Events

Walk-in (all ages) The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) is on site for a spring native plant sale. Grow Native! vendors will be on hand with a wide selection of native flowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs and trees for a variety of growing conditions. Vendors will contribute a percentage of plant sale proceeds to benefit MPF's prairie conservation in Missouri. Visit www.moprairie.org for participating vendors and information about pre-ordering. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

With spring in full swing MO amphibians are starting to come out. People misidentify frogs and toads often this time of year. Learn the key differences between them and meet a few of the frogs and toads we have in the nature center.

What has feathers and is truly fantastic? Birds! Let’s investigate all the wonderful things that feathers do for birds using hands-on demonstrations and activities. Registration required. Ages 7-12

Red, blue, white, and green; what beautiful colors appear in spring! Learn about the beautiful blooms in spring and participate in some fun and flowery sensory activities and crafts. Babes in the Woods programs are designed to empower parents to introduce babies and toddlers ages 0–2 years to the sights, sounds, and textures of nature.

Has anyone ever copied you? That happens to some of Missouri’s wild animals. They get tricked by something that is a copy when they think it is real. Come watch as Runge’s Puppeteers show how copycats mimic other things. You can even discover why being a fake can really be good. No registration required. All ages.

Walk-in (ages 3-6) Discovering the amazing natural world is as easy as opening a book! This volunteer naturalist led story program is ideal for preschool - kindergarten children and will take them on journeys to learn about wildlife, habitats and more. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

Has anyone ever copied you? That happens to some of Missouri’s wild animals. They get tricked by something that is a copy when they think it is real. Come watch as Runge’s Puppeteers show how copycats mimic other things. You can even discover why being a fake can really be good. No registration required. All ages

Celebrate the spring season by heading out on a scavenger hunt! It will be fun for the whole family as you search for signs of spring. There will be an easy, moderate, and difficult scavenger hunt available. Just drop by, select the scavenger hunt page of your choice, and return completed pages for a small prize.

Celebrate Earth Day all week with us! Learn how different plants, fungi, and even animals clean up the environment, also called bioremediation. This program will not be recorded. Please include a valid email address when you register so we can send you a virtual program link.