Stay in Touch with MDC news, newsletters, events, and manage your subscription
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.
KIRKWOOD, Mo.– The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Discover Nature Schools (DNS) program is a win-win opportunity for both educators and students. It provides high quality science units designed to meet the needs of teachers while preparing Missouri's students to become life-long conservationists through hands-on experiences in nature.
To help qualify area elementary teachers to receive grant funding supporting DNS Nature Unfolds (grades K-2) and Nature Unleashed (grades 3-5) science units, MDC is providing two DNS workshops on June 12 at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood. The workshops will both run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Teachers are welcome to sign up for the unit appropriate to the grade levels they teach. These concurrent workshops will have combined sections during the day. Participants should dress prepared for portions of this workshop which will take place outdoors.
Powder Valley is located at 11715 Cragwold Road, near the intersection of I-44 and I-270.
Nature Unfolds introduces young students to the life cycles, seasons, weather, and basic needs of plants and animals, while Nature Unleashed enables elementary students to understand ecosystem connections by exploring Missouri’s ponds, forests, and prairies. Both units include teacher guides, engaging books for the students, and field investigations that emphasize science practices and are correlated with current curriculum standards.
The workshops will include procedures for participation in the DNS grant program that provides funding for science equipment, outdoor classrooms and field experiences related to the units.
The workshops are free but advance registration is required. To sign up for the workshops, go to the MDC Teacher Portal at https://tinyurl.com/ydz6q5fo and log in with account credentials. To create a new account, go to https://tinyurl.com/y2n9dq6q.
The MDC Teacher Portal is designed to provide the highest quality service to Missouri’s educators who are interested in teaching their students about Missouri ecology and conservation.
