Enjoy a guided birding hike at Smith Falls State Park near Valentine, Nebraska, this Saturday May 14 (Bobolink photo by Paul Konrad).

Celebrate a guided birding hike at Smith Falls State Park near Valentine, Nebraska, this Saturday May 14. It’s an event to coincide with International Migratory Bird Day, along with Global Big Day, when birders observe birds and report species to assist in conservation science. May is also Nebraska Bird Month, an annual statewide celebration of birds that aims to educate, inspire, and empower Nebraskans and visitors to conserve and protect bird populations.

Hikers will meet at the park visitor center at 7:30pm for a guided birding hike on the Smith Falls Trail that will include a discussion of bird observations along the half-mile nature trail that crosses the historic Verdigre Bridge over the Niobrara National Scenic River, leading to Nebraska’s tallest waterfall, Smith Falls. Open to all ages, binoculars and field guides will be available, and this Free event is sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Northern Prairies Land Trust, and the Niobrara Council. For more information, email Jen Corman at jen.corman@nebraska.gov