April 16 at Schramm — Homeschool families are invited to join an outdoor educator on a guided hike at Schramm Park State Recreation Area near Gretna during the Homeschool Hikes program at 9 a.m. April 16. This month’s theme is Spring Ephemeral Plants.
Homeschool Hikes is a monthly nature exploration program hosted by the Schramm Education Center geared toward homeschool families and ages 5 and up.
Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance through the event listing at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.
‘Trees, Turtles and Taxonomy’ planned at Mahoney SP — The James Family Nature Center will be the meeting place April 18 for Trees, Turtles and Taxonomy, a chance to celebrate Arbor Day at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.
Go on a short tree hike to observe identifiable tree characteristics. Meet the park’s turtle ambassadors, Chip and Picasso, and explore where turtles fall into the various categories of classification. Through these activities, discover the importance of taxonomy and how scientists use it to classify and name plants and animals.
Choose from a 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. session, with each lasting 60-90 minutes.
Schramm Park SRA to host Sunrise Bird Hike — Get up early for a Sunrise Bird Hike on April 19 at Schramm Park State Recreation Area.
Listen and look for migrating songbirds and waterfowl on this guided, 7 a.m. hike through the forest. Bring binoculars or a limited number will be available to borrow. The hike will last approximately an hour and the terrain is a dirt/mulched path through the woodland hills.
Meet at the main trailhead across from the first pond.
Go on Snake Saunter at Schramm SP — Get ready to spend a morning searching for snakes. In the Snake Saunter class at the Schramm Education Center, participants will learn about the diversity of snakes found in eastern woodlands and tallgrass prairie habitats.
At 10 a.m. April 26, after an introduction to the local snakes in the Schramm Education Center Classroom, head outside to go herping, looking for snakes along the forest edge and prairie habitats, and document any snakes found using the iNaturalist app. Collected data will contribute to the Biodiversity in State Parks initiative, which aims to document the plant and animal species living in state parks.
The class is free. See the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska. gov to register.
