Conservation Education

Nature Activity

Burr Oak Woods Prairie Day

• Program: Introduction to Archery
• Who should attend: All are welcome.
• When: Sept. 20—Activities from 2–6 p.m. Concert from 6–7 p.m.
• Where: Jerry Smith Park. Take I-435 south to Holmes Road exit, south on Holmes Road to 139th Street, then left (east) onto 139th Street. The park entrance is a short distance on the left.
• Call for more info: (816) 228-3766

Tag monarch butterflies, collect prairie seeds, make rope from prairie grasses, eat bison burgers and enjoy the sweet sounds of music at Burr Oak Woods’ Prairie Day on Sept. 20. Held at the Jerry Smith Park in southeast Kansas City, this event is a partnership between Burr Oak Woods, Kansas City Wildlands, Kansas City Parks and Recreation, Kansas City Power and Light, Bridging the Gap and the Missouri Prairie Foundation. To help celebrate the Kansas City region’s collaborative efforts to restore local prairies, friends, families and kids can join prairie restoration workday activities, purchase native plants, take a bird walk, and see live prairie animals, including snakes, birds, lizards and amphibians. The event will end with a concert at sunset, so bring a chair and settle in to enjoy the music after a full afternoon of prairie fun.

Family Fun in Nature

Free events this month offer safe, fun activities outside.

The last week of September features two national efforts to get more people into the outdoors. Take a Child Outside Week, Sept. 24–30, encourages families to help their children discover the natural world. Similarly, National Hunting and Fishing Day, observed on Sept. 27 this year, builds public support for outdoor lifestyles. Celebrate both with a trip to your local Department nature or interpretive center. There you can attend programs led by trained naturalists, view exhibits, hike trails and borrow tools to help you and your family discover and explore nature together. Some centers lend visitors daypacks filled with gear, such as guides, binoculars and magnifiers. For example, the Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus Nature Center offers different packs to help you explore six different topics—birds, insects, trees, aquatic life, art and naturalist skills. There’s a conservation nature or interpretive center in every region. To find the one nearest your family, see the links listed below.

Archery in the Schools

Program changes students’ lives, one arrow at a time.

Whether you’re an educator or school administrator, Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program can help you build more confident and accomplished kids. Archery is a sport at which nearly every child can succeed. Statistics show that school archery programs engage more students in the educational process, improve classroom performance and reduce dropout rates. MoNASP (via the Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri) provides free teacher training and funding opportunities for equipment. Check out this new and growing program online.