Conservation Education

Nature Activity

Kids' fishing days at state trout parks

• Be here: State trout parks
• These days: May 5th and 19th
• Have fun: Fishing and learning about trout
• Phone numbers: Roaring River Hatchery near Cassville, 417-8847-2430; Bennett Spring Hatchery near Lebanon, 417-532-4418; Montauk Hatchery near Licking, 573-548-2585 or Maramec Spring Hatchery near St. James, 573-265-7801
• For more info: see links listed below.

If you want to put a smile on your favorite kid’s face, take him or her to one of the state’s four trout parks on Kids’ Fishing Day. This year Bennett Spring State Park and Montauk State Park will hold their Kids’ Fishing Day on May 5th. Roaring River State Park and The James Foundation’s Maramec Spring Park will hold their Kids’ Fishing Day on May 19th. Rainbow trout will be restocked all day long, and volunteers will be on hand to help kids fish. There will also be prizes, contests, exhibits, fly-fishing classes, free hotdogs and soda. Contact the trout park listed below that you plan to visit, or go online, for the exact times and activities. Anglers age 15 and younger will receive a free daily tag.

Get Ready to Bash Mo' Trash

Volunteers get supplies and recognition pins.

Take action against our state’s litter problem–get involved in this year’s No MOre Trash! Bash. Throughout the month of April, the No MOre Trash! program provides free trash bags and educational materials to help Missourians clean up trash and spread the word about litter-free living. A cooperative effort of the Missouri departments of Conservation and Transportation, the No MOre Trash! program raises awareness about the damage litter does to our health and environment. Trash Bash volunteers who report their activity will be recognized with a lapel pin.

Last year’s No MOre Trash! Bash was very successful, drawing 9,015 volunteers. Together, the volunteers picked up 17,091 bags of trash from Missouri roads and out of Missouri streams. In addition to the bags of trash, groups picked up untold numbers of tires and other items too big to place in trash bags. To find out where to get materials for this year’s No MOre Trash! or for more information about the program, visit online.

Earn College Credit

Apply for the Conservation Honors program by April 13.

Offered by the Department of Conservation in cooperation with the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Conservation Honors program is a six-day summer course that gives current high school juniors and volunteer teachers academic training and field experience in forest, fish and wildlife management, nature interpretation, outdoor skills and public speaking.

This year’s program runs from June 10 through 15. For an application and more information, contact Elaine Callaway, conservation education consultant, at 573-635-9824 or Elaine.Callaway@mdc.mo.gov.