How to: Make a Vision Board

Want to spend more time in the sticks in 2026? Making a vision board is a great way to remind yourself to get outside.

Here’s what you do

If you’re like us, sometimes it’s hard to figure out what you want to do over the coming year. The next time you’re cooped up inside on a cold, blustery day, take a peek through nature magazines like Xplor. As you leaf through the pages, ask yourself these questions:

What kinds of critters would I love to see in real life? Which wild places do I want to explore?

What outdoor activities have I always wanted to try? What can I do to help nature?

If you see a picture in the magazine that answers one of those questions, cut it out, glue it to a piece of poster board, and write down a few details to help you remember why the photo is important. When you’re done, hang up the vision board in your room to remind yourself of all the fun stuff you plan to do.

Spring

Listen for spring peepers ringing in spring. Peepers begin calling in late February. Woods near ponds and marshes are a good place to find them.

Visit a glade to see a collared lizard. Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, Stegall Mountain at Peck Ranch Conservation Area, or Caney Mountain Conservation Area

Coax a family of eastern bluebirds to nest in my yard. Plans at nabluebirdsociety.org

Summer

Make a hotel for the hard-working bees in my backyard. The May/June 2024 issue of Xplor shows how. (Start saving scrap paper and bean cans.)

Visit a prairie when the wildflowers are at peak bloom. Pawnee Prairie Natural Area, Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area, or Prairie State Park. Go here to find even more prairies to explore: short.mdc.mo.gov/ooS

Pick enough blackberries to make a cobbler. Yummy recipe in the July/August 2024 Xplor.

Take a summer float trip down a cool Ozark stream. Niangua River, Current River, North Fork of the White, Jacks Fork River, Eleven Point River.

Fall

Watch a caterpillar turn into a monarch butterfly. Need to find some milkweed to find monarch caterpillars!

Hike a trail when the leaves are at peak color. Go to mdc.mo.gov/atlas or ozarktrail.com 

See an American white pelican in the wild (Pelicans pass through Missouri in October and April.) Pelican Hotspots: Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Truman Lake