Get Outside

7 ways to connect with nature.

Beautiful Blooms

Enjoy the white flowers of the state’s official tree, the flowering dogwood, blooming across the landscape.

Keep the Lights On

Look for luna moths around porch lights.

Who’s Calling?

The springtime months bring a symphony of sounds. Two sounds to listen for this month are the high-pitched trill of the American toad and the gobble of the wild turkey.

Kansas City Region: Paddlefish Snagging Clinic

Saturday, April 14 • 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Warsaw Community Building 181 W. Harrison St., Warsaw, MO 65355 Registration required, call 660-530-5500 Limit 24 participants per session. Participants will hear about paddlefish conservation efforts, and learn techniques for snagging and cleaning paddlefish. The clinic includes a two-hour snagging session. Lunch is provided.

Southeast Region: A Southeast Earth Day

Saturday, April 21 • 1–4 p.m. Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center 2289 County Park Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 No registration required; call 573-290-5218 for information. All ages. Come celebrate Earth Day as we focus on the amazing plants, animals, and habitats Missouri has to offer. Walk the trail to answer trivia questions or to just enjoy a nice spring day. Stop by the classroom to take part in an Earth Day craft or head to the bird-viewing area to relax. There’s something for everyone at the nature center.

Home Sweet Home

Robins and other backyard birds are building nests. Give them a hand by making your yard their headquarters for nesting supplies like sticks, mud, grass clippings, and even pet hair.

Morel Mania

Morel mushrooms, Missouri’s most popular edible mushroom, are popping up in wooded areas across the state. Get out there and get hunting! It takes a sharp eye — morels are notoriously hard to locate, camouflaged against the forest floor.

Natural Events to See This Month

Here’s what’s going on in the natural world.

• Black bears emerge from winter dens
• Copperheads leave winter dens
• Canada goose goslings begin hatching
• Ruby-throated hummingbirds arrive
• Columbine Blooms