Community Conservation

Taking Action

Missouri Bluebird Society

The Missouri Bluebird Society will hold its third annual conference Sept. 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Independence. Keynote speaker will be Sandy Siebert, president of Bluebirds Across Nebraska and a passionate advocate for bluebird conservation. Practical seminars and presentations, a silent auction/raffle and a field trip to the Conservation Department’s nearby Burr Oak Woods Nature Center are planned. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the conference will complete around 5 p.m.

The Society was founded to enhance the welfare and broaden public awareness of the eastern bluebird, Missouri’s state bird. The group also seeks to improve habitat and nesting opportunities for other native cavity-nesting birds. All native hole-dwelling species are challenged by competition with aggressive, introduced house sparrows and European starlings.

Visit the Missouri Bluebird Society online or call (573) 638-2473 or (816) 803-2632 for more information.—by Jim Rathert

“Haunted Habitats” is Back

Venture into Nature’s Night Shift at Runge CNC.

What goes bump in the night might surprise you. That eerie rustling, that ominous crunching, the monster you imagine in the trees. Oh, it’s there. But steady yourself and look closer, and you might recognize the fearsome predator—a wide-eyed flying squirrel searching for breakfast. He’s so cute it’s almost… scary.

There’s no room for ghouls on nature’s busy night shift, but you won’t be disappointed by the other characters you’ll meet.

A jack-o’-lantern-lit nature trail and knowledgeable guides await your family’s visit to the Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City on Friday, Oct. 24, from 6–9 p.m. (Rain date is Saturday, Oct. 25, also 6–9 p.m.) The trail is designed for children ages 3–9, but the Haunted Habitats event offers an exciting and educational evening for all ages.

Try your skill in the outdoor obstacle maze before you venture inside for more games and activities. Check out the interpretive activities in the lobby/exhibit area that reveal the hidden lives of nocturnal animals. Then take a break with complementary cider and hot chocolate to look through the fun gifts and prizes you’ve collected along the way. It promises to be an enchanted evening. And don’t worry about frightful parking, shuttle service will be available from the Conservation Department’s main office parking lot.

Call the Runge Conservation Nature Center at (573) 526-5544 for more information.