Get Out!

• In April, search wooded slopes along streams for Dutchman’s breeches. It’s easy to see how these frilly little flowers get their name. They look like tiny pairs of white pants hanging from a clothesline.
• Set your alarm extra early for Tuesday, March 3. Around 5 a.m., Earth’s shadow will fall across the full moon, creating an eclipse. This will cause the moon to turn eerily red, a phase known as a “blood moon.”
• Watch birds and maybe even win prizes during the 2026 Missouri Birding Challenge! Get a team together and see how many feathered friends you can spot from May 1–22. Participants who submit the birds they’ve seen will be entered into a drawing for prizes like binoculars. Registration is open April 1–30. Get details at mdc.mo.gov/MObirdingchallenge.
• At the end of March, nine-banded armadillos have babies. Mama ʼdillos always give birth to four — no more, no fewer — identical babies, either all boys or all girls. The babies are born without armor and don’t leave the safety of mom’s burrow until they’re about 3 weeks old.
• The oozy mud and mucky water of a marsh is jam-packed with aquatic insects, worms, and snails. In April, shorebirds make pit stops at mudflats to slurp up this “swamp soup” and refuel during their long-distance migrations. Pack a pair of binoculars and head to a wetland to see how many kinds of shorebirds you can spot skittering across the mud.

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