Join AOK at the Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary!

Upcoming Events

Hutton Sanctuary Tour & Board Meeting

Journey Into Creativity Art Retreat

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AOK Members,

We would like to invite you to join AOK on a trip to our beautiful Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary along the Niobrara River in the sandhills region of Nebraska.

From June 3 through June 5th we will be hosting several tours around our sanctuary, as well as along the scenic Niobrara River region. Please contact our office if you would like more information or to confirm your visit, (785) 537-4385 or aok@audubonofkansas.org. The schedule will go as follows:

Wednesday, June 2 ---

Arrive in Valentine, NE on Wednesday Evening. We suggest staying at the Trade Winds Motel on the south edge of town. The Ashfall (Fossil) State Park fifty miles to the east of Bassett is one destination we encourage folks to visit on their way to or from this part of Nebraska. The Lillian Annette Rowe Audubon Sanctuary southeast of Kearney is also worthy of a visit en route. Our Executive Director, Ron Klataske, had the good fortune of having the responsibility for purchasing most of the property for that Platte River sanctuary and getting observation blinds established in the mid-1970s. The state-of-the-art visitor center that has been developed more recently tallies a visitation of maybe 10,000 to 20,000 people yearly now.

Thursday, June 3 ---

We will then leave early on Thursday morning to tour and seek wildlife viewing opportunities within the 70,000-acre Valentine National Wildlife Refuge throughout the day. It is a spectacular example of Sandhills landscape with prairie hills, wet meadows, wetlands and lakes.

Friday, June 4 ---

Early Friday morning we will bird at several excellent areas just north of Valentine, and then take in part of the Fort Niobrara Wildlife Refuge. A mid-morning to mid-afternoon canoe trip from Cornell Bridge at the west edge of the refuge to Smith Falls State Park will be offered to all who would like to experience a modest canoe trip down the Niobrara River. It is not dangerous; the river is rather shallow and has a nice flow. The bluffs, forests and waterfalls along the river are delightful.

The plan for those who do not elect to canoe can include scenic driving and visitation to varous areas along the river valley between Valentine and Bassett. Canoeists can do the same following their day on the river, but they will not have as much time to linger and explore the country roads and wildlife areas. Please let us know if you would like to join us for one or both of these days.

Everyone is also invited to arrive on Friday at the sanctuary and enjoy the property, hiking the woods, canyons and along the river or river bluffs. Because early June is in the peak of the nesting season for prairie grouse and other sensitive grassland nesting birds, we will discourage a lot of random hiking in the open prairie. However, we have miles of country lanes and many less sensitive areas.

We will likely gather informally at the Bassett Lodge Cafe for dinner on Friday evening, or if arriving late in town, the local bar has food.

Saturday, June 5 ---

We will have a morning tour of the sanctuary, probably starting around 7:30 and including most of the morning. The tour will provide an opportunity to see the grassland, bottomland along the Niobrara and canyon landscapes on the property, and likely grassland birds including Sharp-tailed Grouse, Bobolinks, Upland Sandpipers and hopefully a pair of Long-billed Curlews. Woodland birds are likely to include Ovenbirds. This will also be a great opportunity to see the Hutton house that we are in the process of dramatically improving, the Lazy Easy guesthouse, and various wildlife habitat and rangeland management improvements that we have and/or are implementing.

Following the morning tour, we'll have lunch at the Range Cafe (Bassett Lodge) in Bassett, then have the afternoon Board of Trustees meeting in the Rock County Senior Center across the street. That will be followed by an opportunity to view the Lucille Hutton Art Show that will be displayed in the gallery inside/adjacent to the Variety Store - and/or a chance to visit the Soda Fountain there for a malt or milkshake. We'll then be going back out to the Hutton Sanctuary where we will enjoy that special place with plant and bird viewing -- and have a catered meal (BBQ, steaks or whatever is recommended and selected) and enjoy the evening setting on the hillside overlooking the river -- and a spectacular view of the nationally designated scenic river. If the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll gather at the Hutton house and enjoy that prairie setting.

Sunday, June 6 ---

Guests are welcome to further explore the Hutton Wildlife Sanctuary at their own will.