
Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard. Free to residents of Missouri.
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Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard. Free to residents of Missouri.
A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
WINONA, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Twin Pines Conservation Education Nature Center in Winona will return to seasonal hours in December. Twin Pines closes annually for the winter season between Dec. 1 and March 31. Trails at the center will remain open to visitors during this time. Skyler Bockman, the center manager, said prior to the closure, there will be a Nature Art program on Saturday, Nov. 30, from 10 to noon.
“The Nature Art program is a great way to get ready for the holidays as we make natural themed ornaments,” Bockman said.
Guests ages 12 and up will make holiday ornaments from an abundance of natural objects. The Twin Pines staff will demonstrate how to use items like twigs, pine needles, acorns, buckeyes and seed pods to make wreaths, reindeer and miniature tree ornaments. Reservations are required online at www.mdc.mo.gov/ozarkevents.
Bockman said this is the last program at Twin Pines before the seasonal closure, during which the Twin Pines employees will be available to the public by email at TwinPinesCenter@mdc.mo.gov. The facility will reopen and programs will resume April 1.
“We stay busy during the seasonal closure by taking nature programs to area schools,” Bockman said. “We’ve learned over the years that not all schools can take many field trips, so during the winter months, we take nature programs to the schools.”
To schedule a school program, Bockman said teachers should email the center at TwinPinesCenter@mdc.mo.gov. Twin Pines is located one mile east of Winona on U.S. Highway 60. For more information on Twin Pines, including directions and events, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/TwinPines.