Events

View Greg Renner's personal collection of antique duck decoys made in Missouri.

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center turns 35 years old this year and to celebrate, the nature center is inviting the public to join the Passport to Powder Valley program. The program will encourage visitors to explore multiple aspects of the nature center and offer the opportunity to win a raffle basket of prizes.

The Passport to Powder Valley program launched Tuesday, July 14 and runs through Oct. 31. To participate, visitors can pick up a copy of the Passport to Powder Valley booklet at the nature center’s front desk. The booklet is designed to engage visitors with five fun activities that celebrate what makes Powder Valley Nature Center unique.

The five activities in the Passport to Powder Valley challenge include:

1. Birdwatching

2. Checking out one of the nature center’s nature-themed discovery backpacks

3. Meeting Powder Valley’s live “ambassador animals”

4. Attending a naturalist-led educational program

5. Exploring one of Powder Valley’s hiking trails

The passport booklet even includes a bonus coloring page. Full details on completing each activity are included in the booklet.

Every person who finishes each of the passport booklet’s activities will receive a special limited Powder Valley 35th anniversary sticker. They’ll also be entered in a raffle to win a grand prize basket, including:

- Tour tickets to the Endangered Wolf Sanctuary

- Membership and swag pack from Laumeier Sculpture Park

- Free admission tickets to either the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Butterfly House, or Shaw Nature Reserve

- The book A History of Kirkwood, Missouri, 1851-1965 by June Wilkinson Dahl, donated by the Kirkwood Historical Society

Look for book pages posted along Runge’s Naturescape trail and enjoy a seasonal children’s book as you walk and explore. Book begins at the trailhead across from the parking lot. No registration required. All ages.

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is proud to present Trail Tales, an interactive hiking experience! Explore our Tanglevine Trail, a 1/3 mile paved loop perfect for strollers and families. As you walk, look for interactive storybook pages along the trail. October will feature "In A Nutshell" by Joseph Anthony.

Nature printmaking is the art of creating lifelike images on paper or fabric with found objects from nature. MDC Naturalist Pat Whalen exhibits nature prints from his personal work and programs he presents at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. His prints will be on display in the west wing hallway through August. 

Discover what’s for dinner at Burr Oak Woods as the nature center’s amphibians, fish, and turtles enjoy their feast every Tuesday and Friday. The snakes are fed on the second and fourth Wednesday (October 14 & 28).

Visit Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center's Art Gallery this month to view the work of Missouri Nature and Environmental Photographers. (MONEP)

The MONEP mission is, to provide a forum for individuals interested in the field of nature photography and the environment, provide education, gather and disseminate information to promote nature photography as an art form and medium of communication.

This year they celebrate their 30th anniversary. They invite everyone to view their work in the hallway of the nature center.

Are you old enough to remember when National Geographic released the vinyl album Songs of the Humpback Whale in 1970? It brought attention to how whales communicate across long distances. Some scientists claimed they could communicate up to 3000 miles. Nowadays with all the noisy ships and seismic underwater prospecting for petroleum resources using explosives they are having great difficulties communicating. The fish called the grunt is so named because it grunts when hooked. And the mantis shrimp can snap their claws hard enough to crack a crab’s shell. Come explore the mysteries of the deep when we discuss Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water, by Amorina Kingdom.

This program is hosted by the Webster Groves Nature Study Society Nature Book Group but being a member is not required to participate.

Hunting Series: Hunting Deer on MDC Conservation Areas in the Missouri Ozarks. This is the third virtual program "Pre Rut Deer Sign" and will be on Tuesday, October 13 from 5:30-6:30 PM. MDC Wildlife Biologist Matthew Peter will identify rub and scrap lines, location where to find them, and hunting strategies based upon what was discovered. The link to join this class will be sent by 1 PM the afternoon of Oct. 13th (registration will close at 1 PM). Be sure to check your Spam or Junk box for the email. If an email is not received, please send an email to Dwight.Warnke@mdc.mo.gov to let him know.

Hunt Program Series:

Wed. 9/30 5:30-6:30 PM: Virtual Program: Deer Scouting Using Online Mapping (we hope you were able to attend)

Mon. 10/5 5:30-6:30 PM: Virtual Program: On the Ground Scouting & Stand Placement at MDC C.A. (we hope you were able to attend)

Tues. 10/13 5:30-6:30 PM: Virtual Program: Pre Rut Deer Sign

Wed. 10/21 5:30-6:30 PM: Virtual Program: Movement Patterns of the Rut

Mon. 11/30 5:30-6:30 PM: Virtual Program: Post Rut and Winter Deer Hunting

Field to Table Deer Processing

Are you interested in learning how to process your own harvested deer? If you are, this workshop is for you! Missouri Department of Conservation education staff members are partnering with the University of Missouri Extension to offer a deer processing workshop.

Topics covered and demonstrated during the workshop:

1) Gutless method of skinning

2) Food safety to keep you harvested venison safe for consumption

3) The major muscle groups, common retail cuts and the preferred cooking method

4) Types of packaging and their advantages and disadvantages

5) Equipment needed and the demonstration of how to process

* Ground product, solid muscle processing, Jerky, and summer sausage

* Each participant will make and take-home summer sausage (beef)

6) Introduction to B&C trophy scoring

Processing your own deer is a great way to ensure you enjoy your harvest while saving money! All the equipment that will be used to demonstrate the above products is non-commercial and available at many retailers.