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A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
Kansas City, Mo. – Step outside to start the holidays with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The MDC staff will be offering Turkey Trot hikes and family Nature Gratitude Hunts at two Kansas City metro area locations on Saturday, Nov. 26. These hikes will offer nature interpretation and fun, plus a way to exercise away the Thanksgiving leftovers.
MDC’s Turkey Trot hikes will be offered from 10 to 11 a.m., from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City. Naturalist Pat Whalen will lead the hikes through the center’s native plant garden and the adjacent Kauffman Legacy Park. Participants will look for animal tracks and signs and check for migrating waterfowl. Hikers will learn about native plants, and they can make a cordage bracelet from prairie grass.
The Turkey Trot hikes are open to participants ages 12 and older. COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed. Registration is required. To register for the 10 a.m. session, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Nk. To register for the 11:30 a.m. session, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4GF. To register for the 1 p.m. session, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Gt.
MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs will offer Nature Gratitude Hunts from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. All ages are welcome. Participants will search the trails near the nature center for hidden “pumpkins” of knowledge about the natural world. They can collect four gratitude pumpkins to redeem for a prize. COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Gv.
Another post-Thanksgiving idea, MDC’s Lake City Shooting Range near Buckner and the Parma Woods Shooting Range at Parkville will also be open Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 26-27. For more information about Lake City, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4k9, and for Parma Woods, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZHM.
