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Lovewell State Park Fun Day Aug. 4

Run/walk race, mud volleyball, disc golf, log races, much more fun awaits Lovewell State Park visitors; pre-registration for many events required

Lovewell State Park staff and Lovewell Marina will conduct the annual Lovewell Fun Day on Saturday, Aug. 4. New this year is a 5K run/walk at 7 a.m. Race participants must pre-register by 6:45 a.m. the day of the race. The race will begin at the mud volleyball pit area near Walleye Point. No entry fee is required, and certificates will be awarded for winners in several divisions.

The second event of the day is a disc golf singles tournament at Pioneer Day Use Area. Eighteen holes will be played beginning at 8 a.m. Competitors need to register at the Pioneer Day Use Area by 7:45 a.m., when a $5 entry fee is due. The entry fee will be returned to the first place winner in each of two age divisions: youth (15 and younger) and adult (16 and older).

A co-ed, double-elimination mud volleyball tournament begins at 10 a.m., with a $20 entry fee per team, 10 team limit. Pre-registration for the mud volleyball tournament is requested at the Lovewell State Park Office by Wednesday, Aug. 1. All teams must report at the mud volleyball pits at 9:30 a.m.

Another new event this year is a Kids Sand Pile, for youth ages 10 and younger. This event begins at 11 a.m. at the Pioneer Day Use Area, near the sand volleyball pit. Within a 10-minute time limit, kids will dig in a sand pile for hidden change. Two age divisions — five and younger and six through 10 — will participate.

Also added this year is a rock, paper, scissors tournament at noon near the mud volleyball pits. Participants must pre-register by 11:45 a.m. the day of the event, which is limited to 64 people of all ages. The entry fee is $1, which will be returned to the winners.

In addition, an open water slide will be set up from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer Day Use Area. All ages are invited to play on the slide. At 2 p.m. at the Pioneer Day Use Area, log races, the final event of the day, will be held.

For registration and more information on the events, phone Lovewell State Park at 785-753-4971. A vehicle permit is required to enter the park. Daily permits are $4.20, and annual permits are $24.70.

 

Lovewell State Park Fun Day Aug. 4

Run/walk race, mud volleyball, disc golf, log races, much more fun awaits Lovewell State Park visitors; pre-registration for many events required

Lovewell State Park staff and Lovewell Marina will conduct the annual Lovewell Fun Day on Saturday, Aug. 4. New this year is a 5K run/walk at 7 a.m. Race participants must pre-register by 6:45 a.m. the day of the race. The race will begin at the mud volleyball pit area near Walleye Point. No entry fee is required, and certificates will be awarded for winners in several divisions.

The second event of the day is a disc golf singles tournament at Pioneer Day Use Area. Eighteen holes will be played beginning at 8 a.m. Competitors need to register at the Pioneer Day Use Area by 7:45 a.m., when a $5 entry fee is due. The entry fee will be returned to the first place winner in each of two age divisions: youth (15 and younger) and adult (16 and older).

A co-ed, double-elimination mud volleyball tournament begins at 10 a.m., with a $20 entry fee per team, 10 team limit. Pre-registration for the mud volleyball tournament is requested at the Lovewell State Park Office by Wednesday, Aug. 1. All teams must report at the mud volleyball pits at 9:30 a.m.

Another new event this year is a Kids Sand Pile, for youth ages 10 and younger. This event begins at 11 a.m. at the Pioneer Day Use Area, near the sand volleyball pit. Within a 10-minute time limit, kids will dig in a sand pile for hidden change. Two age divisions — five and younger and six through 10 — will participate.

Also added this year is a rock, paper, scissors tournament at noon near the mud volleyball pits. Participants must pre-register by 11:45 a.m. the day of the event, which is limited to 64 people of all ages. The entry fee is $1, which will be returned to the winners.

In addition, an open water slide will be set up from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer Day Use Area. All ages are invited to play on the slide. At 2 p.m. at the Pioneer Day Use Area, log races, the final event of the day, will be held.

For registration and more information on the events, phone Lovewell State Park at 785-753-4971. A vehicle permit is required to enter the park. Daily permits are $4.20, and annual permits are $24.70.


Kansas River Water Trail Dedicated

Kansas River Water Trail Dedicated

The Kansas River Water Trail was officially signed into the National Water Trail system by Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar on Saturday, July 14, 2012 in front of the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, Kansas. 

