The Niobrara National Scenic River, along with the Niobrara Council, is offering opportunities for the public to participate in scientific research on Friday afternoons at 1 p.m. central time (CT). On Friday July 31st we will discuss how monarch tagging increases our knowledge of factors that affect the monarch migration. Citizen Science events will take place at the Niobrara National Scenic River Visitor Center located at 214 W. Highway 20, Valentine, NE 69201, and this will be the last one for this summer.
The topic for July 31, 2020 is Monarch tagging. Monarchs generally migrate during August and September, so this time is good for tagging. Not all Monarchs head for Mexico for the winter. Tagging allows scientists to monitor the migration activities and some factors that may affect the migration.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. Due to social distancing best practices, each session is limited to 9 participants. Please call to reserve your spot. Multiple sessions will be provided upon need. We encourage all ages, families, and single people to participate. It’s for everyone! At Niobrara National Scenic River, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.
You do not need to be a scientist to participate. These activities introduce the participant to a topic and show how it connects to the Niobrara River and provides instruction for an ongoing scientific research project. These activities can be done in your own communities or places you travel. Citizen Science is the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists.
Niobrara National Scenic River is one of America’s National Scenic Rivers and a unit of the National Parks Service in Valentine, Nebraska. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Facebook (Niobrara National Scenic River) and Instagram (@NiobraraRiverNPS). For more information, please call 402-376-1901 or visit www.nps.gov/niob. Visitor Center hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT daily. Admission is free of charge.