(GERING, NE) Join Steve Rolfsmeier as he presents “Gentle Conquest: 19th Century Botanical Explorers at Scotts Bluff”. This program traces the history of botanical exploration in North America, particularly the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the travels of Thomas Nuttall and Per Axel Rydberg, two botanists who collected plants and described new species from the present-day Scotts Bluff Monument in the 1800s. The program will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 25 in the visitor center.

Discover how a variety of women experienced the emigrant trails in the living history program “Diaries and Reminiscences from the Journey Westward”. Many women kept diaries on the trails, penned letters or wrote about their experiences later. Ranger Morgan Rien will portray several of these women in vignettes while ranger Lisa Blanco narrates on Sunday, July 26 at 3:00 p.m.in the visitor center.

What flowers are blooming at the monument? Join a ranger each Saturday at 10:00 a.m. to find out which flowers are blooming and what they have been used for historically. Check at the visitor center for the location of each week’s program.

The programs are free with a valid park entrance pass.

The Scotts Bluff National Monument visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The summit road is open from 8 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.  All monument trails are open from sunrise until sunset.  Please inquire about the Scotts Bluff National Monument Annual Pass, valid for entrance to Scotts Bluff National Monument for a year from purchase.  Additional information about Scotts Bluff National Monument programs and schedules may be obtained at the visitor center, by calling 308-436-9700.