The Friends of the Kaw and Kansas Riverkeeper worked hard to help realize their goal to make the Kaw a 170 mile linear park.  The Kansas River was the latest to be included in the National Water Trails System that was unveiled by Interior Secretary Salazar in February of 2012. This event may help focus attention on the Kaw that has been included in the top ten list of America’s most endangered rivers by the American Rivers organization. To read comments by Jessie Thomas-Bate the Coordinator of Most Endangered Rivers visit http://www.americanrivers.org/newsroom/blog/jthomas-20120531-making-the-right-decision-for-the-kansas-river.html

Yes, Kids Watch a Lot of TV, but We Shouldn’t Give Up on Getting Them Outside

The scariest thing about television may not be the array of monster movies lined up on basic cable this month.

A new report from Common Sense Media (PDF ) finds that more than half of all American children between the ages of 0-8 now have access to one of the newer mobile devices at home, and nearly one-third have a TV in their bedroom. Overall, it indicates that ‘screen time’ is higher than ever for kids.

As if by providence alone, the American Academy of Pediatrics warned last week about the need to beat back this very trend, formally cautioning parents to limit their young kids’ screen time—and even the amount of time they spend watching TV near their kids.

But the former study concentrates largely on the breakdown of what kinds of media kids are using, and how they split up demographically. It spends a lot of timing parsing out childhood use of mobile apps and equal access to TV. It certainly doesn’t mention screen alternatives.

And the latter warning, while commendable, actually represents a softened stance from a similar 1999 recommendation:

Dr. Brown said the new policy was less restrictive because “the Academy took a lot of flak for the first one, from parents, from industry, and even from pediatricians asking, ‘What planet do you live on?’ ” The recommendations are an attempt to be more realistic, given that, between TVs, computers, iPads and smartphones, households may have 10 or more screens.

So while we learn more all the time about the scale and toll of the indoor (and screen-bound) childhood epidemic, many seem to be conceding defeat—or at least admitting that prying kids away from TVs, computers and the like is simply too unrealistic.

Risks of (and Alternatives to) a Screen-Bound Childhood

We shouldn’t be so quick to throw in the towel. As covered here and elsewhere, a couch potato lifestyle can lead to serious health problems (among them an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, nearsightedness and vitamin D deficiency); concentration and creativity deficiencies; and a weaker connection to the natural world.

Children who play outside are healthier, more creative in their play and show better concentration. Sometimes ignored but no less important, research (PDF) has shown that outdoor activities like hiking or camping can positively influence a kid’s attitudes toward nature (and environmentally conscious behavior) when they grow up.

Instead of screen time (or at least balancing moderate screen time), encourage your kids to do something outdoors the next time they say they’re bored.

Wild Turkey Federation to Fund Kansas Habitat Projects

More than $56,000 appropriated for 2012

The Kansas Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) has announced appropriation of $56,200 for Kansas wildlife habitat projects in 2012 through the organization’s Super Fund. These projects help fund everything from grassland and forest restoration to education outreach.

“I am pleased to say that, through the hard work of our volunteers, we were able to provide funding to all project requests this year, our largest Super Fund ever,” said Jared W. McJunkin, NWTF Western Region conservation field supervisor. “Our members, supporters, and volunteers deserve a lot of credit for their hard work and support to make this happen.”

Projects funded by the Kansas Super Fund proposals for 2012 include the following:

♦ Clinton Wildlife Area — $3,000 for Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) continued grassland restoration efforts;

♦ Kansas public lands forest management — $18,000 to be used to secure outside partner funding match for a Public Lands Forestry Initiative;

♦ Riparian hardwood restoration — $5,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for riparian bottomland restoration on the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge;

♦ Walk-In Hunter Access (WIHA) Program enhancement — $5,500 to KDWPT to create a special incentive to increase new enrollment in the spring WIHA program in northcentral Kansas;

♦ Fall River Wildlife Area — $5,700 to KDWPT for a new forest management project on FRWA;

♦ Woodson Wildlife Area — $4,000 to KDWPT for continued restoration of 400 acres of native grass savannah;

♦ Leavenworth State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area — $2,500 to KDWPT for continued removal of eastern redcedar from grasslands;

♦ Douglas State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area — $3,000 to KDWPT for continued establishment of forest openings;

♦ Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake #1 — $2,000 to KDWPT to create/enhance forest openings;

♦ 1st Pioneer Upland Chapter — $500 to the NWTF Chapter in Iola to conduct a prescribed fire educational day in partnership with KDWPT;

♦ Big Hill WA — $2,000 to KDWPT for grasslands restoration;

♦ Regional Biologist Program — $5,000;

♦ 1st Pioneer Upland Chapter — $1,250 for support of two National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) kits for area schools;

♦ Western Kansas NWTF Chapter — $1,250 for purchasing a NASP kit for the local school; and

♦ 2011 Kansas ECO-Meet — $1,800 for continued support of the Kansas State ECO-Meet.

In addition, funding for 2012 includes $20,000 for the NWTF Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics, and Sportsmanship (JAKES); Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsmen events; local and state scholarship programs; and Wild About Turkeys education boxes for schools and educators across the state.

