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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association

@blackhillsparks.bsky.social

520 followers 59 following 810 posts

The official non-profit partner of Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Agate Fossil Beds, and Scotts Bluff National Park Service sites; Black Hills National Forest; and Nebraska Forests and Grasslands. We support "Wonder & Exploration" in our public lands.

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 3d

A5: Lake Mcconaughy not all that far from our partner Scotts Bluff National Monument is popular with birdwatchers for the Sandhill Cranes. Lots and lots and LOTS of sandhill cranes. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 3d

A4: Personally, perceiving paddling is popular at Pactola. #alliteration

#parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 3d

A3: Lake Manly, when it 'returns' where Death Valley's badwater basin usually is. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 3d

A2: Have seen Bald Eagles at some, beavers at others... and more than a few water snakes when rangering in Southeast Texas. #parkchat

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 3d

A1: Spelunk. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 3d

Black Hills / Nebraska Panhandle representation online here... at least for the first part of the chat. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 4d

You don’t need to be an artist to belong here. But having a pro journaling guide helps.

We sketched leaves, followed clouds, and journaled the breeze.

It was, as the kids say, a very literal way to “touch grass.”

More programs like this coming soon.

#BlackHills #NationalParks #NatureJournaling

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 9d

Unbothered. Moisturized. Burrowed. Unfunded. Still thriving.

No meetings. No C-SPAN. Just a toad being emotionally regulated in a dirt pit.

Nature always inspires.

#BlackHills #NationalGrasslands #ToadMood

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 9d

Don’t let your fireplace get furloughed.

Firewood permits are still available at Black Hills National Forest offices during the shutdown at select times.

Officers are on-site limited hours at the various forest offices. Ring or call. Details in the image.

#BlackHills #NationalForests #Fuelwood

Chart shows Black Hills National Forest firewood permit availability during the federal shutdown. Permits sold 8am–1pm Mon–Thu, and 8am–4pm Fri, depending on location. Spearfish Mon & Fri, and Rapid City open Mon, Wed, Fri; Custer open Wed, Fri (starting Oct 21); Sundance open Thu and Fri. Office addresses and phone numbers are listed for each ranger district.

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 12d

Before the shutdown hit, BHPFA staff pitched in at Pinnacles near Wall, SD. Building fence and spreading gravel during United Way’s Month of Caring.

If you're visiting now:
- Leave no trace.
- Pack patience.
- Thank your rangers when they’re back.

#BlackHills #NationalGrasslands #UnitedWay

Volunteers install log fencing and spread gravel at grassy campsite; text reads “United Way Month of Caring.”

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A12: Please brush up on your Leave No Trace skills if you're going to visit the NPS or USFS sites during the shutdown, and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. The Joshua Tree questions today gave us a lot of PTSD about the last shutdown. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A11: One that people don't think about: do NOT use earthworms for fishing. Earthworms that escape or are dumped along rivers or lakes quickly migrate into forest ecosystems that are not at all adapted for them. They take out all the floor litter the tree roots depend on. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

#parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

They dropped it in early 2024. I don't think they really replaced it with anything... they did a head fake towards "the good life" or similar for a bit but that went away from the marketing too. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

Nice!

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

Not as much old-growth in Big Thicket compared to Congaree, alas. Though we still proudly wear the shirts we got for helping plant very VERY NOT-old growth forest there. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A9: Minerals. And Route 66! They have some historic abandoned cars and some of the telephone lines/poles that lined the old mother road still in certain spots. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

#parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A7: Petroglyphs!

Petroglyphs vs Pictographs is always good for a junior ranger book question in parks that feature either. #parkchat

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

Arches are erosion and weathering (wind, freeze/thaw cycles)... bridges are from flowing water. IIRC. #parkchat

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A5: Sedimentary. Our favorite stone is in Jewel Cave. Cave bacon.

mmmmmm.... bacon.

#parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A4: D. And yep, been there to the park. It's quite striking. #parkchat

Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

If you want a good (bad? Terrible? Weep for the future of humanity?) time, check out the comments on Fort Laramie's facebook post announcing their closure for the govt shutdown. #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A3: I remember that Natural Bridges rangers would get very cranky if you called them arches. So not there, I guess. :) #parkchat

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Black Hills Parks & Forests Association @blackhillsparks.bsky.social · 17d

A2: We had an online visitor try to tourisplain us that the reason Agate Fossil Beds (mixed grass prairie) doesn't have any trees is because the NPS does too many controlled burns. So that was a fun tree thing today. #parkchat

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