The National Grasslands Visitor Center (NGVC) will offer a variety of educational and family-friendly events this summer. The NGVC, located in Wall, South Dakota, represents all the national grasslands and the one national tallgrass prairie managed by the U.S. Forest Service. In addition to this year’s summer programs, the NGVC will host a celebration recognizing 30 years of black-footed‑ ferret conservation.
The NGVC’s Junior Ranger Days will take place later this summer. Each Junior Ranger Day will highlight a specialty field found within the U.S. Forest Service. Events will include special guests, activities for kids of all ages and a limited-edition Junior Ranger patch available only on that date. Junior Ranger Days will be held on the following Fridays: July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31 and Aug. 7.
The National Grasslands Visitor Center in Wall, SD.
U.S. Forest Service Photo.
NGVC interpretive rangers will host an Atlatl Program once a month at the Pinnacles Designated Dispersed Camping Area on Buffalo Gap National Grassland. During this ranger-led program, participants will learn about survival on the grasslands and how an ancient hunting tool evolved. After the program, participants will have an opportunity to try using an atlatl, a spear throwing device. This program occurs on the second Friday of each month at 6 p.m. Program dates are: June 12, July 10, Aug. 7 and Sept. 11. The Pinnacles Dispersed Camping Area is located‑ approximately 7 miles south of Wall, S.D., off Highway 240. The presentation site is near the communication towers at the intersection of Forest System Road 7170 and Forest System Road 7158. GPS coordinates: 43.893234, -102.229143.
The NGVC continues its strong partnership with Badlands National Park and provides an interpretive program every other Monday night for the park’s Evening Program series at Cedar Pass Amphitheater. Programs presented by NGVC interpretive rangers cover a range of topics, including efforts to help restore black-footed ferret populations, how native grassland plants supported people’s survival, the life of a bison in the Great Plains ecosystem, and the role of keystone species as ecosystem engineers. Start times vary throughout the summer based on sunset but typically begin around 9 p.m. (May–July) or 8:30 p.m. (August–September). Cedar Pass Amphitheater is located within Badlands National Park, approximately 29 miles from Wall and about one quarter‑ mile from the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.
National Grasslands Visitor Center Interpretive Ranger shows an Atlatl Program participate how to throw an atlatl.
Photo courtesy of Nickie Wheeler.
In July, during Wall Celebration Days, the NGVC will host an event recognizing the endangered black-footed ferret (BFF). Thirty years ago, black-footed ferrets were reintroduced onto Buffalo Gap National Grassland, where a successful population continues today. Activities will begin Friday, July 10, with a Wildlife Biologist Junior Ranger Day and a black-footed ferret presentation during Badlands National Park’s Summer Evening Program. On Saturday, July 11, the NGVC will open for a special event featuring a live black-footed ferret named Hoopla. Hoopla is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s ambassador ferret program. Because black-footed ferrets are among North America’s most endangered mammals, they are rarely seen in the wild, and the ambassador program offers a rare opportunity to view one up close. The day will include activities and a discussion forum led by Prairie Wildlife Research’s Travis Livieri on reintroduction efforts, plague management, challenges‑ and conservation successes. Typically closed on Saturdays, the NGVC will be open July 11 specifically for this event.
Black-footed Ferret on Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Photo courtesy of Travis Livieri.
All outdoor programs are weather dependent and may be canceled due to inclement weather.
More information about National Grasslands Visitor Center events is available on the event page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/nebraska/recreation/national-grasslands-visitor-center?utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_medium=email.
For additional information about the NGVC, interpretive programs or special events, call 605-279-2125 or visit 708 Main St., Wall, SD 57790, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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