Summer Orientation About Rivers began in the Platte River region in 1997, when manager Paul Tebbel invited the Prairie Plains Resource Institute to start a new program in Buffalo county. It has been going strong since then reaching hundreds of children every year. Every year, dedicated volunteers spend time giving programs. People with all backgrounds, including fly fishing experts, ornithologists, ichthyologists, wildlife biologists, grasshopper specialists, and environmental education specialists come to the Platte River valley to help children learn about the resources around them. At SOAR, children learn about a variety of things, they seine for invertebrates and fish,learn about trees, birdwatch, mist net birds, sing songs, contruct rainsticks and learn about plants.
Many exciting things keep the children busy for one week.
Funk Lagoon, by Axtell, was a new site for SOAR this year. There, children learned about water bird identification and bird songs. Children sampled aquatic life, learning about crustaceans, fish, and turtles. Children are fascinated about the world around them. Children are amazed there are so many tiny creatures in water.