Get Outside

Ways to connect with nature.

Shed Hunting

White-tailed bucks begin losing their antlers beginning this month. Grab some warm gear and take a hike in the woods and see if you can find some.

Call of the Chickadees

Listen for chickadees as they feast tree side, using their tweezerlike bills to pull insects from crevices in tree bark.

Kansas City Region

Bird in the Hand

Saturday, Jan. 4 • 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center 1401 NW Park Road, Blue Springs, MO 64015 No registration required. Call 816-228-3766 for more information. All ages

Missouri River Bird Observatory staff and Burr Oak Woods CNC partner in an on-going project to identify and track birds that come to our feeders each winter. From the resident chickadees and cardinals to the migrating juncos and sparrows, we capture, apply colored bands, and release these fascinating creatures. Once banded and recorded, you will be able to track individual birds through this and future seasons. This program is weather permitting.

Cure for Cabin Fever

Feeling cooped up and stir crazy this winter? We have a cure for that. Check out an MDC nature center to hike trails, explore exhibits, and enjoy nature programs. Visit short.mdc.mo.gov/Zpg to find a nature center near you.

Natural Events to See This Month

• Here’s what’s going on in the natural world.
• Eastern moles are active in tunnels deep underground
• Horned larks flock in open fields
• Longtailed weasels may turn white or pale brown

St. Louis Region

Winter in the Woods Festival

Saturday, Feb. 1 • 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Rockwoods Reservation, 2751 Glencoe Road, Wildwood, MO 63038 No registration required. For more information, call 636-458-2236. All ages

Just because the temperatures drop, doesn’t mean you have to stay inside! MDC and local partnering organizations will help uncover the many different outdoor activities you can do in winter, like maple sugaring, hiking, camping, birdwatching, outdoor photography, and fishing to name a few, along with information about how animals weather the season. Only handicapped parking will be available on-site. All other parking will be off-site at the St. Louis Community College Wildwood campus and Pond Elementary. Shuttle buses to the event will be provided, and food trucks will be available on-site. This is a rain or shine event, so please dress for the weather.

Signs of Spring?

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A few warm days is enough for Ozark witch-hazel to begin blooming. The slight rise in temperature might also bring out mourning cloak and comma butterflies.
Find more events in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events Download the Missouri Conservationist magazine app today!

The Missouri Conservationist magazine app allows you to discover nature on the go. Browse photos and videos, stay up to date on conservation news, and find new ways to get outside. See what Missouri Conservation is all about.

Download the free app at mdc.mo.gov/mocon.

Xplor

Inspire the children in your life to get outside!

Looking for a way to coax your kids to unplug, climb off the couch, and get outside?

Then check out Xplor, the Conservation Department’s free magazine for kids and kids at heart. Six times a year, Xplor serves up eye-popping art, photos, and stories about Missouri’s coolest critters, niftiest natural places, and liveliest outdoor activities. The  magazine is free to Missouri residents (one subscription per household, please). Out-of-state subscribers pay $5 per year; out-of-country subscribers pay $8.

Don’t keep the door closed any longer. Subscribe online at mdc.mo.gov/xplor.