Fishing Ponds Open at Preserve

TOPEKA, KS — April, 2008 — Three catch and release fishing ponds will open at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve starting this May. To celebrate the opening of the ponds, the Kansas Department of Willdlife and Parks will host a Kids Fishing Clinic, Saturday April 26, 2008 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will provide rods and reels for the kids and the event will coincide with Junior Ranger Day at the preserve. There is no cost attached to this event.

Opening the ponds has long been in the management plans of the preserve. Recently, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks conducted an evaluation of the three ponds to determine type and populations of the fish. The ponds mostly contain largemouth bass and bluegill. The National Park Service is busy preparing for the public opening by constructing a parking area and putting up kiosks with information about the ponds and preserve.

One pond is located a short walk from the parking area, the other two are longer hikes. The ponds are catch and release and no live bait is allowed. There is no fee to fish the ponds, but visitors are required to fill out a permit at the preserve.

"Our hope is that these ponds will attract kids and their families and get them involved with the natural world of the preserve," said Kristin Hase, Chief of Natural Resources with the National Park Service.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.