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Kansas City, Mo. – They touched snakes, petted turtles, caught fish, and sent an arrow into a bullseye. Youths attending the kickoff on Tuesday, June 23, for the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) annual Discover Nature Field Day connected with nature and learned outdoor skills. This annual event at the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is a cooperative partnership between MDC and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City.
More than 1,000 youths from urban Kansas City will participate in the four-day Field Day, said Wendy Parrett, an MDC education consultant who coordinated the event.Attendees range from kindergarten students to seniors in high school. Volunteers from the Missouri Master Naturalists assisted MDC staff in teaching skills and making presentations.
Youths tried out a buffalo hide lean to and learned about wild edibles such as walnuts. Live snakes and turtles always draw interest. Youths also netted bugs in the water and on the prairie. Fishing was popular and bluegill were biting. Older youths paddled canoes. They learned pellet gun and archery shooting skills with instruction from staff.
MDC's nature and interpretive centers offer similar outdoor education programs through the summer for youths and adults. For information, visit mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places-go/nature-and-interpretive-centers.
