nasa (north american squirrel association)

09/07/2026

🐻🌲 An Adventure to Remember! 💚

This is what getting back into the outdoors is all about!

n.a.s.a. was proud to help Brad Mellon experience an incredible bear hunt—and it looks like this adventure ended with a memory he’ll be telling stories about for a long time! 🐻

With the help of one of our track chairs, Brad was able to navigate the terrain and get where he needed to be for the hunt. These chairs are designed to go places a traditional wheelchair simply can’t, helping open the door to outdoor experiences that might otherwise be out of reach.

A very special THANK YOU to Peterson Big Game out of Houston,MN for helping make Brad’s hunt such a great experience. We appreciate the time, effort, accommodations, and support that go into making an opportunity like this possible. 👏🌲

n.a.s.a.’s hunting program is about more than the harvest. It’s about access, independence, adventure, and giving people with physical challenges the opportunity to continue enjoying the outdoor traditions they love.

Congratulations, Brad, on a successful hunt and one impressive bear! 🐻👏 We’re thrilled that n.a.s.a. could help make this adventure possible.

Because everybody deserves the outdoors. 💚🐿️🌲

09/04/2026

🚤✨ **What a Way to End the Pontoon Season!** 🦅✈️

Our final n.a.s.a. pontoon ride of the season turned out to be one we won’t soon forget! Volunteer captains **John and Susan Harter** welcomed a wonderful community member aboard for one last adventure on the water—and this time, they had an extra passenger along for the ride. 🐾

Our guest brought his gentle **12-year-old golden retriever**, giving us our very first four-legged passenger aboard the pontoon! 🐕💚 Apparently, even our furry friends know there’s nothing better than a day on the water.

And there was plenty to see! The skies were unusually busy with commercial planes passing overhead, but the real showstopper was a **C-130 flying directly above us**. ✈️ What an incredible sight from the middle of the water!

Nature made sure to put on a show of its own, too. We spotted **eagles perched in the trees and soaring overhead**, along with osprey, while our guest shared stories about his own experiences enjoying the outdoors. 🦅🌳

Our guest preferred to stay out of the photos, and we were happy to respect his privacy. Instead, we captured some of the sights that made this final outing so memorable. 📸

After a season filled with beautiful scenery, wildlife, laughter, conversations, new friendships and countless memories, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to bring our pontoon season to a close. 💚

A special thank you to **John, Susan, and all of our volunteer captains** who helped make these outings possible throughout the season. Every trip may travel the same waters, but somehow, **no two adventures are ever quite the same!** 🚤☀️

**Because everybody deserves the outdoors.** 🐿️💚

09/04/2026

🚤🐦 A Boat Ride Full of Feathered Friends & Unexpected Sights!

On August 31, n.a.s.a. volunteer captains John and Susan Harter headed out for another wonderful cruise with a great group of community members. Our guests preferred to stay out of the photos, and we were happy to respect their wishes—so this time, Mother Nature became the star of the camera! 📸💚

And she gave us plenty to see! A beautiful white pelican glided across the water, seagulls seemed to be everywhere, and an osprey soared high overhead. 🦅 Using the Merlin Bird ID app added a little extra fun to the adventure, allowing us to learn more about the birds we were spotting and even share close-up photos so everyone could get a better look.

The wildlife wasn’t the only thing that caught our attention. We also had a front-row seat to an aquatic weed-harvesting machine working its way through the thick vegetation, cutting and collecting weeds to help keep the waterways open. 🌿 It was pretty fascinating to watch it in action!

But as always, the best part of the trip wasn’t any one thing we spotted—it was knowing how much our guests enjoyed simply being outside, experiencing nature, sharing conversation, and taking in the beauty of the water. ☀️🚤

No photos of our passengers this time, but plenty of wonderful memories went home with them. 💚

Because everybody deserves the outdoors. 🐿️🌳

09/02/2026

🎉🐿️ Come See n.a.s.a. at the Kiwanis Day of Fun for Everyone! 💚

We’re excited to share that n.a.s.a. will have a booth at this year’s Kiwanis Day of Fun for Everyone!

Join us Saturday, September 12 at Trane Park for a FREE day filled with food, games, activities, therapy animals, and plenty of fun for everyone. ☀️🎯

Be sure to stop by the n.a.s.a. booth and say hello! We’ll be there sharing information about the many ways we help elderly individuals and people with physical challenges get outdoors and enjoy activities they may have thought were no longer possible. 🌲🚤🎣⛳

And of course, we’ll have a little fun waiting for you at our booth too! 🐿️😉

A big thank you to Aptiv and everyone involved in making this inclusive community event possible. We’re looking forward to seeing some familiar faces, meeting new friends, and enjoying a great day together!

Registration is FREE, so check out the original post below for details on how to sign up.

💚 Because everybody deserves the outdoors.

