Events

In partnership with Spotlight on the Arts and JARICK Productions, the Runge Nature Center is exhibiting over 40 guest artists with various art mediums during the months of September and October. View the exhibit and vote for your favorite work of art. All ages. No registration required.

From Fall to Winter

The Missouri Nature and Environmental Photographers (MoNEP) will be exhibiting 27 photographic images created by 19 of our current members. A variety of subjects featuring colorful fall scenes and the quiet beauty of winter will be on display in the Powder Valley Visitor Center hallway from Oct. 1 through Oct. 29. We hope you’ll enjoy how we captured the change of seasons in Missouri and beyond.

MoNEP was founded over 25 years ago. Our mission is to provide a forum for individuals interested in the field of nature photography and the environment, provide education, gather and disseminate information, and promote nature photography as an art form and medium of communication. We would love to host you as a guest at one of our meetings. Please visit http://www.MoNEP.org for more information about future guest speakers and meeting dates and times.

Noppadol Paothong, MDC photographer will be the guest speaker on October 21st at 7pm, to sign up for this amazing program, please see this link: https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/187794

Shotgun shooting is fun and exciting. Whether you want to learn about the shotgun fundamentals from the very beginning or improve your skills on the skeet, trap or 5-stand ranges, this One-on-One Shotgun Instruction course is for you! Our instructors will help you get started and work with you on the basics to prepare you for moving on to each discipline. THIS CLASS IS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! Please call 816-249-3194 to make an appointment. You must provide your own shotgun and two (2) full boxes of shells. The shells must be # 7.5, 8, or 9 shot. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Lake City Shooting Range wants to help you sight in your hunting rifle...for FREE! The instructors will help you ready to hunt, fine-tune your scope or improve on your shooting skills. If you are preparing for a hunt, bring the rifle and ammunition you plan to use during the hunt. THIS CLASS IS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! Please call 816-249-3194 to make an appointment.

Have you just bought a new pistol and want to become more familiar with it? Do you need some help getting started as a new shooter or haven’t shot for a while and want to get back into it? Is there a technique that you want to learn or improve upon? This One-on-One instruction is for you! THIS CLASS IS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! Participants must provide their own pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition. For more information or to make an appointment, call 816-249-3194.

Discover what’s for dinner at Burr Oak Woods as the captive amphibians, fish and turtles enjoy their feast every Tuesday and Friday. The snakes are fed the second and fourth Wednesdays. (12th and 26th)

Join MDC naturalists and area birders as we discover the avian life that call Runge home. These short birding walks are for all experience levels. Meet by the front doors of the nature center. Binoculars and field guides will be provided for those that need them. Registration preferred. Ages 8+

Don’t miss the fun! Hike out with your little one to the Bethany Falls Trail, voted #1 in Kansas City! The “Falls” refer to the unique limestone boulders that we will explore. We’ll stop to play and take pictures.

Runge Nature Center is going offsite to Community Park in Jefferson City! Stop by and discover wild Missouri animals that can be found in your backyard through hands on displays and activities. No registration required. All ages.

Missouri is crisscrossed with world class streams. Join us for a beginner’s guide to planning day floats and overnight trips on these waterways. This program will include information on selecting the right gear, floating laws, safety, and rivers near you. So, log on and learn a thing or two, the rivers are calling! If you are participating in Cape Nature Center’s “A Year in Color” this program earns a blue aquatics bead. Please make sure that your MDC account includes an accurate email address so that you can receive a link to the virtual program.

This class is an introduction to shotgun shooting sports. After a short lecture session, participants will practice live 5-stand shooting. We will provide shotguns, ammo, clay bird targets, eye and ear protection. No open-toed shoes allowed. Participants must be at least years old. Individuals age 11 to 17 must attend with a parent or guardian who is also registered for the workshop. Participants are welcome to bring their own unloaded, cased shotgun but will be required to provide their own new factory ammunition (no reloads).

