Get Outside

By |
From Missouri Conservationist: November 2018
Body

Pick Pecans

Pecans are ripe for the picking! Brush off your favorite recipes. If you need some inspiration, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/Z3U.

Southeast Region

  • Feeding Frenzy
  • Thursday, Nov. 8 • 1–2 p.m.
  • Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
  • 2289 County Park Drive,
  • Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
  • No registration required.
  • Call 573-290-5218 for more information
  • All ages

Ever wonder what it takes to keep all the nature center reptiles, amphibians, and fish happy? Thanks to some amazing animal care volunteers, they are fed a delicious smorgasbord of crickets, worms, minnows, and more! Drop by to visit with the volunteers and staff as they feed the hungry critters.

Red Admiral Butterfly

Look for red admiral butterflies through November. They frequent woody and grassy areas and gardens, especially in late afternoon and dusk. Males perch on trees and shrubs as they watch for females, but this time of year, they may be more interested in flying south for the winter.

Look Up

As you are walking in the woods this fall, look up amongst the leafless trees. You may spot a bald-faced hornets’ nest. These large, rounded, papery, gray nests are often used in natural history displays. Baldfaced hornets chew on wood and mix it with their saliva to construct their nests.

Hangry Birds

Birds are gathering at stations this time of year. Are you prepared? If you need help getting your feeders set up, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/ZpZ.

St. Louis Region Hiking: Turkey Trek

  • Saturday, Nov. 17 • 1–3 p.m.
  • Rockwoods Reservation 2751 Glencoe Road, Wildwood, MO 63038
  • Registration required. Call 636-458-2236 starting Nov. 1
  • All ages

Join us for an invigorating mid-November hike of the Turkey Ridge Trail (moderate 2.0 miles with hills). As we progress along the trail, we will talk about the habitat, food, habits, and calls of wild turkeys. If we are really lucky, we may even see or hear some wild turkeys.

Discover Nature with the Natural Events Calendar

Our ever-popular calendar keeps you in touch with the year’s seasonal changes. Each month offers a reminder of the state’s natural treasures. Daily notes keep you posted on what’s blooming or nesting and myriad other natural phenomena.

  • 10 x 14 inches when folded
  • 20 x 14 inches when open for full display
  • $9
  • Get your copy today at mdcnatureshop.com or call 877-521-8632.

Natural Events to See This Month

Here’s what’s going on in the natural world.

  • Voles and mice feed on grass and seeds under the snow.
  • Female black bears are in their winter dens
  • Look for frost flowers with the first hard frost
  • Hellbender eggs begin hatching
  • Listen for the cricket’s last call

Find more events in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events

This Issue's Staff

Editor - Angie Daly Morfeld

Associate Editor - Bonnie Chasteen

Staff Writer - Larry Archer
Staff Writer - Heather Feeler
Staff Writer - Kristie Hilgedick
Staff Writer - Joe Jerek

Creative Director - Stephanie Thurber

Art Director - Cliff White

Designer - Les Fortenberry
Designer - Marci Porter

Photographer - Noppadol Paothong
Photographer - David Stonner

Circulation - Laura Scheuler