Members

Greetings Fellow Master Naturalists,

After many cancelled events since March, the River City Chapter is actually having a meeting in August.

What: Socially distant kayaking, hiking, and cleanup event
Where: Flanagan Lake, 168th & Fort, in Northwest Omaha (directions to follow in a separate message)
When: Saturday, 22 August, 2-6 PM, arrive and depart at your own convenience
"Group launch" of kayaks into lake ~2:30-3:00 PM, you may arrive early and/or stay late to watch the sunset

Kayak rentals: If you don't have a kayak or arrangements to borrow one, there is a rental kiosk at Flanagan, but you MUST RESERVE IN ADVANCE. Their rates are $25 per 2 hour increment. They have both "sit in" and "sit on" kayaks. They expect multiple rentals from our group, but will only reserve one for you if you make your own arrangements.
https://neighborhoodoffshore.com/rentals
(402) 348-9889
aloha@neighborhoodoffshore.com

Other information:
• Omaha Parks & Recreation expects to supply bags & gloves for clean-up and has requested we start at the boat ramp area.
• We will bring at least one pop-up screen tent to supply our own shade in addition to the picnic shelters, which we cannot reserve. (Does anyone know where the NMN popup canopy we use is? It would be very useful.)
• Bring a portable chair and your own food (we will have some coolers to share, but no sharing food).
• CDC Social Distancing recommendations will be followed.
• A "Shore Party" of non-kayakers will hike, talk, watch birds, and pick up some trash on shore.

Attached is a file with an annotated map and repeat of the directions to the boat ramp (it skirts a developing neighborhood).
If anyone is renting kayaks at Flanagan Lake, the rental periods start at (11 AM,) 1 PM, and 3 PM. The 3 PM time is closest to our planned "group launch" time, so we'll probably gather at the picnic shelter and clean the boat ramp area for awhile before anyone gets on the water. We're flexible Master Naturalists. Remember to make rental reservations ahead of time. As of this past weekend, the outfitter had several kayaks available at 3 PM (and 1 PM).

There is no sign for the lake on 168th Street or on Ida Street.
• North of Fort St on 168th St.
• First turn north of Fort on the left (west) is Hartman
• Right turn (only option) at 169th St.
• Left turn on Himebaugh (first intersection)
• Straight across H.W.S. Cleveland St. to enter parking area for boat ramp. There is a sign for Flanagan Lake to the right of the entrance, but the lake is straight ahead, so it’s obvious by then.
• Overflow parking is on Cleveland.
• There is a picnic shelter at the far (northish) end of the parking lot and we will rendezvous there. We will use our pop-up(s) for additional shaded space if necessary.
• There is a pair of rest rooms at that parking area.
There is a second picnic/playground area just south of Ida Street (noted on the map, and "directions") east of the Ida Street bridge over the lake. If we have issues at the boat ramp, that is our back-up base site, but we will initially gather at the picnic shelter at the boat ramp.
If you've got a cooler, we could use a couple more to share cold space, but do not plan to share FOOD.
If we expand into our own pop-up shade, you'll want a chair. You may want one for spacing anyway. Bring sun screen, hats, masks, hand sanitizer and/or soap, binoculars, field guides, etc.
The city should be providing us with bags and gloves for collecting trash, but you may bring your own gloves. I told the city 15-20 people, but would love to see more.
Here are links to the waiver forms for "Volunteers in the Parks" (VIPs). They include an option for photographs to be used by the city. THey are submitted and filed electronically. Do not bring a copy to the event, but please submit it beforehand.
For the "Volunteer Organization/Group Name" field on the waiver, I put "Nebraska Master Naturalists/River City Chapter". For the "Event name/location" field, I entered "Cleanup at Flanagan Lake".
Adult Waiver Form: http://bit.ly/2LO8N7Vadult
Youth Waiver Form (under 19): http://bit.ly/2XGKwmgyouth

Judy Bouma, Scheduler
River City Chapter
jebouma1@gmail.com