Connecting People
With Nature
Wachiska Holiday Potluck Dinner, Silent Auction, and Program
Thursday, December 12, 5:30 p.m. dinner
7:00 p.m. program,
Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street and program via YouTube link: https://youtube.com/live/3EOLjlxrjHA?feature=share
Timelapse Photo Array of
Wachiska’s Highlights
by Dakota Altman, Platte Basin Timelapse
As we complete another full revolution around the sun, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished—both individually and together. Wachiska and its dedicated members have spent this year educating school groups, fostering meaningful connections within communities, and acting as stewards of some of Nebraska’s last postage-stamp prairies, protecting and caring for them for wildlife and future generations.
To honor the incredible work Wachiska’s loyal members have done in 2024, we’ve assembled a 20-minute slideshow of prairies, events, seed harvests, our very own timelapse, and so much more. Wachiska’s prairies are a place of solace for me, as I know they are for many others. Each visit brings a renewed sense of wonder and appreciation—from the bobolinks calling across a dew-laden prairie in spring, to the towering spires of liatris in summer, and to the quiet stillness of a fall morning.
The program features photos from Wachiska members, including Ethan Freese, Ross Scott, Mark Brohman, and myself.
Dakota Altman has served two years on the Wachiska Board and was just re-elected to another term. He earned a BS degree in fisheries and wildlife and a Master of Applied Science in the field of conservation storytelling. He currently works for the Platte Basin Timelapse project to elevate the stories of people around our watershed and the beauty and importance of prairies and wetland ecosystems. Dakota has been active with the conservation committee. Recently a timelapse camera was installed on our Knott Prairie. Some of these photos will be included in this pictorial presentation along with images of chapter highlights over the first 50 years of Wachiska’s history.
Timelapse photography is a visual story of how a place changes over time. Our team explores the Platte Basin and other watersheds to share stories of people, wildlife, and landscapes. Platte Basin Timelapse has been in motion since 2011, and is a project with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Still photos, videos, and music combine to make these presentations something to remember for a long time.
Join us all on Thursday, December 12, at 5:30 p.m. for a potluck dinner at our usual meeting site, Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Bring a favorite dish or two to share along with your own table service, including silverware and serving utensils for your shared dish. A silent auction will be ongoing throughout the evening, so bring your checkbook and pick up some gifts and relics. Then at 7:00 p.m. sharp the slide presentation will begin and will be live-streamed on YouTube at
https://youtube.com/live/3EOLjlxrjHA?feature=share
No registration is needed. This presentation can also be viewed at a later time. Check Wachiska’s website for links to past programs.
December 2024 Calendar of Events
December 9 Conservation Committee via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.
December 12 Holiday Potluck & Silent Auction
begins at 5:30 p.m.;
slide show by Dakota Altman at 7:00 p.m. will
be live-streamed; no registration needed
(see link above)
December 14 Prairies Pines Holiday Open House
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
December 15 Newsletter Deadline, Wachiska Office, 5:00 p.m.
December 15 Lincoln Area Christmas Bird Count
December 17 Board Meeting via Zoom, 7:00 p.m.
Give Nebraska is preparing to kick off this year's
campaign.
Wachiska Audubon Society will be participating and we are fortunate to be one of the 70+ members who benefit from the 100+ public and private workplaces that allow employees to contribute to their favorite non-profits through payroll deductions.
In September 2021, the Wachiska Board adopted the National Audubon’s Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as the Chapter’s own goals:
The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon will bring new creativity, effectiveness and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.
Wachiska Audubon Society's vision is to share the experience and love for nature and help protect its diversity.
Join Wachiska Today
Become a member of the Wachiska chapter of the National Audubon Society and support environmental conservation, education, and outreach in Southeast Nebraska.
Click HERE for details.
Read recent newsletters
Join friends and neighbors to show your concern about our climate and our elected officials. Stop by the Wachiska office and pick up your Climate yard sign.
Signs that say “VOTE with CLIMATE in Mind” are available for $10 each. They are made of material that will hold up well to the elements and come with a metal holder to push into the ground. You are encouraged to put your signs out now for the fall elections. Since they are so durable, they could easily last three or four years even if kept out all year.
NEW! Wachiska is on YouTube
The photos on this website were taken by Wachiska members. Many thanks to Bruce Wendorff,
Linda Brown, Paul Johnsguard, Tim Knott, Stu Luttich, John Carlini and Elizabeth Nelson.