Sports shows indicate it will be a busy year

Gordon Weixel

Public Information Officer

The message is clear, it’s been a long winter and people are itchin’ to get outside and have a good time, whether it be camping, fishing, hiking, biking, or you name it… North Dakota’s state parks are going to be busy this year.

At least that’s my takeaway following the completion of the recently completed outdoor sports shows held in Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot and Williston. If you had a chance to take in one of these shows and stopped by the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department booth you possibly talked to me or one of the park staff that helped out that included Grahams Island manager Henry Duray, Turtle River manager Steve Crandall, newly appointed Fort Stevenson manager Chad Trautman, Lewis and Clark manager Greg Corcoran and rangers Keith Orth, Dan Ryba and Ryan Nelson.

My first indication it’s going to be a good year were the number of annual vehicle passes that were sold at the shows. In the past there have been requests for between 30 or 40 passes. This year over 30 were sold at Minot alone, and all told, nearly 60 were sold.

Another tell that it’s going to be a good year for park visitation, were the number of materials that were given out at the booths. I usually take enough stuff and a lot comes back to headquarters in Bismarck. But this year there wasn’t much that came back, in fact, packing up was fairly easy. 

People were particularly interested in the hiking guides and the brochure on the new Pembina Gorge motorized trail. Trails for off-highway vehicles on public land are few and far between in North Dakota, and over the past few years popularity of ATVs has seen a tremendous growth. In response to the growing demand, the NDPRD created the Pembina Gorge trail which held its grand opening last year. The 12-mile trail, which is available to OHVs, will be doubled this year with an additional 12 miles scheduled to be created this spring.

At each show the NDPRD held a drawing for those visiting the booth and filling out an entry with name, address, phone and email. This year’s winners were Debra Ludwig (Williston), Shane Lider (Minot), Craig Sharp (Grand Forks) and Lucilda Herman (Bismarck). The NDPRD appreciates all those that stopped by and filled out entry forms.

This year the Minot KX Sports Show was far and away the busiest, as it usually is. This year the Minot Show offered the “Dock Dogs” competition which was a great draw. The Bismarck Tribune Sports Show also held Dock Dogs, for the third year, and it was among the best shows in several years. The Grand Forks Men’s Show had a very busy Saturday as did The Williston Sports and Recreation Show.  Hopefully, next year each show will be even bigger and better, and you can be sure the NDPRD will be represented.

Gordon Weixel

The 5 W's (and one H) of Summer Employment

By Stacy High - Administrative Assistant

Who: You! Do you want to work outdoors this summer? Do you want to have fun while earning money? Consider a summer position at one of North Dakota’s state parks!

What: State Parks are looking for seasonal administrative assistants, maintenance personnel, park attendants, interpreters/historians and park rangers.

Where: North Dakota State Parks which are located across the state and there’s sure to be one close to you.

Why: North Dakota Parks and Recreation is a great place to work!

Stacy High-
Administrative Assistant

When: Applications are now being accepted.  

How: Job applications and more information can be found at:  http://www.parkrec.nd.gov/information/department/employment.html   Applications should be sent directly to the parks you are interested in working at.

Snow Science

by Amy Schimetz - Interpreter and Lake Metigoshe Outdoor Learning Center Coordinator

People often look outside in the winter and simply comment, whether good or bad, on the snow.  However, many don’t give much thought what snow is made of, how it’s made or why there are both large and small flakes.  The science behind snow is fascinating.

Snowflakes are made of ice crystals forming around tiny bits of dirt that were carried up into the atmosphere by wind.  When the dirt particles reach clouds where temperatures are below freezing, ice crystals form around them and create snowflakes. Each snowflake is six-sided because of the shape and bonding of water molecules.  A snowflake can be made from as many as 200 ice crystals. As the snow crystals grow, they become heavier and fall toward the ground.

It is said that no two snowflakes are alike, but they can be classified into types of crystals: needles, columns, plates, columns capped with plates, dendrites and stars.  The type of crystal depends upon humidity and temperature present during formation.  That’s why when it’s very cold and snowing, the flakes are small and when it’s closer to 32 degrees, the flakes are larger. 

