Daily Archives: April 21, 2016

Agroforestry Field Day, May 12th, Ness County

 

Agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into farming and ranching operations to maximize conservation benefits while simultaneously providing economic benefits for the overall operation.  Windbreaks and riparian buffers, are the most common agroforestry practices in Kansas.  Other examples include silvopasture and alley cropping. 

 

On Thursday, May 12th Kansans will have the opportunity to experience agroforestry first hand at the 2016 Agroforestry Field Day scheduled for Thursday, May 12th just east of Ness City. The field day will be hosted on Marvin and Twylia Sekavec’s 400 acre farm. 

 

The Sekavec’s have planted over 10,000 trees and shrubs over the last 20 years representing   over 30 different species.  These plantings have been designed as part of a holistic natural resource management system.  These plantings include windbreaks, wildlife habitat, and riparian buffers of bald cypress that improve water quality, reduce wind erosion and provide energy savings. 

 

Grassed terraces, waterways and multiple cover cropping systems all contribute to this model conservation landscape.  Special shrub and vine plantings around the house site attract a variety of song birds, butterflies, other critters. 

 

This setting provides a variety of hands-on educational opportunities that will be offered at the field day by a variety of natural resource professionals with wildlife, forestry, range expertise.  It is also an opportunity for farmers, ranchers and landowners to share their conservation project successes and projects. 

 

Marvin and Twylia Sekavec will kick off the field day providing an overview of their property and accomplishments.  Sessions on landscaping the farmstead, attracting songbirds, a tree planting demonstration, renovating old windbreaks, treating tree pest problems and controlling woody invasives are just a few of the topics that will be covered. 

 

The Sekavec’s farm is located 7.25 miles east of Ness City on HWY 96; then 3 miles north on County Road Z; then west 0.25 mile on County Road 160.  Their address is 25656 160 Road, Brownell, KS  67521.

 

Lunch and refreshments are provided as part of a $7 dollar registration fee.  Participants may register by mailing a $7 dollar check made out to the Ness County Conservation District, 18635  140 Road, Ness City, KS 67560-6196 or calling at 785-798-3614.  A brochure and registration are also available on the Web at www.kansasforests.org by clicking on News & Event and the calendar. 

Great Plains Nature Center to host O.K. Kids Day May 7

The Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E. 29th St. N., Wichita, will host an O.K. Kids Day (Outdoor Kansas Kids) on Saturday, May 7, 2016. There will be a variety of outdoor/nature-related activities available for kids from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participation is free, but lunch will be available for $2.

This year’s theme is “D.I.Y. Nature (Do It Yourself)” where guests can learn how easy it is to be involved and active with nature. There will be games, crafts, displays, archery and fishing clinics, as well as live animal presentations.

O.K. Kids is a statewide program coordinated by the Kansas Wildscape Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and perpetuating the land, the wild species, and the rich beauty of Kansas for the use of and enjoyment of all. O.K. Kids events are conducted around the state to get kids outside learning about nature and enjoying outdoor activities.

Join the fun at the Great Plains Nature Center and experience new things, gain some new skills, and enjoy nature!

For more information, call Breanna Sayers at (316) 683-5499, ext. 105.

Women On Target at Fancy Creek Range

The Friends of Fancy Creek Range are hosting a Women On Target event on Saturday, May 14. The shooting range is located at the Fancy Creek area of Tuttle Creek State Park, approximately one-half mile east and one-half mile north of the junction of U.S. Hwy. 77 and K-16 on county road 893, near Randolph.

This is a women’s-only event designed to provide shooters with instruction on basic handling and shooting skills for handguns, rifles, muzzleloaders and archery in a safe and comfortable environment. Beginners are welcome. Enrollment deadline is April 29, and there is a $50 registration fee, which includes lunch, eye and ear protection, loaner equipment, ammunition and instruction.

For more information and to register, contact Marci Ritter, (785) 293-4406, or [email protected]. Space is limited so register early.

Women On Target is one of the National Rifle Association’s programs for women shooters. For more information, visit www.women.nra.org.

Little Apple Pedal event at Tuttle Creek State Park

Tuttle Creek State Park invites families to attend the Little Apple Pedal, on Sunday May 1, from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the River Pond area. The day will include a bike rodeo for kids, a 6-mile slow ride through the park, bike safety instruction with the Riley County Police Department, free helmets for kids, and t-shirts for all registered participants.

Sponsored by the City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau and State Farm Insurance, the event will also feature a visit from Smokey the Bear and the Blue Township Fire Department.

Riders must pre-register online by April 26 at www.mhkprd.com/register. Fees are $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, call Ryan at (785) 587-2768 or email [email protected].

Hunt safely for turkeys and mushrooms

The Kansas Spring Turkey Season opened April 12 and is in full swing through May 31. Reports from the field indicate that birds are plentiful and responding to hunters’ calls. However, the tradition of spring turkey hunting, where the hunter hides in full camouflage while imitating the call of a hen, requires special safety consideration.

Turkey hunting can be excellent on state wildlife areas, as well as the nearly 250,000 acres of private land  enrolled in the Spring Walk-In Hunting Access Program. Hunters on public land must always assume other hunters are there, too. Although hunting in Kansas is safer than playing golf, when you consider injuries per 100,000 participants, one tragic hunting-related accident is too many. A few simple precautions can help ensure you or another hunter don’t become a statistic.

First, never wear the colors black, blue or red, the colors prominent on a tom turkey as it displays for a hen. Set up to call with a good view in front and a tree wider than your shoulders at your back. A shoulder-width tree to lean against will protect you if another hunter stalks in from behind. If you see another hunter, whistle or call out; never wave or move, which could draw fire. Always assume a sound you hear is another hunter, and act accordingly. Many hunters will wear a fluorescent orange hat or vest when they walk out after hunting, or if they are successful, they may wrap an orange vest around their bird as they carry it out. Hunting-related accidents during the spring turkey season are rare, but let’s keep it that way.

Another kind of hunter in the woods this time of year is hunting morel mushrooms, and reports from the field indicate that hunters are finding them now. It is legal to pick morels on state and federal public hunting land as long as they are kept for personal consumption. Mushrooms collected on state and federal lands may not be sold commercially. Spring Walk-In Hunting Access land is leased for hunting access only. Morels found incidentally by turkey hunters on WIHA lands may be collected for personal use. Mushroom hunters should assume they will encounter turkey hunters on public lands, but potential conflict can be minimized by hunting mushrooms mid-day. Most turkey hunters prefer to be in the woods at daybreak and are often calling it a day by mid-morning.