Outdoor notes: Lake McConaughy Adopt-a-Beach; Ponca State Park family camp; Great Park Pursuit

Adopt-a-Beach program created for Lake McConaughy, Lake Ogallala

LINCOLN, Neb. – Everyone can help keep the beaches and landscapes free of litter at Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala state recreation areas through a new Adopt-a-Beach program.

Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area staff created this volunteer program, in part, as a response to public concerns regarding litter in those areas. Game and Parks has taken several steps to combat this issue, including new signage relating to litter prevention, increases in garbage collection points and servicing, as well as partnerships with Keep Keith County Beautiful for the placement of recycle stations throughout the parks.

The goal of Adopt-a-Beach is to encourage participation in the protection of fragile park landscapes so that future generations can continue to enjoy this area. The program was modeled after the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s Adopt-a-Highway Program.

Participants can enroll in the program starting June 11 at the Lake McConaughy Visitor and Water Interpretive Center. Beach area assignments will be based on a group’s request and number of participants. Assignments will be made on a first-come basis. Gloves, pickers, buckets, bags and vests can be provided to participants during business hours. A small sign will be placed at each beach entrance to acknowledge the group’s participation after the first year of the program.

For more information, contact the Lake McConaughy Visitor and Water Interpretive Center at 308-284-8800 or [email protected].


Family camp set for Aug. 3-5 at Ponca State Park

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for a Becoming an Outdoors-Family Camp at Ponca State Park Aug. 3-5.

The camp is designed for families that are new and novice campers who are looking to get started camping but need a bit of encouragement. Families will enjoy the outdoors while fishing, hiking, horseback riding, cooking outdoors, camping, archery shooting, kayaking and much more.

For more information and to register, visit outdoornebraska.org/BOF.


Join the Great Park Pursuit for a Nebraska outdoor adventure

LINCOLN, Neb. – Enjoy an outdoor adventure with family or friends and experience Nebraska parks by joining The Great Park Pursuit (GPP) for a chance to win prizes.

The goal of GPP, a partnership between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Recreation and Park Association, is to promote active lifestyles while increasing awareness of the state’s nature-rich outdoor recreation opportunities.

This is done by encouraging participants to visit up to 20 GPP sites located across Nebraska between May 1 and Sept. 17, 2018. Participants will follow clues to a GPP post, where they will make a pencil impression of the post to prove they were there or upload a photo of the post the GPP mobile app.

Prizes and entry into drawings are based on the number of impressions collected. The grand prize is an outdoor recreation package with a retail value of $1,500.

The participating parks are: Bridgeport State Recreation Area (SRA), Bridgeport; Calamus SRA, Burwell; Chadron State Park (SP), Chadron; Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Valentine; Heartwell Park, Hastings; Kelley Park, McCook; Lake Minatare SRA, Minatare; Lewis and Clark SRA, Crofton; Melham Park, Broken Bow; Miller’s Landing, Omaha; Neligh Mill State Historic Site, Neligh; Oliver Reservoir, Kimball; Chalco Hills Recreation Area, Omaha; Platte River SP, Louisville; Rock Creek Lake SRA, Parks; Rockford Lake SRA, Rockford; Summit Lake SRA, Tekamah; Verdon SRA, Verdon; Victoria Springs SRA, Anselmo; York Ballpark Complex, York.

For more information, to register or to get the GPP mobile app, visit negpp.org.

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