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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.
Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) staff at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center will be ready to help people in the Kansas City area participating in the free City Nature Challenge from April 26 through April 29. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 26, and on Saturday, April 27, Discovery Center staff will help people get started in the challenge.
The challenge, a national and international program, is a friendly competition between cities to see which community’s residents can find the most plant and animal species in backyards and parks. The overriding goals are connecting people with nature and showcasing biodiversity in communities. Citizens take photos of plants and animals and upload their observations using the free mobile iNaturalist app. The information goes into a database that scientists can use.
At the Discovery Center, staff such as Susie Harris, MDC naturalist, will help participants learn how to use the iNaturalist app. Staff will also help participants find species to photograph in the center’s native plant garden. Registration is not required.
MDC’s Gorman Discovery Center makes a good starting place for adding species to a count. The center has a large outdoor garden with a wide variety of native plants, trees, and shrubs. Birds, butterflies, and other wildlife are attracted to the garden. The Discovery Center building is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but the public is invited to walk the trails in the outdoor garden and record observations on both days.
For more information about the challenge, visit City Nature Challenge. For more information on MDC’s Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., visit https://mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter.