Swoop in to discover more about Missouri’s only flying mammal – bats! We will learn all about the bat lifestyle including where they live, what they eat, and how they find their prey, even in the darkness of night. Registration required. Ages 3-6 years

The environment around us is full of materials that can be used to make things. Knowing how to turn natural materials into tools can be useful in a variety of wilderness situations. In this class we will learn how to create cordage, or rope. We will learn what qualities makes a plant a good choice for cordage and will transform dried plant material into rope. Time and weather permitting, we will gather and prepare plant material for you to take home and dry to make rope. Dress to go outside in tall grass and get dirty.

The environment around us is full of materials that can be used to make things. Knowing how to turn natural materials into tools can be useful in a variety of wilderness situations. In this class we will learn how to create cordage, or rope. We will learn what qualities makes a plant a good choice for cordage and will transform dried plant material into rope. Time and weather permitting, we will gather and prepare plant material for you to take home and dry to make rope. Dress to go outside in tall grass and get dirty.

Discover the importance of Missouri reptiles and amphibians and see what it takes to keep our education animals happy and healthy. Bring your family and watch as we introduce and feed several different reptiles and amphibians. If you are participating in Cape Nature Center’s “A Year in Color” this program earns a red wildlife bead.

Upon registration, participants will be given a link to the virtual/online portion of the prescribed burn course. The online course is a mandatory prerequisite. Please bring your certificate of completion to the demonstration urn. We will be conducting a prescribed burn so please dress accordingly with leather boots, leather gloves, cotton pants, cotton long sleeve shirt, and safety glasses. Participants will learn about burn equipment, burn line installation, safe weather perimeters, ignition operations and other techniques to safety conduct a prescribed burn.

Explore the history of archery in North America from raw material harvest to bow design and performance. Then, using only hand tools and patience, craft your own hickory longbow work of art. We will start on Thursday evening, continue on Friday morning, and finish up on Saturday.

This program requires stamina and upper arm strength. Having woodworking skills is strongly recommended, but not required. We will provide interested individuals with a registration form and detailed supply list. Lists of references and resources for making future bows on your own will be provided.

Participants will learn about best management practices for managing their forests for forest products and/or wildlife habitat using a technique called timber stand improvement (TSI). TSI involves removing diseased, malformed and overstocked trees from a forest to ensure optimum growing conditions for your remaining timber. How to determine stocking rate, do I need a plan, how many trees to thin and techniques for thinning your forest safely will be discussed.

Bats are unique and charming creatures but also misunderstood. Join us to learn more about these exciting and essential animals. Ages 3-6.

Let's bring nature, science, and art together as we learn more about the changing colors of Missouri’s beautiful fall foliage while using a unique press technique to create art. Registration required. All supplies provided. Ages 18+

Bats are unique and charming creatures but also misunderstood. Join us to learn more about these exciting and essential animals. Ages 3-6.

Registration required (ages 14+) Blooms begin to shift into striking seedheads as fall begins to settle in. Join our native landscape specialists for a walk around the grounds of the Discovery Center where we will appreciate the shapes and textures of fall landscapes and discuss maintenance techniques for native gardens. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor after registering and at least one week prior to the program.

Where do black bears go in winter? How many live in Missouri? Are black bears the only type of bear living in our state? Join us to answer these questions and learn about the tales of black bears. Best for families with children ages 3 to 7.

This program is part of our “Nature Center at Night” series, the nature center will be open from 5 - 7 pm this evening. If you are participating in Cape Nature Center’s “A Year in Color” this program earns a red wildlife bead.

When the sun goes down, a whole new world springs to life all around us. Join an MDC Naturalist for this unique guided nighttime hike at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center. Learn about the secretive lives of nocturnal creatures and see what their life is like first hand.

*Hike is 1/3 mile on a mostly level surface, but please wear proper shoes and bring water.

*Please register all attendees individually, even if you are just accompanying children.

*Meet at the entrance to the nature center.

This program is designed for those who have had some experience with shotguns. We’ll cover safety, appropriate firearms and ammunition, rules of the game, etiquette on the field, and field layout. Firearms and ammunition will be provided, or you may bring your own.