Walk with Wildlife
26th annual Walk With Wildlife will take place in Grate Plains Nature Center & Chisholm Creek Park on Saturday, June 12th 2010 from 9:00 AM till 3:00 PM. A Kids Fishing Clinic, sponsored by Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Flatland Fly Fishers, and The Wichita Eagle will be offered for kids 12 and under.
Last year, there were 400 kids in fishing clinic and 1,700 total participants. Admission is $2.00 per person at the gate. Kids fishing clinic registration will take place at the Walk with Wildlife. This year, we plan to serve 500 kids in Kids Fishing Clinic. We need volunteers to help Ken and KDWP volunteers to run the Kids Fishing Clinic. Most of kids are in between six to twelve years old and never have caught a fish. You may volunteer for the morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM) or the afternoon (12:00 PM - 4:00 PM) group. Each fishing session will have 50 kids and last 30 minutes. Please bring pliers, clippers, hat, sunglasses, and water.
Volunteers' responsibilities include;
Baiting hooks
and releasing fish
Taking photos of each kid with their fish
Having fun with
kids and helping to catch their first fish
Wear a Flatland Fly Fishers volunteer T-Shirts
What is Walk With Wildlife?
The Walk With Wildlife is sponsored by the Great Plains Nature Center on the second Saturday of June each year. Visitors to the Chisholm Creek Park nature trails have a unique opportunity to view a large selection of live, native Kansas wildlife at 20 stations along a 1 mile section of nature trail. Experts are on hand at each station answering questions and visiting with the families, school groups, and scouts that flock to the event.
The animals are provided through a variety of sources; The Kansas Wildlife Exhibit supplies the event with most of the birds and mammals which have included hawks, owls, eagles, ducks, quail, magpie, vulture, bobcat, beaver, badger, porcupine, armadillo, mink, opossum, raccoon, flying squirrel, red fox, woodchuck, coyote, white-tailed deer and more. Local members of the Kansas Herpetological Society provide an assortment of reptiles and amphibians and members of the Ark Valley Butterfly Club outfit the insect stations.
Volunteers for the Walk With Wildlife come from a variety of organizations and agencies including the Great Plains Nature Center, Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wichita Audubon Society, Kansas Herpetological Society, Kansas Ornithological Society, Ark Valley Butterfly Club, Sedgwick County Zoo, Kansas Wildlife Federation, Optimists, school teachers, students, businessmen, hobbyists and wildlife enthusiasts.
The Walk With Wildlife has grown considerably since the initial efforts in 1984when 400 people enjoyed the efforts of27 volunteers. In the last several years, the event has attracted nearly 3,000 visitors and utilizes more than 140 volunteers. Since we initiated the Walk With Wildlife concept several other communities have begun similar events.
Although the magnitude of this event has grown over the years, the purpose has remained constant. The Walk With Wildlife provides visitors of all ages a fun, educational exposure to wildlife. Kansas is home to a unique, abundant and diverse wildlife resource; Visitors leave with an appreciation for these animals, a better understanding of how they live in the wild and an understanding of the importance of wildlife habitat and the need to protect it.
For more information click here or call 316-268-6382.