June Outdoor Camp for Kids at Junction City

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Six-day camp teaches youngsters outdoor skills from fishing, swimming, and star-gazing to canoeing, archery, and wingshooting; registration deadline May 28
JUNCTION CITY — The Kansas Wildlife Federation (KWF) and the K-State Cooperative Extension Service are sponsoring the 24th Annual Outdoor Adventure Camp (OAC) June 3-8 at the Camp WaShunGa area of Rock Springs 4-H Center, near Junction City. Youngsters ages 10 through 12 who enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more about it are encouraged to attend.

Participants will spend mornings exploring the grounds at Rock Springs with instructors, observing Kansas animals and plants close-up. Session subjects include insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fish management, wildlife management, wetlands, birds, and stream ecology. Afternoons will be spent learning about birds of prey, skins and skulls, bats, streams, and more general topics, including ecology, wetlands, riparian areas, and watersheds. Instructors from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Kansas State University, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, county conservation districts, and other organizations will be on hand.
After dark, participants may prowl for owls, star-gaze, or watch bats hunt bugs. Evening swims will be followed by campfire stories and snacks. One evening will feature a friendly fishing competition.
Other activities include scavenger hunts; swimming and canoeing; fishing; rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, archery, and pellet gun shooting; arts and crafts; and horseback riding. A trip to the Milford Nature Center and Fish Hatchery will occupy one day.
Participants should bring a swimsuit, sleeping gear, and clothes for a week. Sunscreen, insect repellent, a cap, a fishing pole, and a water bottle are also recommended. Food, instruction, and lodging are all included in the $300 price of the six-day camp. Some conservation groups and sportsman’s clubs offer Outdoor Adventure Camp scholarships. The Kansas Wildlife Federation and the Outdoor Writers of Kansas offer scholarships in cooperation with Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters. Space is limited to 50 youngsters, and the registration deadline is May 28.
For application, camp, or scholarship information, write Outdoor Adventure Camp, Theresa Berger, 406 S. New York Ave., Sylvan Grove, KS 67481; phone 785-526-7466; or e-mail bergkwf@wtciweb.com. Checks should be made out to the Kansas Wildlife Federation.

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LANDOWNERS: STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS NOW BEING ACCEPTED

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Program provides technical assistance and financial incentives to enhance wildlife habitat on private land in Kansas; March 31 deadline
PRATT — Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) officials have announced the State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Private Landowner Program has, to date, awarded $235,444 of SWG funds to 22 private landowners. Projects funded include removing invasive woody plants from native mixed-grass prairie, constructing alternate watering facilities to help with native short-grass prairie management, and construction of perimeter fencing on expiring CRP fields to help maintain those fields in native grass. These projects will improve more than 5,000 acres of habitat for “species of greatest conservation need” (SGCN) in Kansas.

KDWP originally received $400,000 of SWG funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to aid in the protection and management of priority habitats for SGCN, so applications are still being accepted, with a deadline of March 31. This is the third sign-up for this project during which KDWP may distribute the remaining $164,556 from the original $400,000 of SWG funds and an additional $83,000 in non-federal funds to private landowners interested in implementing habitat projects.

Those landowners receiving funding will be required to match a minimum of 25 percent of total project costs. This match can either be a cash contribution from a non-federal source or contributions of labor, materials, or equipment use.

Applications will be accepted until available funds have been committed.

To be eligible, applications must address issues and strategies identified in the Kansas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan, found on the KDWP website,www.kdwp.state.ks.us, under “Other Services/Kansas CWCP/Kansas CWCP.” Applications will be scored based on established criteria to ensure all applicants are considered fairly and that the highest ranking projects are selected. Higher priority consideration will be given to proposals that specifically address restoration and enhancement activities that will contribute to the development or maintenance of large grassland blocks capable of supporting area-sensitive wildlife species, the restoration or maintenance of areas supporting high densities of playa lakes surrounded by grasslands, and the restoration or enhancement of streams and associated riparian buffers.

Interested landowners should contact any KDWP regional office or private lands biologist for application materials or to schedule a consultation concerning a proposed project. Questions regarding program administration can be addressed to Roger Wolfe, KDWP Region 2 Office, 300 SW Wanamaker Road, Topeka, KS 66606, or by phoning 785-271-7388. Persons with special communication needs may use the Kansas Relay Center, 1-800-766-3777.