Visitors can learn about bison, explore local history and take part in hands-on nature activities during Wild Fall Festival and Bison Day on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pioneers Park Nature Center, 3201 S. Coddington Ave., with most activities offered free.
Nature Center coordinator Jamie Kelly tells KLIN News the park’s herd consists of 12 female bison, ranging from younger animals to females in their mid-20s. Six of the younger bison arrived from the Crane Trust in 2022.
Guided bison and prairie hikes are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Kelly said participants will examine bison artifacts and learn how Indigenous cultures have used different parts of the animal, with the outdoor portion depending on where the herd is that day.
The programs also will explore how bison help maintain prairie habitat through grazing, movement and wallowing, or rolling on the ground. Kelly said wallowing creates opportunities for plant growth. “When they do that wallowing, they are depressing the plants that are around there and opening up areas to expose for new plants to grow,” she said.
Families can dissect owl pellets, make bird feeders and participate in a prairie seed activity involving seeds and mud. Kelly said the owl pellets offer a chance to investigate the birds’ diets. “Families can go through dissecting an owl pellet and see if they can find small bones and figure out what that owl might have eaten,” she said.
History tours at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. will include the 1863 Hudson Cabin and the nature center’s one-room schoolhouse. Kelly said the festival provides an opportunity to explore places that are not always accessible. “A lot of people are interested in those buildings and they’re not always open to the public, but this is a great opportunity for people to get a peek inside of those historic buildings,” she said.
Other scheduled programs include Lakota song and dance at 10:30 a.m., turtle and snake encounters at 10:30 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m., and nature story times at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Raptor Conservation Alliance will present three live raptors at 12:30 p.m., followed by a vulture encounter and feeding at 1:30 p.m.
Wagon rides will be available from 10 a.m. to noon for $5 per person for ages 3 and older, with tickets sold at the event. A separate art workshop led by two local artists with the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators runs from 10 a.m. to noon and costs $20 for participants ages 15 and older. Kelly said spaces remained available at the time of the interview.
The Indigenous prairie cuisine presentation and tasting with Chef Anthony Warrior is sold out, Kelly said. Food also will be available for purchase from the World Plates food truck.
For art workshop registration or questions about activities, call the nature center at 402-441-7895. A full schedule is available at lincoln.ne.gov/wildfallfestival.