Family-Outdoors

Family fishing days at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site in Bismarck will resume on Wednesday, June 29. The popular family event was postponed because of flood-related efforts. Family fishing days are held Wednesdays and Saturdays through August. Hours are Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Fishing rods and basic tackle are available for use free of charge. Trained volunteers and Game and Fish staff will be in the area to answer questions and check out equipment, but there will be little or no direct supervision. Children who aren’t old enough to get to the pond on their own should not be left unattended. Related articles ND Guard Does Heavy Lifting in Flood Mitigation (waronterrornews.typepad.com) Minot, North Dakota, braces for inundation (cbsnews.com) As waters rise, North Dakotans rush to fill sandbags (cnn.com)

Instructor offers lessons learned from 40,000 students HORICON - Mark Baldock was 3 years old when he started fishing. His parents put a rod in his hand when they went to a cabin on a lake for vacation. "I caught a yellow perch, and I was hooked!" Baldock recalls. Now he gets other people hooked on fishing. Baldock has taught nearly 40,000 kids about fish and fishing during his eight years working for Wisconsin's fisheries management program. As the Department of Natural Resources urban fishing coordinator in 2005 and 2006, Baldock worked with school and scout groups, conducted kids fishing clinics and events, and ran DNR's fishing activities at the Wisconsin State Fair and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Sportshow. Now a fisheries technician-advanced at DNR's Horicon office, Baldock still takes several school groups fishing each year, helps out with fishing events at the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center near Poynette, and serves as fishing camp director fo...

Family Fun Days,   Pickerel Lake Recreation Area   near Waubay. Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26. Enjoy a fun-filled family weekend. There'll be lots of games and events for the whole family. Activities are held at the west campground. Info:   605-486-4753 Nature Scavenger Hunt,   Newton Hills State Park   near Canton. Saturday, June 25 at 1 p.m. Teams of four or five people will receive a list of items to find throughout the park. Let's see who can arrive back first having found all 10 items! Info:   605-987-2263 Family Fun Pioneer Day and Corn Cob Doll Contest ,   Lake Thompson Recreation Area   near Lake Preston. Saturday, June 25, 2 - 6 p.m. Take part in an afternoon of pioneer games and crafts. Design a unique corn cob doll to earn prizes. At 8 p.m., enjoy a program about the history of Lake Thompson. Info:   605-847-4893 Creatures of the Night Campfire ,   Palisades State Park   near Garretson. Saturday, June 25, ...

JEFFERSON CITY ,  MO. , JUNE 15, 2011 -- Enjoy a night of old-fashioned fun under the stars with your friends and family June 25 during the Great American Backyard Campout in  Missouri  state parks.             The Great American Backyard Campout is a nationwide initiative by the National Wildlife Federation to encourage families and communities to reconnect and experience the outdoors. To help you celebrate, almost 20  Missouri  state parks are offering special programs and activities to make this night one to remember.             "The Great American Backyard Campout is one way we can encourage kids and entire families to get outdoors and experience all the fun you can have in nature. Once you experience a night around the campfire enjoying s'mores, we know you will come back again and again and make it a family tradition," said Bill Bry...

JEFFERSON CITY , MO., JUNE 14, 2011 – Kids of all ages are invited to the Children’s Festival Saturday, June 18 at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site near Ash Grove. The event will feature a number of activities and games for kids , including live music and a 19 th   century pickup baseball game.   The event, which will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free of charge and the public is invited to attend.              At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., visitors are encouraged to participate in a game of base, an ancestor of baseball from the 1800s.    Springfield Cardinals mascot Louie the Cardinal will be joining in the morning game.              Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site preserves the last home and grave of Missouri frontiersman Nathan Boone.    The historic site is located 1.5 miles north of Ash Grove on State Highway V. For mor...

