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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Discover nature in November with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center’s free programs!
Let's work together to keep our river clean! Lend a helping hand and take part in a litter pickup. We’ll meet at the Broadway Street entrance of Riverfront Park in downtown Cape Girardeau. Just show up; we’ll provide the trash bags, gloves, free T-shirts, snacks, and beverages!
Are all your workouts the same? Are you tired of running on the same roads repeatedly? Change it up by joining us on a trail run at Apple Creek Conservation Area (CA)! As you cover diverse terrain, enjoy beautiful scenery while also bringing your workouts to the next level. We’ll meet the first Tuesday of each month, experiencing a new conservation area each time!
Moderate fitness level is required, as this activity may be rigorous. Trail surfaces may include gravel, asphalt, and dirt. Headlights will be provided.
Plan to meet at the second parking lot for the multi-use/horse trail on Apple Creek CA. If transportation from the nature center is necessary, please reach out to the instructor. Watch for a detailed welcome email closer to the event date.
Celebrate the sights, textures, and smells of the fall season by participating in our sensory-friendly activities! These child-directed activities are designed to provide many tactile opportunities through hands-on exploration. Feel free to come and go as you like. This program is designed to be inclusive to children of all ages and abilities.
Mushrooms can be tasty treats, but Missouri’s fungi offer dazzling colors, shapes, and life cycles! Join us for a program about mushroom appreciation, art, and exploration. Participants will go for a short hike over moderately hilly terrain in search of fungi. Then it’s back to the lab for spore printing, microscope fun, and other fungi related activities!
Please keep in mind that this program is not designed for edible mushroom ID, but instead to open your eyes to some of the most important and overlooked forest inhabitants. Participants should bring sturdy athletic or hiking footwear and a bottle of water.
Join us for an enlightening program on winter birds and birdfeeders! Discover the various visitors you’re likely to encounter during the cold months and learn about the specific feeders and seeds that attract each species. Equip yourself with knowledge to create a bird-friendly environment in your backyard this winter. Whether you’re a seasoned bird watcher or a curious beginner, this session promises valuable insights for all.
The program will begin with a presentation in the auditorium and then move to a roughly 1-mile hike over paved and gravel trails which are moderately hilly. You are welcome to attend the auditorium portion only and then view birds from our feeder window, or explore our forests on your own.
Wild About Water
Join us this year for a guided kayak or canoe experience, stomp through a stream looking for the critters that call creeks home or explore the mysteries of a southeast Missouri swamp. To whet your appetite even more, each program attended will enter you in a chance to win the “Wild About Water” grand prize drawn in December. We can’t wait to see you all downstream!
Registration
Check out details for all of MDC’s free November events online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xf. And don’t forget to register your kiddos and homeschool students for Little Acorns and Babes in the Woods story times!
Advance registration is required for most programs and can be completed online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xf. All family members that plan to attend in-person and virtual events must be registered. First, create a profile. Once a profile is created and event registration is complete, additional details about programs will be sent via email. If you’re having difficulty registering online, you may contact the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center at (573) 290-5218.
Stay connected
Questions about events can be emailed to MDC Cape Nature Center Manager Laci Prucinsky at Laci.Prucinsky@mdc.mo.gov.
The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center sends program registration reminders and updates to those who sign up by texting “MDC Nature” to 468311. An online subscription is also available to “sign up for updates” at www.mdc.mo.gov. A variety of updates are available at this option, but Cape Girardeau specific updates are available under facility updates and news for southeast region.
Cape Girardeau Nature Conservation Center is located at 2289 County Park Dr. in Cape Girardeau, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. White Oak Trace Trails are open daily, from sunrise – 10 p.m.
