Events

Welcome Summertime with a guided public tour of the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery! Join a Naturalist to learn the difference between the Rainbow and Brown Trout raised at the hatchery, then visit the raceways and discover the amazing trout-raising process! And for just a quarter, you can feed the fish, too! Tours will meet at the large trout aquarium inside the Conservation Education Center.

Tours will be held four times daily at 10am, 11am, 1pm, and 2pm on Tuesdays through Fridays, beginning May 26th and continuing through Friday, September 4th. (The Hatchery will be closed for state holidays on June 19th and July 4th.)

All ages are invited, and no registration is required. For questions, call us at 417-334-4865 ext. 0, or email Shepherd@mdc.mo.gov.

View Greg Renner's personal collection of antique duck decoys made in Missouri.

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is proud to present Trail Tales, an interactive hiking experience! Explore our Tanglevine Trail, a 1/3 mile paved loop perfect for strollers and families. As you walk, look for interactive storybook pages along the trail. August and September will feature "Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs" by Anthony D. Fredericks.

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center turns 35 years old this year and to celebrate, the nature center is inviting the public to join the Passport to Powder Valley program. The program will encourage visitors to explore multiple aspects of the nature center and offer the opportunity to win a raffle basket of prizes.

The Passport to Powder Valley program launched Tuesday, July 14 and runs through Oct. 31. To participate, visitors can pick up a copy of the Passport to Powder Valley booklet at the nature center’s front desk. The booklet is designed to engage visitors with five fun activities that celebrate what makes Powder Valley Nature Center unique.

The five activities in the Passport to Powder Valley challenge include:

1. Birdwatching

2. Checking out one of the nature center’s nature-themed discovery backpacks

3. Meeting Powder Valley’s live “ambassador animals”

4. Attending a naturalist-led educational program

5. Exploring one of Powder Valley’s hiking trails

The passport booklet even includes a bonus coloring page. Full details on completing each activity are included in the booklet.

Every person who finishes each of the passport booklet’s activities will receive a special limited Powder Valley 35th anniversary sticker. They’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a grand prize basket, including:

- Tour tickets to the Endangered Wolf Sanctuary

- Membership and swag pack from Laumeier Sculpture Park

- Free admission tickets to either the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Butterfly House, or Shaw Nature Reserve

- The book A History of Kirkwood, Missouri, 1851-1965 by June Wilkinson Dahl, donated by the Kirkwood Historical Society

Babes in the Woods is taking a break during the month of September. Please join us again in October.

Little Acorns is taking a break during the month of September. Please join us again in October.

Look for book pages posted along Runge’s Naturescape trail and enjoy a seasonal children’s book as you walk and explore. Book begins at the trailhead across from the parking lot. No registration required. All ages.

Sept.1 - Dec.15: Submissions accepted for

Nature Photography Contest- Native Wildflowers

Submit Your Photos of Missouri’s native wildflowers from the last few years. Photography is a wonderful way to learn more about Missouri’s amazing native flora! We love photos from Burr Oak Woods of course, but request that photos must at least have been taken in the state of Missouri.

Submission Method:

• Register for the program/contest at https://mdc.mo.gov/events

• Maximum of two photos per person, at least 2550 x 3300 pixels, print size- 8.5”x11”

• Deadline December 15, 2026 at 5 PM

• Caption: Please include species of plant as close as can be identified.

• Submit photo in person to the front desk of BOWNC or

• Submit photo electronically to e-mail: (lisa.richter@mdc.mo.gov) in JPEG format only, Compression level (80-100%), File Size Limit (8 MB per photo)

o Electronic submissions will be printed on 8.5”x11”, thick paper.

*January 2-23

Photos will be on display for voting at

Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

*Top three photos with the most votes will receive a prize!

Discover what’s for dinner at Burr Oak Woods as the nature center’s amphibians, fish, and turtles enjoy their feast every Tuesday and Friday. The snakes are fed on the second and fourth Wednesday (September 9 & 23).

Squirrel hunting is a great way to enjoy time in the woods in the fall. You don’t need a lot of equipment to hunt squirrels, they are almost everywhere, and they are delicious! Join us, virtually, in a discussion about hunting safety, regulations, equipment, strategies, and recipes.