Get Outside in April

Blossoms and Butterflies

Henry’s elfin and spring azure butterflies, as well as the colorful, butterflylike grapevine epimenis moth, are especially fond of the blossoms that adorn wild plums. Their emergence as adults is perfectly timed to coincide with the springtime blooming period of this ornamental tree.

Cliff Colonizers

Cliff swallows arrive in April, often returning to the colony in which they were born. Their clusters of juglike mud nests are attached to overpasses, bridges, culverts, barns, and cliffs. In spring, people sometimes see these birds gathered around rural mud puddles, where they roll little bits of mud into a ball and fly off, carrying it in their mouth to the nearby nest they are constructing.

Swine Serenade?

Northern crawfish frogs breed at night through April. This activity is triggered by warm, heavy rains. These frogs are rarely seen, but in the proper prairie habitats at the right time, you can hear the males calling — a deep, loud, snoring gwwaaa. A group of calling males sounds like pigs at feeding time.

Birds and Blooms

Wild columbine starts blooming in April, which is just in time to provide nectar for hungry, newly returning hummingbirds.

Morel Madness

Morels are choice edible mushrooms that are difficult to see but not hard to learn how to identify. There are several varieties to look for:

• Yellow morels (common morels) appear in April and early May. They can sometimes get huge, up to a foot high and 6 inches thick.
• Black morels appear in April and early May. They usually only reach a few inches high. Some observers have noted they often come out a little earlier than the yellow morels. 
• Half-free morels appear in April. They occur scattered in mixed woods, and they usually pop up before the other morels.

For more information, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4Vc.

Pond to plate: Fish Cooking 101

Thursday • April 17 • 7–8:30 p.m.
Online only
Registration required by April 16. To register, call 888-283-0364 or visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4VG.
All ages
Now that spring fishing season is in full swing and you have caught and cleaned a mess of fish, it is the time to learn how to cook them. In this virtual fish cooking program, we will focus on the common equipment needed for cooking, frying, and grilling fish, as well as other methods to prepare fish.

Wild edibles: Learning to Mushroom Hunt

Thursday • April 24 • 6–7:30 p.m.
Registration required by April 23. To register, call 888-283-0364 or visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4Vx.
All ages

Join us in learning about mushrooms and how they live and grow. Get some tips on how to find and identify the edible ones and what ones to stay away from. The link to join this class will be sent the morning of the class.

To be safe, always be certain of your mushroom identification before consuming. For more information, consult A Guide to Missouri’s Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZNf.

Find more events in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events

Discover Fishing

Want to make connections? Why not discover fishing? It’s a great way for everyone to have fun outdoors and learn about conservation.

With fishing you can:

• Find adventure and excitement
• Spend quality time with family
• Escape the stress of everyday life
• Reconnect with friends
• Make lifetime memories

Download the MO Fishing app today to make it even easier!

1. Download on the App Store 
2. Get it on Google Play

Natural Events to See This Month

Here’s what’s going on in the natural world.

• Killdeer lay eggs in simple ground nests.
• Bats form summer nursery colonies.
• Western mud-snakes mate.
• Honey locust moths fly through September. 
• Crappie spawn.