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St. CHARLES, Mo.—Winter offers excellent wildlife watching weather. Especially in a wildlife rich environment like a wetland along the Mississippi River.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites winter explorers on a Winter Wildlife Hike at Dresser Island Conservation Area in St. Charles County on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The event is free and open to ages 12 and up.
Participants will discover a variety of creatures that call Dresser Island home. The area is made up of forests, old fields, and wetlands with shoreline on the Mississippi River, making it a winter wildlife haven.
Hikers will walk approximately six-and-a-half miles, with a reduced-distance option for three-and-a-half miles. MDC naturalists will guide the hike in search of wildlife including bald eagles, pelicans, waterfowl, muskrats, deer, and many others. Spotting scopes will be provided to enhance the views. Hikers should dress for the weather, bring water and lunch, a camera, and binoculars. Water-proof boots are also recommended as there are some muddy parts of trail.
Dresser Island is part of the Upper Mississippi Conservation Area and is located off Highway 94 in north St. Charles County, near West Alton. Exact driving directions will be sent to each participant.
The Winter Wildlife Hike at Dresser Island is a free activity, but advanced online registration is required at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Zg.
As this is an in-person event, MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate for the in-person activity.
Program registrants should note that families now have the option to link their children’s accounts to their own which will streamline the program registration process. Once a group account is set up, parents will be able to register their children to an event without having to logoff and login for each person. This allows parents to register an entire family or select family members to an event at the same time.
Stay informed of MDC latest programs by going to the MDC St. Louis regional events page at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZP6.
