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.

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 (June 10 & 24).

Nature printmaking is the art of creating lifelike images on paper or fabric with found objects from nature. MDC Naturalist Pat Whalen exhibits nature prints from his personal work and programs he presents at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. His prints will be on display in the west wing hallway through August. 

Columbia Missouri Artist Christine Doerr’s art is inspired by a lifetime shaped by nature, travel, and service, from the Ozarks to the Mediterranean. Rooted in the landscapes of Gans Creek, it highlights both beauty and its environmental vulnerability. Her art will be on display in the lobby through June.

After finding painted rocks around Jefferson City, Janet Bonnot joined the JC Rocks movement in 2018. Her nature-inspired rock work is on display in the west wing hallway through June. No registration required. All ages

Read a picture book as you walk along the Nature Center trails. The StoryWalk®, available June 17-30, is provided in partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Library. All ages. No registration required.

Splash on in for some summer outdoor fun! This free, one-day camp will be full of adventure as we dive into Missouri’s aquatic habitats. A welcome email will be sent prior to the program with full details and a packing list. Snacks, safety, and all equipment are provided. Each child must only register for one camp day per year. Your outdoor adventure awaits!

Get ready to explore a world so tiny, you can’t even see it with your own eyes! Discover amazing micro-animals such as tardigrades (also call “water bears”), copepods, and nematodes. Using microscopes and simple experiments, we’ll learn how these little creatures survive in a giant world. Get ready for a big adventure with really, really small animals!

Let’s get messy! This outdoor sensory adventure will explore mud, water, and natural materials as children mix, scoop, and create in a mud kitchen setting. It’s all about imagination, discovery, and letting the magic of messy play unfold. Wear clothes that can get dirty. A water hose will be available to clean off after the program, so a towel and an extra pair of clean clothes are encouraged as well.

Take a nice, crispy chip, dip it into a bowl of melty, buffalo-flavored goodness, and plop it in your mouth. Yum! This delicious appetizer is called Buffalo Squirrel Dip in this outdoor spin-off of the familiar favorite. Learn just what makes squirrels “limb chickens” in this easy-to-assemble recipe. Participants see a demonstration of how to prepare squirrel meat for this recipe, assemble a small batch to take home, and sample the finished product.