Conservation Education

Nature Activity: Family Fun Programs at Springfield and Cape

Program: All programs are free, but registration is required.
When: At Springfield CNC on Friday at 7 p.m. At Cape Girardeau CCNC Saturday on Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
To register: Call Springfield CNC at (417) 888-4237 beginning Feb. 1. Call Cape Girardeau CCNC at (573) 290-5218.

February is Family Fun Month at Springfield Conservation Nature Center. This year the center celebrates with programs every Friday night. On Feb. 6, renowned storyteller John Hernandez shares Native American stories, chants and drumming. On Feb. 13, families can enjoy a guided Owl Prowl and see live owls during an indoor presentation by Dickerson Park Zoo. The Emmy Award-winning duo of Jan and George Syrigos, known as WildHeart, present two musical performances on Feb. 20, and amphibians rule during Amazing Amphibian Family Fun Night on Feb. 27.

Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus Nature Center will observe Family Fun Month with a puppet show, “Big Mouth Frog and Friends,” on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. This production is all about Big Mouth Frog, who discovers what to eat as he meets forest friends and talks with them about their favorite foods.

Learn About Furbearers

DVD introduces you to Missouri’s fur-bearing mammals.

For more than 11,000 years, people in North America have hunted furbearers for food and clothing. Missouri has fourteen different kinds of mammals that bear fur. You’re probably already familiar with many of them—raccoons, skunks, weasels, squirrels, coyotes, groundhogs, etc. Some live quite close to people, others keep their distance from humans. Furbearers of Missouri, a 38-minute DVD, shows how furbearers live, the hazards they face, and what we can do to conserve them. Also included on this disc is The Nature of Trapping, a bonus segment that features wildlife biologists, homeowners, an urban trapper and a veterinarian who discuss how to use trapping to balance the needs of people and other life in a modern, yet natural world. This item is available for $10 plus shipping and handling and sales tax (where applicable). To order, call toll-free (877) 521-8632 or visit our online Nature Shop.

Naturescaping Workshops

Visit our Web site for the date and place nearest you.

If you want more birds and butterflies in your yard, plant more native plants. Many native wildlife depend on certain species of native plants during part or all of their life cycle. Also, native plants are adapted to Missouri’s soils and climate. Learn how to choose, plant and maintain the right native plants for your landscape at a Naturescaping Workshop this spring. Several nature centers around the state are offering the workshop, and most include a native plant sale. Find dates, locations and full details on our Web site.