NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/668245
MAY 2016 • NEBRASKAland 21 NEBRASKAland Visitor and Last issue's winner of the Visitor drawing was Ronn Hampton of Omaha, Nebraska, who found the water strider on page 74. Readers are encouraged to contact NEBRASKAland within 10 days after this issue's publication with the correct page number and name of this issue's "Visitor" – a critter found in Nebraska. We will then gather the correct entries and draw one to win a NEBRASKAland mug. To enter each month, write: NEBRASKAland Visitor 2200 North 33rd Street, Lincoln, NE 68503. Or e-mail: Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov with "Visitor" in the subject line of the message. HINT: This issue's visitor is not on pages 17, 21, or 77. Water striders (Family Gerridae) are a familiar sight to anyone who has spent time near a farm pond or quiet stream. These insects appear to skate along the surface of the water, immune to gravity. Water striders have thousands of tiny, water-repellent hairs on their toes, or tarsae, which prevent the insects from breaking the surface tension of the water, keeping the insects high and dry. Water striders are predators, hunting for insects and spiders as they glide across the water surface. They may appear to have only four legs, but like all adult insects, they actually have six. The front pair of legs are relatively short, held under the head, and used to grab prey. The longer middle and hind pairs are used for locomotion, and are easy to see spread out on the water surface. Public Access on the Platte By Evan Barrientos The Platte River fascinates me. Maybe it's my instinctive attraction to water. Maybe it's the languid flow that relaxes me. Or maybe I'm surprised by how beautiful it is because no one ever seems to talk about exploring the Platte. It's hard to take a trip in Nebraska without driving over the Platte, yet how often do we stop and see what's below those bridges? Part of the problem is that there's so little public access to the Platte. I know of a few observation decks and two tiny trails along its banks, but the vast majority is private property. Although the watercourse is considered public access, the minute you put your foot on the riverbed you are trespassing! This is such a shame because in my opinion the Platte is one of the greatest recreation opportunities Nebraska has to offer. On a sunny weekend its banks are my favorite place to sit and read, and every time a friend visits I make sure to bring him or her to a sandbar for a picnic. I have access to private land along the river, but most people aren't so lucky. Fortunately, if you don't own a section of the Platte the best recreation opportunity is still available to you: kayaking. I kayaked on the Platte twice last summer and it remains one of my favorite Nebraskan memories. When there's enough water for a decent flow you can cover 20 miles in an afternoon while hardly paddling. And boy was I surprised by how beautiful the scenery was! I expected the river to be bordered by corn fields, but the section between Gibbon and Wood River is actually surrounded by trees, creating the feeling that you are far, far away from it all. No other place in southern Nebraska has given me that feeling of peace and solitude. Kayaking the Platte requires having two cars to shuttle and renting kayaks if you don't own them, but it is well worth the trouble. The Platte River has a long history of sustaining Nebraska's society and agriculture, yet we alter it, diminish its flows, and ignore it. But if more people had a meaningful connection to it maybe we would treat it better. I challenge you to find your own special place or activity on the river. Get to know this wonderful resource if you haven't yet. The Platte deserves it. ■ Public access to the Platte: • Louisville State Recreation Area, Louisville • Platte River State Park, Louisville • Two Rivers State Recreation Area, Waterloo • Platte River Landing, Valley • The Crane Trust Visitor Center, Alda • Alda Road and Shoemaker Island Road (observation deck), Alda • Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon • Lowell Road and Elm Island Road (observation deck), Gibbon • Buffalo Bill State Recreation Area, North Platte • Cody Park, North Platte • Riverside Park, Scottsbluff locomotion, and are easy to see spread out on the water surface. Special thanks to Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist, Nebraska Department of Agriculture.