Conservation Education

Nature Activity

Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

• Where: 20 miles east of Kansas City in Blue Springs, 1.1 miles north of I-70 on Highway 7, then west 1 mile on Park Road
• Features: Visitor center; 33-acre natural area with forested hillsides, scattered limestone boulders and outcrops, glades, fields, ponds, wildlife, streams and native-grass plantings
• 25th Anniversary Programs: Oct. 20, 23 and 27 (see story for details)
• For more info: (816) 228-3766 or visit our online atlas, keywords "Burr Oak"
  

This month Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs celebrates 25 years of connecting people with nature in the greater Kansas City area. On Oct. 20, at 6 p.m., special guests Dorothy and Toto will lead visitors through the haunted forest to discover who lives in Burr Oak Woods. On Oct. 23, at 10 a.m., 3- to-5-year olds are invited to join the Itsy Bitsy Spider for a review of conservation programs past and a peek at exciting programs planned for the future. Children 6 and older will enjoy the program scheduled for Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. The “Ghosts in the Forest” program will feature the historical characters that shaped the land that is now Burr Oak Woods. If you would like to participate, all 25th Anniversary programs require reservations, please call (816) 228-3766.

Cape Educators Workshop

“Mammals and Trapping” focuses on furbearers.

Whether you’re a public school teacher, youth group leader or home-school instructor, you’re invited to register for the “Mammals and Trapping” workshop scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center. This Nature in the Classroom Program topic will focus on Missouri’s fur-bearing wildlife. Participants will receive background information and lesson plans coordinated with Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Grade Level Expectations. Rob Sulkowski, Ste. Genevieve County’s conservation agent, will give firsthand instruction and advice on trapping. Participants will have a chance to explore the mammals discovery trunk and reserve it for the winter or spring months.

Cape Girardeau Nature Center’s Nature in the Classroom Program for educators offers a different topic each month. For more information about the program and upcoming topics, or to register for a workshop, please contact Bridget Jackson, education consultant, at (573) 290-5218 or bridget.jackson@mdc.mo.gov.

Calling All Nature Explorers

Head for Conservation Frontiers this fall.

Looking for new outdoor adventures this fall? The Conservation Frontiers Program offers dozens of ways to explore and conserve natural Missouri. The guidebook starts with nature walks and field trips, but you can begin with any topic, such as forestry or wildlife studies. As you complete the activities, you qualify for special Frontiers awards—compasses and water bottles, for example. Anyone can participate in the Frontiers program, but children ages 5 to 17 need an adult sponsor to help them. For more information, write to Education Programs, Conservation Frontiers Program, P. O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65109-0180.