Quality Deer Management School

There will be a Quality Deer Management School August 25, 2012
 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Pratt Fairgrounds, Pratt, KS.
This is a free event with lunch provided.
Topics To Be Covered
Antlerless Deer Management & Buck Management – Lloyd Fox, KDWP
Food Plot Management – Steve Adams, KDWP
Managing Habitat and Early Succession, Kent Hensley
Survey Techniques for Population and Sex Ratio – Charles Lee, KSRE
Antler Growth, Aging Deer, Culling and Age Structure – Tim Donges, QDMA

For more
information and to
register, call the
Kingman County
Extension Office at
(620) 532-5131 or
e-mail


Event sponsored by American Ag Credit, Hayden Outdoors, Heartland Outdoors

Zebra Mussels Confirmed in Coffey County Lake

Officials with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the Wolf Creek Generating Station announced Friday that zebra mussels have been found in Coffey County Lake. Officials knew it was a matter of time before zebra mussels appeared in the lake near Burlington because the aquatic nuisance species (ANS) had been detected in Marion Reservoir three years ago. The Cottonwood River flows from Marion Reservoir into the Neosho River, which then fills John Redmond Reservoir. Coffey County Lake, which is the cooling lake for Kansas‘ only nuclear power plant, gets its water from John Redmond. The larval stage of zebra mussels, called veligers, are microscopic and free-floating in water. Transmission downstream from an established population is the only method of spreading zebra mussels that is inevitable.

Wolf Creek officials were prepared for this event and have implemented procedures and equipment to ensure that zebra mussels won’t interfere with the generating station’s operations.

Zebra mussels are small, bi-valve mollusks with striped shells. They are native to the Black and Caspian seas of Western Asia and Eastern Europe and have been spread across the world via shipping. They were discovered in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River in 1988. Zebra mussels quickly spread through out the Great Lakes and to many inland rivers including the Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas andHudson. They first appeared in Kansas in 2003 when they were discovered in El Dorado Reservoir. Public education programs were designed to inform boaters about the dangers of zebra mussels in our waters and ways to prevent spreading them. However, zebra mussels have been confirmed in more the a dozen Kansaslakes in the past nine years. Moving water in boats and bait buckets was identified as a likely vector and recently, KDWPT established stringent regulations regarding the use of wild-caught bait, as well as prohibiting the movement of live fish from lakes where zebra mussels have been found.

Although related, zebra mussels differ from our native mussels in several important categories. Perhaps the most important is their ability to produce very large populations in a short time. Unlike native mussels, zebra mussels do not require a host fish to reproduce. A large female zebra mussel is capable of producing 1 million eggs during the reproductive season. Once fertilized, eggs develop into microscopic veligers. These veligers cannot be seen by the naked eye and can be contained by the thousands in very small quantities of water. Veligers passively float within the water for up to two weeks before they settle out as young mussels. These young mussels quickly grow to adult size and reproduce during their first summer of life, thus adding to the problem of extremely dense populations.

After settling, zebra mussels develop byssal threads that allow the shells to attach to hard surfaces such as rocks, piers, and flooded timber. They also attach themselves to pipes, water intake structures, boat hulls, propellers, and lower units of out board motors. As populations continue to increase in these areas, they can clog intake pipes and prevent water treatment plants and electrical generating plants from drawing water. In 2012, two Kansas communities, Council Grove and Osage City, experienced water shortages because of zebra mussel infestations before water intake structures could be cleaned up. Removing large quantities of zebra mussels to ensure adequate water supplies can be labor-intensive and costly.

Zebra mussels are just one of the non-native aquatic species that threaten our waters and native wildlife. Boaters and anglers are reminded to follow basic precautions to stop the spread:

• Clean, drain and dry boats and equipment between uses

• Wild-caught bait may only be used in the lake or pool where it was caught

• Live fish may not be moved from waters infested with zebra mussels or other aquatic nuisance species

• Livewells and bilges must be drained and drain plugs removed from all vessels prior to transport from any Kansas water on a public highway

CORRECTION – HUNTER EDUCATION CLASS SCHEDULE

A Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) news release dated July 19, 2012, and entitled “Wildlife and Parks Posts Hunter Education Class Schedule Online” contains two errors. The first regards class listings for Region 5 (southeast Kansas). Seven Internet-assisted course are listed for that region, but none are offered. Region 5 currently offers seven traditional courses, as follow:

  • Aug. 7-11 — Fort Scott
  • Aug. 13-25 — Parsons
  • Aug. 24-25 — Iola
  • Sept. 11-15 — Fort Scott
  • Oct. 9-13 — Fort Scott
  • Oct. 14-21 —Garnett
  • Oct. 15-27 — Parsons

In addition, the date for an Internet-assisted course scheduled for Randolph, in Region 2 (northeast Kansas), should read “Oct. 13.”