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., JUNE 14, 2011 – If you are interested in seeing one of the greatest symbols of the vanishing tallgrass prairie, take a guided bison hike June 18 at Prairie State Park near Mindenmines. Join the park naturalist at 10 a.m. for a trip back in time to see bison, one of our most magnificent mammals on its native prairie habitat. The event is free and open to the public.   During the one hour hike , you will learn about bison biology, Native American uses of the bison, herd dynamics, prairies and much more. Dress for the weather and hiking across the prairie; long pants and sturdy shoes are recommended. Prairie State Park is located at 128 NW 150 th  Lane in Barton County. Call the park at 417-843-6711  for more details and to register for the hike. For more information on Missouri state parks, call the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at  800-334-6946  (voice) or  800-379-2419  (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), or visit...

Image by Tony Trần via Flickr It is becoming increasingly difficult to get kids connected with the outdoors.  At our main site, Family-Outdoors , this is one of our primary objectives.  The Missouri Department of Conservation at their Powder Valley site, is offering an event to help with this cause. The press release follows: Summer is the perfect time to get your child outside! Join us at Powder Valley on June 24 for a movie screening of  Mother Nature’s Child: Growing Outdoors in the Media Age  and a  Get Your Child Outside  special event on June 25. More information can be found at: http://mdc.mo.gov/sites/ default/files/resources/2011/ 04/child_outside_2.pdf The movie was produced and directed by Camilla Rockwell and was one of the movies selected for the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital. It examines the symptoms of “nature deficit” which include obesity, depression, and attention disorders. It explores the essential ways nature ...

Discover Nature Women summer workshop teaches women practical outdoor skills. Written by Rebecca Maples, MDC JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –  Some things are better when shared. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) recent Discover Nature Women summer workshop showed that nature is one of those things. With the program’s highest attendance ever, more than 130 women participated in the 2011 event held at Windermere Conference Center in Roach, Mo., June 3-5. Some attended to gain valuable outdoor experience, some to spend a weekend with friends and family and others to make a grandmother-mother-daughter getaway. “Discover Nature Women (DNW) provides a safe and friendly environment where women experience hands-on outdoor skills training at the beginner level, taught by a team of longtime professionals,” said MDC Education Programs Supervisor Kevin Lohraff. Courses include fishing, basic hunting, an introduction to firearms, archery, shotgun shooting, camping, canoeing, map and c...

Image via Wikipedia DNR Offers Kayaking Class for Women June 28 and 30 in Milford The Department of Natural Resources invites women to learn the basics of kayaking on Tuesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 30, in Milford. Kayaking provides fun outdoor exercise and is a great way to get an up-close look at wildlife and take in the scenery. The two-part class is being offered through the department's Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program and will be held on both weeknights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Proud Lake Recreation Area, Heavener Canoe Livery in Milford. Introduction to Kayaking is comprised of two segments, one on land and one on the water. During the land segment, participants will learn kayaking safety, tips on comfortable clothing and shoes, types of kayaks and paddles, weather awareness and other potential hazards. During the water segment, participants will be introduced to proper entry and exiting a kayak, proper paddle grip, the "total body kayak stroke...

Free Basics of Fishing Workshop in Portage Lakes Intrigued by fishing fun? Let Division of Wildlife show you how it’s done!   AKRON, OH - If you are looking to learn more about very basic fishing in order to start up a hobby or to take a child fishing for the first time, join Division of Wildlife personnel for an introductory short-course on “Basics of Fishing.” The program will take place on Tuesday, June 28 th , 2011 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm in Akron.   This course will be coupled with an opportunity for youths 15 and under to experience hands-on fishing at the popular  Akron youth fishing ponds  in North Reservoir. These ponds are well-stocked, very accessible, and bait and equipment is provided, so youngsters are encouraged to attend the course. Adults will not be permitted to fish in the youth area but public access is located within walking distance.   Topics that will be covered include an overview of fish life history and identification, habitat, handling...

