The Importance
of Play \ Facebook
The Junior
League of Omaha, the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, and MORE
Nature are proud to announce that the second edition of the GO! Play Adventure
begins May 31. This free family
treasure hunt guide encourages families to get outside and visit local parks
and other areas in search of rubbing posts.
"This is
not just a treasure hunt," says Christine Jacobsen of the Papio-Missouri River
Natural Resources District (NRD). "This is a fabulous way to get families
outside, playing and experiencing nature. Our guidebook features 25 locations
all over the metro area to encourage you to visit new parks and other
conservation sites. Playing and enjoying the out-of-doors is all part of the
treasure."
Sponsored
by MORE Nature, the Papio NRD, and the Junior League of Omaha, GO! Play
Adventure is in its second year in the metro area. The new guidebook gives
clues where to find the posts at 25 locations and each page has a place to make
a rubbing from the post graphic.
Sites featured in the guidebook include Omaha favorites such as the Joslyn Art
Museum Sculpture Garden, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Fontenelle Forest, Elmwood
Park, BounceU, Mahoney State Park and Vala's Pumpkin Patch. Some of the lesser
known, but interesting spots to visit include Allwine Prairie Preserve, Heron
Haven Wetland, DeSoto Bend, Haworth Park and OPPD's Arboretum.
Books are
available for pick up at several locations throughout town including Chalco
Hills Recreation Area, Joslyn Art Museum, Fontenelle Forest, Hitchcock Nature
Center, Mahoney State Park and BounceU.
Families
have one year to complete 20 of the 25 rubbings and must also complete two
sites of their own to qualify for prizes. The Papio NRD at Chalco Hills will
accept the completed books.
Besides a
place to discover and play, all sites have one aspect in common this year: they
feature conservation efforts by local groups. For example, at Mahoney State
Park the post is located near the Conservatory which the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission use to grow trees for planting throughout its state park
system. At Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, the post is situated near a tree
which is from Johnny Appleseed heritage.
The post
graphics also promote the conservation aspect as they all feature native
Nebraska plants and animals.
As families
experience sites around the metro area, the visitors are encouraged to blog or post
about their GO! Play Adventures on Facebook.
For more information, please contact
GO! Play Adventure Coordinator, Michelle Zych at m_zych@hotmail.com.
Facebook: Follow the Go! Play
Adventure on Facebook! Become a fan,
post your pictures and share you experiences!
Click
here to visit our page!
MORE Nature
is a collaborative initiative to bring more outdoor, nature-based play to the
children of the Greater Omaha area. The project is being undertaken by a
consortium of interested organizations: the Papio-NRD, The Nature Conservancy,
Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood, Hitchcock Nature Center, Lauritzen
Gardens, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Omaha by Design, Audubon Society of
Omaha, Sierra Club, Fontenelle Nature Association, Henry Doorly Zoo, Schram Aquarium
(NGPC), National Arbor Day Foundation, National Park Service, Omaha Children's
Museum and the Junior League of Omaha.