Lake Erie Water Samples Test Positive for Asian Carp eDNA

Federal and state wildlife officials working in conjunction with academic researchers today announced six water samples taken from Sandusky and north Maumee bays tested positive for the presence of Asian carp environmental DNA in Michigan and Ohio waters.

The positive samples were among 417 taken from Lake Erie in August 2011, and more than 2,000 samples taken from the Great Lakes Basin since 2010. The Lake Eriebatch was recently analyzed and test results were confirmed by eDNA researchers this week. The six positive samples represent less than 1.5 percent of the Lake Erie samples.

Four samples from Sandusky Bay, in Ohio waters, tested positive for bighead carp eDNA, while two samples from north Maumee Bay, in Michigan waters, were positive for silver carp eDNA.

In response to these findings, electro-shocking and netting began Friday inSandusky Bay with no evidence of Asian carp found. However, additional testing and monitoring are planned by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources in conjunction with partner agencies.

The findings indicate the presence of genetic material left behind by the species, such as scales, excrement or mucous, but not the establishment of Asian carp in Lake Erie. Positive eDNA tests are regarded by the scientific community as an indicator of the species’ recent presence, however, positive results can occur whether the organism was alive or dead.

While the eDNA findings suggest the possible presence of the invasive species, officials have no physical evidence the fish have migrated to the Great Lakes. Prior to 2003, three individual bighead carp were collected in Lake Erie. No additional observations have been reported during the past decade.

“The results from these water samples are certainly concerning, as this marks the first time Asian carp eDNA has been detected in water samples from Lake Erie, or any of the Michigan waters intensively surveyed for the presence of invasive carp,” said Michigan DNR Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter. “Protecting the Great Lakes from the threat of Asian carp is critical to the health of our sport and commercial fisheries and to the quality of life in Michigan. We are actively engaged in Asian carp surveillance programs throughout the Great Lakes, including Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, and the Department stands ready to take the necessary and appropriate actions to investigate and respond to these test results.”

In response to the positive test results, officials from the Michigan and Ohio DNRs, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and White House Council on Environmental Quality are developing a plan of action in collaboration with the eDNA research team to obtain follow-up samples and test results as quickly as possible. Test results from future water samples will dictate the nature of further response methods.

“This lake is Ohio‘s greatest resource and our main objective is to keep it healthy,” said Rich Carter, Ohio DNR’s Executive Fish Management and Research Administrator. “The DNA findings have put Ohio fish and wildlife officers on high alert and marshaled our immediate action. In response to these findings, electro-shocking and netting in the identified areas of Sandusky Bay have already been completed and no Asian carp were found. Testing and monitoring will continue and we will work with Michigan and our other management partners to develop a coordinated approach to defining the status of Asian carp in Lake Erie.”

Since 2010, the Michigan DNR, Ohio DNR, USFWS, University of Notre Dame,Central Michigan University and the Nature Conservancy have partnered to collect water samples from Great Lakes basin waters, including the Chicago Area Waterway System, southern Lake Michigan, western Lake Erie and tributary streams of lakes Michigan andErie. The collaborative early-detection Asian carp surveillance program is funded by the USFWS with a federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, administered under the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework.

Asian carp, including bighead and silver carp, pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy. Anglers are urged to become familiar with the identification of Asian carp, including both adults and juveniles, as the spread of juvenile Asian carp through the use of live bait buckets has been identified as a potential point of entry into Great Lakes waters.

A video demonstrating how to identify bighead and silver carp can be viewed on the USFWS YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/B49OWrCRs38. Identification guides, frequently asked questions, management plans and an online reporting form are available online at www.michigan.gov/asiancarp and www.wildohio.com, or call 800-WILDLIFE.

The Michigan and Ohio Departments of Natural Resources are committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the region’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken Radio Series

Are you aware that the Lesser Prairie-chicken will be proposed for listing as a threatened and endangered species this September? Do you work, live, or own land in prime prairie-chicken-habitat in western Kansas? How would a threatened and endangered listing affect your operation and land use choices?

These and many more questions will be answered during the course of an upcoming radio series on the Lesser Prairie-chicken. The 8-part series will be hosted by Eric Atkinson and broadcast on the Agriculture Today program. The series will begin July 3, 2012 at 10:36 AM with an overview of the Lesser Prairie-chicken situation by Charlie Lee, Extension wildlife specialist. Subsequent interviews will be broadcasted during the same time slot on Tuesdays throughout July and August. Interviewees will be from Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, Natural Resources Conservation Service,Farm Service Agency, Kansas Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Broadcasts will be streamed live and then archived on the Agriculture Today website.

 

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NRCS Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative

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