Daily Archives: July 21, 2016

Check out FOK’s new Hydrocache locations!

Water Quality Hydrocaching is geocaching with a twist! Developed by Friends of the Kaw with the help of a Johnson County Stormwater Education grant and the Mid-American Regional Council (MARC), hydrocaching uses the geocache format to help you learn about water quality in the Kansas River.

Three caches are located at Kansas River boat ramps in metro Kansas City and ten caches are located at Best Management Practice (BMP)  sites in Johnson County that help prevent pollution from stormwater runoff. When you find the cache you will be asked to do a simple water quality test or answer a question about the BMP practice. Enter your data or answer in the cache’s log book. Earn a free canoe rental on one of our Educational Float trips after you find 10 hydrocaches!

Hydrocache locations are also entered on geocaching.com – you can register for free on this site and use your smart phone to help you find the caches. You can also report to us when you find the cache from this application. Hydrocaches coordinates:

Kaw Point Boat Ramp Hydrocache: N 39° 06.977 W 094° 36.793

Edwardsville Boat Ramp Hydrocache: N 39° 03.015 W 094° 48.987

De Soto Boat Ramp Hydrocache: N 38° 59.090 W 094° 58.481

Turkey Creek Hydrocache (Merriam) – N 39° 00.450 W 094° 41.954

Little Mill Creek Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 38° 59.668 W 094° 44.649

Wet Pond Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 39° 01.365 W 094° 46.900

Clear Creek Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 39° 00.949 W 094° 50.399

Hydrodynamic Separator Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 38° 59.958 W 094° 51.982

Retention Basin Hydrocache (Lenexa) – N 38° 58.553 W 094° 52.343

Pervious Pavement Hydrocache (Lenexa) – N 38° 57.250 W 094° 50.880

Wetland Hydrocache (Lenexa) – N 38° 57.544 W 094° 50.890

Little Cedar Creek Hydrocache (Olathe) – N 38° 52.924 W 094° 50.313

Rain Garden Hydrocache (Olathe) – N 38° 51.712 W 094° 50.716

We have already had over 130 hydrocache finds!  Have fun and be safe!

Fishing’s Future/KDWPT Fish Kansas instructor certification class

Lakewood Discovery Center

205 Lakewood Drive

Salina, KS

Saturday, August 20th

Most of us have had a mentor at some point in our lives that inspired us, taught us, and delighted in our successes. It’s a wonderful thing, but not everyone is so lucky, especially when it comes to having an outdoor mentor. By becoming a volunteer certified angler instructor through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Angler Education program, you’ll not only have an avenue for sharing your passion for angling with others, but you too, could be someone’s mentor. To get you started, a certification course will be held from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Lakewood Discovery Center, 205 Lakewood Drive, Salina Kansas 67401, on Saturday, August 2oth.

Topics Covered:

▪ Fishing Regulations

▪ Species Identification

▪ Fishing Ethics

▪ Equipment

▪ Knot-tying

▪ Casting

▪ Fish Habitat

▪ Aquatic Nuisance Species

▪ Conservation Practices

In addition to becoming certified, anglers will also receive a sample curriculum and tips for preparing a class.

 

Participants must be 18 years old and pass a background check prior to certification.

 

Youth between the ages of 12 and 17 with a signed parental form can also take the workshop and gain Junior Assistant Angling Volunteer status. This age group must work with a certified instructor when hosting an aquatic education activity, clinic, derby or outreach.

 

To sign up please go to www.fishingsfuture.org find the events page and scroll through till you find the Salina course. If you cannot sign up on line or have any questions please contact Stuart Scott by email at [email protected], or phone at (316) 648-9847.

Pokemon GO going wild at Kansas state parks

Elusive Pokemon GO characters have been spotted at many Kansas state parks and nature centers, and there’s no better time to join the chase. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) welcomes Pokemon hunters stalking the virtual critters that have popped up at some of the most picturesque and educational places in Kansas. The game is an exciting new way to get outdoors and enjoy all that natural Kansas has to offer.

“Pokemon GO is both fun and distracting, so we encourage players to use common sense and follow certain safety precautions while on a Pokemon quest,” said Linda Lanterman, State Parks Director.

Some of the basic safety rules include:

  • Be aware of your surroundings, especially along trails, roads, cliffs, stream banks and lakes. It is important to watch where you place your feet to avoid a fall, poison ivy or a venomous snake.
  • Stay on trails and don’t drive off roads into unauthorized areas.
  • Don’t trespass on private property which may be adjacent to park boundaries, and don’t enter someone else’s campsite or recreational vehicle.
  • Don’t operate a vehicle or boat while distracted by the game. Watch for pedestrians, bicyclists and wildlife along roads, around boat docks and in parking areas.
  • State park entrance fees still apply. Any vehicle entering a Kansas state park must have either an annual entrance permit or a daily entrance permit. The daily entrance permit is $5 and is available at the entrance gatehouse or kiosk. All state parks are open 24 hours, except for Kaw River State Park, which is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Prairie Spirit Trail, which is open during daylight hours only. Players can use the self-pay stations if a park office is closed.

KDWPT sports 26 state parks and six nature centers where visitors can enjoy the outdoors and learn about the natural history of Kansas. For information about the state parks and nature centers, visit ksoutdoors.com and click on either State Parks or Education.