Get Out!

Fun things to do and great places to discover nature.

• By July, most birds are busy raising babies and have little desire to sing. Red-eyed vireos, however, still find the time. The tireless singers are known to tweet 20,000 songs a day! Listen for a series of short, slurred notes, as if the vireo were asking itself a question and then answering it, over and over … and over.
• You don’t have to explore a coral reef or visit an aquarium to find flashy fish. Strap on a diving mask, peer into an Ozark stream, and you’ll be amazed at the rainbow of minnows, darters, and sunfish you’ll see. Plus, it’s a great way to beat the heat!
• Wild blackberries reach peak perfection in July. Arm yourself with long pants and long sleeves to protect your skin from prickly thorns and bitey bugs, then wade among the brambles to fill a bucket (or two) with sweet treats. For a yummy recipe, search for “cobbler” at mdc.mo.gov/magazines/xplor/search.
• Around mid-July, baby five-lined skinks begin hatching out of their leathery eggs. As their name implies, the youngsters have five tan stripes lining their shiny black backs. But you’re more likely to notice their electric blue tails, which fade in brightness as they grow up.
• The next time you sniff a flower, a sneaky predator may be hiding right under your nose: a crab spider. These harmless hunters don’t weave webs to catch prey. Instead, they wait patiently on petals, relying on camouflage to stay hidden. When a fly buzzes by, the spider pounces.

Looking for more ways to have fun outside? Find out about Discover Nature programs in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events.