Amy Schimetz-Interpreter

Take a closer look to see if you can classify some snowflakes.  Since they melt so quickly you need to freeze a dark piece of paper or cloth by leaving it outside for several minutes. Put some snowflakes on the dark surface and examine them, perhaps with a magnifier. Don't expect to easily find a perfect six-sided snowflake. They occur less than 25 percent of the time because snowflakes have a bumpy, difficult journey on their way to earth. Each flake is buffeted by wind, water and other snowflakes. However, with persistence you'll see some beautiful examples.

A Day in the Life of Green and Khaki

by Nessa Schrank -Administrative Assistant Turtle River State Park

Working at Turtle River State Park but living in Grand Forks gives me a 20 mile commute every morning to see the beauty that nature offers. The morning commute gives me the opportunity to see a lot of things people in town don’t have the opportunity to see.  Some of these visual treats include the ice covered trees sparkling in the sun along Highway 2 and seeing just how much snow really accumulated the night before (since we all know the forecasts aren’t always correct). As my car follows the road that curves around the front marsh into the park I can always count on seeing some type of wildlife Turtle River State Park has to offer, whether it is the hairy and downy woodpeckers, blue jays, or white-tailed deer. 

Working as an Administrative Assistant means I spend a lot of time in the office. You may see me with my face buried in paperwork, or yapping away on the phone taking reservations for the year round rental facilities that call Turtle River State Park home. There are always plenty of Thanksgiving and Christmas parties eagerly being booked in the upper level of the Chalet especially since the new handmade wood furniture and fireplaces really add that “comfy in nature” feel to the space. The Woodland Lodge is getting its fair share of calls this time of year with anxious brides planning their weddings for the summer of 2013. 

When I’m not buried in paperwork, taking reservations, or ordering new merchandise for the gift shop for visitors to take home as memories of their fun filled stay at the park, I’m actively using one of the finest skill sets every park employee must learn to master.  What is that skill set you ask?...WELL, that would be the fine art of upside down map navigation. In order to show newcomers where they are headed to take a hike on the trails, or where the best place to spot those white-tailed deer are, we need to possess the ability to read that map upside down and backwards…what an interesting task! There are many fine talents among the staff at any of our ND State Parks.



Nessa Schrank-
Administrative Assistant Turtle Rver State Park
 

 We encourage you to come on out, see the winter beauty the outdoors has to offer, and appreciate the talents all staff possess. Every park, statewide, looks forward to seeing your smiling faces!

 

 

The Frozen Wood Frog

by Amy Schimetz - Interpreter and Lake Metigoshe Outdoor Learning Center Coordinator

One of the most common frogs in North Dakota is the wood frog, which is prevalent in areas north and east of the Missouri River.  It’s easily identified by its dark mask around the eyes.  The wood frog lives near moist wetlands.  Their range extends farther north than any other frog, having been found in shallow ponds located in the Canadian tundra. 

The wood frog baffles scientists as it is an extreme hibernator.  It has the ability to basically freeze solid and come back to life every year. 

When winter temperatures and snow falls, the wood frog pulls water from its limbs into the center of its body.  This puts its organs in a puddle of water, which turns to solid ice.  Soon, there is no breathing, no functioning kidneys and its heart actually stops for days or even weeks depending upon the winter.  Before the frog flooded itself, it produced a type of sugar that works like antifreeze so the cells stay moist enough to hold together when freezing.  When spring comes and the frogs begin to thaw, water flows back into the cells, the heart starts to beat once again and the frog begins to breathe.  Within a day or two, the frog appears to come back to life, stretching out its limbs and hopping away.  Wood frogs are able to do this year after year.

Amy Schimetz - Interpreter

Scientists are still trying to figure out how it’s possible for the wood frog to accomplish this amazing task.

Check out this video on YouTube to see this amazing freezing/thawing frog in action.