09/01/2026

The clubs are heading back into the bags, the scorecards are put away, and another fun season of the n.a.s.a. Adaptive Golf League is officially in the books!
Throughout August, our adaptive golfers and Golf Helpers spent their Sunday afternoons doing what this league does best—playing a little golf, sharing plenty of laughs, enjoying some friendly competition, and simply having a great time together. ⛳☀️
Because at the end of the day, it’s never really about the score. It’s about friendship, camaraderie, inclusion, and giving everyone the opportunity to get out on the course and enjoy the game. 💚
This year’s finale was also a little bittersweet, as it marked Ken Spreatz’s final event as our Golf Committee Chair. We couldn’t let the occasion pass without celebrating Ken and giving him a very well-deserved HUGE n.a.s.a. thank you! 👏⛳
Ken has given countless hours of his time over the years to help make the Adaptive Golf League what it is today. His dedication has helped create Sunday afternoons filled with golf, friendships, laughter, and memories for so many adaptive golfers and Golf Helpers.
And, as you can see, we couldn’t send him off without a little celebration—complete with a golf-themed cake that says it perfectly: “Thank you Ken, for all you have done.” 🎂💚
Ken, from all of us at n.a.s.a., THANK YOU for your years of volunteer service, dedication, and everything you have done for the Adaptive Golf League. We hope you know just how much you are appreciated! 🐿️⛳
And to all of our golfers, Golf Helpers, volunteers, and everyone who helped make this season possible—thank you for another tee-rific summer!
Until next August... keep swinging! ⛳
Because everybody deserves the outdoors. 💚

09/01/2026

⛳🐿️ That’s a Wrap on Another Great Adaptive Golf Season! 💚

The clubs are heading back into the bags, the scorecards are put away, and another fun season of the n.a.s.a. Adaptive Golf League is officially in the books!
Throughout August, our adaptive golfers and Golf Helpers spent their Sunday afternoons doing what this league does best—playing a little golf, sharing plenty of laughs, enjoying some friendly competition, and simply having a great time together. ⛳☀️
Because at the end of the day, it’s never really about the score. It’s about friendship, camaraderie, inclusion, and giving everyone the opportunity to get out on the course and enjoy the game. 💚

This year’s finale was also a little bittersweet, as it marked Ken Spreatz’s final event as our Golf Committee Chair. We couldn’t let the occasion pass without celebrating Ken and giving him a very well-deserved HUGE n.a.s.a. thank you! 👏⛳
Ken has given countless hours of his time over the years to help make the Adaptive Golf League what it is today. His dedication has helped create Sunday afternoons filled with golf, friendships, laughter, and memories for so many adaptive golfers and Golf Helpers.
And, as you can see, we couldn’t send him off without a little celebration—complete with a golf-themed cake that says it perfectly: “Thank you Ken, for all you have done.” 🎂💚
Ken, from all of us at n.a.s.a., THANK YOU for your years of volunteer service, dedication, and everything you have done for the Adaptive Golf League. We hope you know just how much you are appreciated! 🐿️⛳

And to all of our golfers, Golf Helpers, volunteers, and everyone who helped make this season possible—thank you for another tee-rific summer!
Until next August... keep swinging! ⛳
Because everybody deserves the outdoors. 💚

08/25/2026

☀️🚤 Sometimes a Pontoon Ride Brings More Than Beautiful Views! 💚
Our volunteer captains John and Susan Harter recently welcomed a wonderful group from Aurora aboard for another beautiful day on the water—and this trip came with an unexpected reunion!
Susan was delighted to reconnect with someone she had grown up with and attended high school with. What better place to reminisce, catch up, and share old memories than while cruising the beautiful waters of Lake Onalaska? ❤️
The Aurora staff kept everyone laughing throughout the trip, and their genuine care for the people they serve was wonderful to see. There was plenty of time to relax, visit, and enjoy everything happening around us.
And Mother Nature certainly gave us a show! 🌿🦅 We watched a pelican take off right from the water, its enormous wings spreading as it lifted into the air. We also spotted an osprey perched high on a tower, seagulls overhead, and more airplanes taking off above us than we normally see. ✈️
We even cruised past a gorgeous home along the shoreline that had everyone wondering, “Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up to THAT view every morning?” 😊
The thick green vegetation covering parts of the water was also a little reminder that summer is moving along and fall will be here before we know it. 🍂
These are the days that capture what our n.a.s.a. Pontoon Program is all about—helping seniors and individuals with physical challenges get outdoors, experience nature, share some laughs, and make new memories.
And every once in a while, a day on the water gives us something extra—the chance to reconnect with an old friend and some wonderful memories from years gone by. 💚
Because everybody deserves the outdoors. 🐿️🚤

08/20/2026

Don't miss out on the fun!

Kiwanis Day of Fun for Everyone is right around the corner! Did you register for free yet? If not, be sure to do so. You don't want to miss this fun event at Trane Park. Come and enjoy good food, fun games and activities, therapy animals, and more! Register for free today so we can make sure to have plenty of food for everyone.😁