The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Why You Should Visit

The 80-mile stretch of the Platte River between Overton and Chapman, known as the Big Bend Reach, is the most important migratory bird area along the United States portion of the Central Flyway of North America. It is described as the ‘pinch in the hourglass’. The Platte and its adjacent wet meadows in the Big Bend region provide habitat for millions of migratory birds including some 500,000 sandhill cranes and millions of ducks and geese. It is an important stopover location for migrating whooping cranes during the spring and fall migration. The area is also very important for threatened and endangered species such as the bald eagle, interior least tern, piping plover and many grassland bird species.

Location

Adams, Buffalo, Hall, Hamilton, and Kearney Counties

Size

To date, the Conservancy, with the help of its partners (US Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks, and Audubon Society), has protected more than 8,000 acres.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

The Nature Conservancy selected the Platte River as a priority site because of its significant upland and wetland habitat for migratory water birds and native resident plants and animals.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

The Nature Conservancy and its partners have helped to protect approximately 8,000 acres within the Big Bend Reach. Conservancy staff is restoring native perennial grasslands on marginal cropland with the help from lessees, farmers, and partners like Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, Prairie Plains Resource Instate and University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The Conservancy uses a high-diversity seed mixture of grass and forbs species collected in the Big Bend area. 1000 acres of marginally productive cropland has been restored to high-diversity grasslands and wetlands using this locally-harvested seed mixture.

Things To Do

What to See: Plants

Big bluestem Little bluestem Purple prairie clover Sand lovegrass Switchgrass Black-eyed susan

Bundle weed Lady’s tresses Prairie larkspur CottonwoodSandbar willow Sedge meadow

What to See: Animals

Bald eagle Bobolink Canada goose Cinnamon teal Blue-winged teal Great blue heron Interior least tern Piping plover Pintail Sandhill cranes (seasonal) Snow goose

Whooping crane Mule deer Red fox Jackrabbit Black-tailed prairie dog Tiger salamander Western striped chorus frog Blanding’s turtle Flathad chub Plains topminnow

 

Plan Your Visit

Directions

To take the vehicle tour of the Platte River Road exit Interstate 80. For further information, call

(402) 342-0282 , or e-mail nebraska@tnc.org

Discussion

Have you been to this preserve? Are you thinking of visiting? See what others are saying about their experiences and add your comments below.

Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

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