Events

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

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

Babes in the Woods 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).

Hummingbirds are welcomed visitors to our native gardens, but what can you do to your yard to invite them in for the season? Join a Burr Oak Woods naturalist and a Missouri Master Gardener to discover tips and tricks to bring hummingbirds to your yardscape. After the talk, participants are invited to continue the conversation out in the garden while we work on cleaning up the gardens.

This program returns by popular demand! Spiders may seem a little freaky at first, but that’s part of what makes them so fascinating. Once you get to know them, you’ll find that most are completely harmless and truly remarkable. In this people-friendly program, we’ll explore a variety of habitats at Powder Valley Nature Center, searching for and observing several species of harmless spiders. Using simple, hands-on methods, participants will learn how to safely observe, identify, document, and appreciate these incredible creatures with care and respect.

This experience is perfect for anyone hoping to build confidence and comfort when encountering spiders in everyday life. Along the way, we’ll also highlight the essential role spiders play in keeping ecosystems healthy, from balancing insect populations to supporting the natural systems we depend on for our own well-being. By the end, we’ll gain new knowledge, increased appreciation, and maybe even a soft spot for our extraordinary eight-legged neighbors.

Spidering requires dry weather conditions. This program will be cancelled if the weather is wet. Registrants will be notified 24 hours in advance if weather requires cancellation.