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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Discover how water drives Missouri’s ecosystems, improves our quality of life, and provides memorable hunting and fishing opportunities with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center’s free April programs!
Peeeeep, peep, peep, peep. Is it a bird? No! It’s a Spring Peeper! Learn about the frogs of Missouri during our biggest frog event of the year. Join us for froggy hikes and visit ponds on the property to look and listen for live frogs in action. Learn about these amazing amphibians during our presentations at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m. See live frogs and other amphibians on display at the nature center, make a froggy craft, or play a froggy game. There’s a hopping good time for everyone! Youth and adult groups welcome.
Be right on target! Try your hand at archery and experience a fun way to enjoy the outdoors. All archery equipment will be provided. Adult supervision is required for ages 9-17. This program will take place entirely outdoors, so please dress for the weather. In the event of high winds or rain, this program will be cancelled. Registration is required.
Did you know there are treasures hiding all around you? Geocaching is a fun pastime involving GPS coordinates that guide you to a specific location or box filled with trinkets! In this program, we will discuss different types of caches, safety, and GPS use. Then we’ll hit the trails to find some “treasure”! Registration is required.
Let’s make it a girls’ weekend! Ladies, bring your friends to enjoy a day at Tywappity Community Lake in Chaffee. We’ll learn the basic canoe strokes as we paddle around the lake and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring.
The Cape Nature Center will provide transportation from the nature center and all equipment necessary, including canoes, paddles, and lifejackets. Please bring a refillable water bottle and wear sturdy shoes that can get wet. A full packing list will be sent via email prior to the program. No experience necessary. Each participant must register individually. Registration is required.
Wild About Water
Join us this year for a guided kayak or canoe experience, stomp through a stream looking for the critters that call creeks home or explore the mysteries of a southeast Missouri swamp. To whet your appetite even more, each program attended will enter you in a chance to win the “Wild About Water” grand prize drawn next December. We can’t wait to see you downstream!
Registration
Check out details for all of MDC’s free April events online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xf. And be on the lookout for more great programs next month!
Advance registration is required for most programs and can be completed online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xf. All family members that plan to attend in-person and virtual events must be registered. First, create a profile. Once a profile is created and event registration is complete, additional details about programs will be sent via email. If you’re having difficulty registering online, you may contact the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center at (573) 290-5218.
Stay connected
Questions about events can be emailed to MDC Cape Nature Center Manager Laci Prucinsky at Laci.Prucinsky@mdc.mo.gov.
The Cape Nature Center sends program registration reminders and updates to those who sign up by texting “MDC Nature” to 468311. An online subscription is also available to “sign up for updates” at www.mdc.mo.gov. A variety of updates are available at this option, but Cape Girardeau specific updates are available under facility updates and news for southeast region.
Cape Girardeau Nature Center is located at 2289 County Park Dr. in Cape Girardeau, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. White Oak Trace Trails are open daily, from sunrise – 10 p.m.