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., JUNE 7, 2011 – A new hiking and mountain biking trail in southwest Missouri is receiving national attention with an award from the Coalition for Recreational Trails.               The White River Valley Trail in Table Rock State Park near Branson has been recognized with the 2011 Coalition for Recreational Trails award in the Multi-Use Management and Corridor Sharing Category. The Coalition for Recreational Trails is a federation of national and regional trail-related organizations. Each year, the coalition presents achievement awards to projects that make outstanding use of Recreational Trails Program funds.             The White River Valley Trail, a 10.25 miles natural surface trail outside of Branson, is the first designated mountain biking trail system in the area.   The trail is a joint land-use project between the Missouri D...

MADISON – Kids of all ages can fill out a certificate to give their father a gift he'll really like -- a future fishing trip with them. The fishing certificate can be downloaded and printed from the Department of Natural Resources EEK!, Environmental Education for Kids website, which is designed for children in grades 4-8. EEK! and the DNR fisheries management program have teamed up to offer the gift certificates. EEK! provides information about plants, animals, and the environment and receives more than 100,000 visitors a month. “ Kids and fishing naturally go together, so we thought this was a perfect opportunity to encourage kids to take someone important in their lives outside for a day of fishing and fun," says Carrie Morgan, EEK! editor. “Have a great time, and remember to take a camera and send us a picture, and a Big Fish story ,” she says. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Scheidegger (608) 267-9426; Carrie Morgan (608) 26 7-5239

The Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone that this summer's Free Fishing Weekend is scheduled for June 11-12. On that Saturday and Sunday, everyone - residents and non-residents alike - can enjoy fishing in Michigan without a fishing license. All other fishing regulations apply. Michigan has celebrated Free Fishing Weekend every year since 1986 to promote awareness of the state's natural resources. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, 11,000 inland lakes and 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, fishing and Michigan go hand in hand. "Fishing is a great way for folks to connect with Michigan's wonderful natural resources," DNR Director Rodney Stokes said. "It's an affordable activity that provides a sense of excitement and adventure , while providing an opportunity for all generations of families to connect in a common pastime. Free Fishing Weekend is the perfect time to take your child - or your grandparent - fishing." Nu...

June 1, 2011 Van Buren State Park will sponsor its sixth annual "Go-Get Outdoors" 5K Run/Walk on June 18. The run begins at 9 a.m. in the south parking lot of the day use area, followed by the walk stepping off at 9:05 a.m. The competitive run and the "just-for-fun" walk course cover two miles of paved roads and about one mile of an old railroad spur that has a natural gravel surface. Medals will be awarded to the top finishers in the competitive run. The first 100 participants to register will receive a free T-shirt when they check in on race day. To preregister for the 5K Run/Walk or for more information, contact Van Buren State Park at 269-637-2788. The park is located at 23960 Ruggles Rd. in South Haven in Michigan's Van Buren County. Registration will also be held between 8-8:45 a.m. on the day of the race. Camping reservations can be made online at  www.midnrreservations.com  or by calling 800-447-2757. The event is free of charge to participate; howeve...

Ganon Gil Preschool of The Temple Tifereth Israel To Be Named A “Wild School Site” First Preschool in the county to be certified   BEACHWOOD, OH –  Ganon  Gil Preschool of The Temple Tifereth Israel will soon be dedicated as an official  WILD School Site  according to ODNR Division of Wildlife. The school will be the 113th site dedicated in Ohio.  Only the fifth school in Cuyahoga County to be certified and the first preschool in the county, The students of Ganon Gil have been studying the life cycle of butterflies and native Ohio flowers. They have grown the flowers for a sustainable Ohio Native Butterfly Flower Habitat Garden. The children learned about and benefit from wildlife and the environment while creating the butterfly habitat. The purpose of the habitat is to attract and retain Ohio native butterfly species.  The school will be dedicated Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 11:00am  during a ceremony for the students, staff, and their families....