Central Nebraska South
Art
Red Cloud, Nebraska, is named in honor of Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud), a leader of the Oglala Lakota, though there is no evidence the famous leader ever visited the area. The town sits on the homeland of the Pawnee and Otoe peoples. Today, it is the home of the U.S.'s largest collection of nationally-designated historic sites dedicated to one author. Willa Cather is Red Cloud's most famous author, and the Willa Cather Foundation has worked diligently to acquire and maintain the properties associated with her life and stories. The town also boasts a vibrant creative district to support creativity and culture.
Culture
The Europeans who came to Nebraska in the 1800's were often following the railroad. Many Czech people came to Nebraska seeking a new life and liberty and about 50,000 of them arrived between 1856 and the beginning of World War I. The Wilber Czech Festival annually celebrates Czech history in Nebraska.
Ecosystem
The Mixed-grass Prairie Ecoregion is a transition zone between the Tall Grass Prairie in the east and the Shortgrass Prairie in the west. In Nebraska, it primarily occurs south of the Sandhills, but it does wrap around to the northeast to the South Dakota border. It naturally features plants from both of the other ecoregions. Though the region is semi-arid, it features hundreds of miles of rivers and streams that flow east to empty into the Missouri River, which creates an abundance of wetlands. Because of the diversity of fauna and easily-accessed water sources, the region is home to many species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and over 350 species of resident and migratory birds.
Story
Sandhill Cranes - Nearly 1 million Sandhill Cranes pause their migration in Nebraska each year, mostly along an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River. Fossil records place cranes in this region more than nine million years ago, long before the Platte River even existed. They begin arriving in late February, and their population peaks in mid-March. By the beginning of May, the last stragglers have headed to their mating grounds in the North. Individual cranes spend just about a month in the Platte River Valley feeding primarily on corn left in the fields but also eating worms, snails, and insect larvae.
