Volunteer Steve Pritchard of Albion helped Blakely Hutsell of Kearney, a Meadowlark Elementary fifth grader, hold and prepare to fire a shotgun for the first time.
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LORI POTTER, COURTESY
Children from Kearney's Zion Lutheran School learned about bees, butterflies and moths from framed displays during presentations by Neil Dankert of Elm Creek, whose hat is in the foreground.Â
LORI POTTER, COURTESY
Bryant Elementary pupils had fun paddling in the water in kayaks. For many, it was their first time in the compact watercraft.
LORI POTTER. COURTESY
Heidi LaClair of Kearney shows Kenesaw Elementary pupils a barred owl. It's one of the captive raptors at Aurora's Edgerton Explorit Center.Â
LORI POTTER, COURTESY
The Axtell fourth graders who enjoyed catching 5- to 10-pound carp at the Aquatic Touch Tank May 7 were among an estimated 2,000 upper elementary students from 45 schools who attended the 2026 Central Outdoor Discovery Program on May 6 and 7. The event started in 2007 and has been at Fort Kearny since 2009. The Axtell students are, from left, Cole Axtell, Knox Smidt, Henry Johnson, J.J. Reiss and Kolton Schneider.
More than 2,000 fourth, fifth and sixth graders from 45 central Nebraska schools enjoyed a day of outdoor fun and learning at the Fort Kearny State Recreation Area this past week.
Volunteer Steve Pritchard of Albion helped Blakely Hutsell of Kearney, a Meadowlark Elementary fifth grader, hold and prepare to fire a shotgun for the first time.
Children from Kearney's Zion Lutheran School learned about bees, butterflies and moths from framed displays during presentations by Neil Dankert of Elm Creek, whose hat is in the foreground.Â
The Axtell fourth graders who enjoyed catching 5- to 10-pound carp at the Aquatic Touch Tank May 7 were among an estimated 2,000 upper elementary students from 45 schools who attended the 2026 Central Outdoor Discovery Program on May 6 and 7. The event started in 2007 and has been at Fort Kearny since 2009. The Axtell students are, from left, Cole Axtell, Knox Smidt, Henry Johnson, J.J. Reiss and Kolton Schneider.
