Get Out!

Fun things to do and great places to discover nature.

• The New Year is a great time to start keeping a nature journal. Every week — or every day if you can manage — write down something you notice about nature. Next year, you’ll be able to look back and see when robins will arrive, when redbuds will bloom, and when box turtles will wake up from hibernation.
• In Missouri, ticks are most active from April through July, but the tiny bloodsuckers can be encountered any month of the year. During warm winters, it doesn’t hurt to wear insect repellent when you hike through weedy, brushy areas.
• On warm, rainy nights in late February, head outside with a flashlight and search the shores of shallow, fish-free ponds. You might find dozens of spotted salamanders marching toward the water, hoping to find a mate and lay eggs.
• January 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. Here’s how to show some love to your furry-tailed friends: Loop wire through an eye-screw, tie the wire around the branch of a tree, and twist an ear of dried corn onto the screw. Squirrels will appreciate the free meal, and you’ll get to watch their corny high jinks.
• On sunny days around the first week of February, northern cardinals begin singing. Both males and females sing, although females don’t sing quite as much. Listen for their bright, cheerful cheer, cheer, cheer songs, announcing to the world that spring will be here soon.

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