Wildcat Hills Hosts Moonlight Hike and Wild About Elk Workshop

The first WILD about Elk workshop in Nebraska was conducted at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center in August.  Amanda Filipi- Education Specialist/Park Supt I and other educators from NGPC Wildlife Division and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory assisted with the Elk workshop.

Filipi also held presentations for a Project WILD workshop in the North Platte area.  Several educators, wildlife biologist (NGPC, PF and USFWS) and parks division staff attended this day long training.  Workshop Participants learned about wildlife related activities and curriculum to take back to their k-12 classrooms.

An  Educator’s Workshop was held in collaboration with the Upper Niobrara White NRD at Chadron State Park in August.  Filipi, partnering with area resource professionals, taught several area teachers about local resources and nature related curriculum available to assist them in their classrooms.

The Wildcat Weekends program scheduled for August was “the Night Sky”.  Staff members from Scotts Bluff and Agate Fossil Beds National Monuments came to help teach this session.  Participants learned about constellations, mythology and had an opportunity to look through a telescope at the night sky.

Labor Day weekend provided another night time event; the Moonlight Hike at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center. “The Moonlight Hike was a huge success,” according to Filipi.   “The event takes place by the light of the Blue Moon and participants search for various creatures of the night. Everyone in attendance, the staff and the public,  had a great time learning about our nocturnal critters, hiking the trails and looking for animal tracks.” she added.

Filipi is challenging our readers and NGPC staff with a trivia question and a photo:

Can you identify this bird?

CLUES: It  is a critter that is western Nebraska specific.

I wander around erratically in search of food.
I eat seeds from pines, spruces and firs.
I pry seeds out using my unique beak.

Know the Answer ? Post it in the comments below.

To check out this unique species up-close, visit the pine woodlands of the Wildcat Hills or Chadron State Park.

For more information on Wildcat Hills email ngpc.Wildcat.Hills@nebraska.gov or call (308) 436-3777