Jackson County Parks + Rec’s Sand Cinema will present Minions: The Rise of Gru on the giant inflatable movie screen at Longview Lake Beach on Friday, June 9.
 
Gates will open at 7:30 p.m. with the movie scheduled to begin at approximately 9:00 p.m. or once it’s dark. Admission is $10 per car. Families are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating. No swimming or outside food, drink or pets are allowed. Concessions are available for visitors to enjoy.
 
Minions: The Rise of Gru is the first of three beachfront family features this summer. The Sand Cinema schedule for summer 2023 at Longview Lake Beach is as follows, weather permitting:

• Friday, July 7: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
• Friday, August 4: Disney Pixar’s Lightyear

 
“This Princess Life” will be on-site with complimentary character photos before each movie. It’s important to note that Longview Lake Beach will close at 6:00 p.m. on Sand Cinema movie nights to allow staff time to set up.
 
Longview Lake Beach is located at 11101 Raytown Road, just two miles south of I-470. For more information and to stay up-to-date on upcoming events, visit www.makeyourdayhere.com/events.

Enjoy a day filled with period music, dancing, food, crafts, games and more at the Missouri Town Spring Jamboree on Saturday, June 3 from 9:00am – 4:30pm at the Missouri Town Living History Museum, 8010 East Park Road, Lee’s Summit, MO.

Visitors of all ages will experience the work, play and daily life of Victorian children. Living history interpreters will guide activities to include lessons in the one-room schoolhouse, working the garden, competing in whistle and racing competitions, kitemaking, period children’s games, an 1850s photo booth, and caring for heritage-breed livestock.

Admission is $8/adults, $4/children ages 5-13, $4/seniors 62+, and children under 4 are free. 

For more information, visit Missouri Town Living History Museum Jackson County MO Parks + Rec (makeyourdayhere.com). 

by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation


Summer brings the woods and meadows alive with native wildflowers blooming and wildlife on the move. A variety of free programs to connect people with nature will be offered during June at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs.

The classes are offered to a wide range of ages and abilities. Many require advance registration.

• A composting class will be offered from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 3. Learn how to turn items such as leaves, lawn clippings, and kitchen scraps into fertile mulch for gardens. This class is open to participants ages 18 and older. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4dT.
• Burr Oak Woods staff will lead a Wild Edibles search from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, along the Little Blue Trace Trail. Bring cameras, smart photos, plant ID books, and water bottles for foraging along the trail. Open to participants ages 14 and older. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4dq.
• A Babes in the Woods Flutter Like a Butterfly program will be from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 10. This is a program for toddlers up to age 3. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4dc.

Burr Oak Woods is a good place for a day trip visit during the summer months. The Nature Center building has a large aquarium with native fish and interesting exhibits about Missouri critters and ecology. Some exhibits are designed as nature interaction areas for children. There is also a nature based outdoor play area for children. The Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area has a variety of trails for hiking.
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For more information about MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods.

by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host a free No Boundaries: Outdoor Skills event from 12:30pm to 4:00pm on Wednesday, May 31, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. This program for ages 8 and older is designed to connect people with physical or mental ability challenges with nature and the outdoors. Guardians or assistants must accompany participants.

MDC staff will teach participants skills such as fishing, canoeing, and target shooting with air rifles. All equipment and bait for fishing will be provided. Staff will coach and assist participants as they try out the skills. All lessons will be outdoors. Hats, bug spray, and sunscreen are recommended.
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Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4At

by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation

May is springtime’s brightest blush, and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering several upcoming programs at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center to help people enjoy the outdoors. All activities are free, and they serve a variety of ages and abilities. Hiking trails are also open for visitors at the center, 1401 N.W. Park Road in Blue Springs.
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Registration is required for these programs.

• A Birds Fill the Bill program will be offered from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 6. Birds have a variety of beak shapes and sizes to help them catch food effectively. Staff will have educational stations set up with exhibits that show how birds use their beaks to eat. Visitors can arrive any time and visit the stations at their own pace. This program open to participants ages 6 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4As.
• A Nature Rx: Birds and Blooms program will be offered from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 13. This program is part of a monthly series devoted to teaching how contact with nature can reduce stress and the health problems associated with stress. This program will focus on observing spring wildflowers and songbirds. Participants must be ages 18 and older. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Ae.
• Learn about wild edibles Teas and Tonics from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16. Instructors will teach which native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees can be used to brew teas. This program is open to participants ages 14 and older. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4An.
• A Little Acorns Nature’s Nurseries program from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17, will take participants to a pond, a prairie, and a forest to learn how baby animals are provided for in nature. This program is designed for children ages 3 to 6. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Ah.
• A Sensational Serpents program to teach the beneficial side of Missouri’s more than 40 species of snakes will be offered from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 20. The presentation will include fun facts and some of the center’s captive live snakes. This program is open to participants ages 5 and older. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4A7.

For more information about MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods.

     The May Senior Citizens Luncheon will be held Wednesday, May 3rd from 11:30am - 1:00pm at the Grain Valley Community Center, 713 Main Street. 
     The May menu includes fried chicken leg, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, biscuit, and strawberry poke cake. 
     Bingo follows each luncheon, starting at 1:00pm for $1/card.
     Please RSVP by calling 816-847-6230 or email to jroot@cityofgrainvalley.org. 

     Kids are invited to show off their angling skills at Jackson County Parks + Rec’s 40th Annual Kids’ Fishing Derby on Saturday, May 6 at 9200 Beach Road, Lake Jacomo in Fleming Park. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The contest will run from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., with awards to follow.
     This FREE, fun-filled family event is open to kids ages 15 years old and under and includes a casting clinic and fishing contest. Prizes and trophies will be awarded for the top three largest fish by weight in each age category, the smallest fish overall and the most fish caught overall.
All children must be accompanied by an adult and should bring bait, a bucket to hold their catch and a fishing pole. The first 250 kids to register will receive a FREE fishing pole courtesy of Pure Fishing, but those poles will not be assembled.
     Lake Jacomo in Fleming Park is located at 9200 Beach Road, Lees Summit MO 64081, opposite the Jacomo campground.

     The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a hybrid course on surveying butterfly populations that is both virtual and in-person. The course is on butterflies, their ecology, and how to survey for them. The program is being hosted by the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center staff from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 3.
     Participants may choose to put their knowledge into action by becoming a Missouri Butterfly Monitoring Network volunteer. After attending the program, volunteers need to choose a survey course to monitor. Some courses already mapped are available. They will schedule a time to complete one practice survey and data entry with Burr Oak Woods staff. During June and August, a minimum of six surveys must be completed and recorded in an online database.
     This is the fifth annual training in the Kansas City area for the Missouri Butterfly Monitoring Network. The network is a hosted by Georgetown University with grants from the National Science Foundation.
     Some butterfly species such as the venerable monarch have been in decline due to habitat loss and environmental problems. Science-based conservation is working to boost pollinators such as butterflies. People simply interested in learning more about butterflies are also invited to take the course.
     This class is open to participants ages 18 and older. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4QF.
For more information about butterflies in Missouri, https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Qt.

by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation 

     Step outside and discover nature at the free Get Outdoors Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, at the Kemper Outdoor Education Center in Blue Springs. A variety of outdoor activities will be on tap, and the event is hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Blue Springs Parks and Recreation, and Jackson County Parks and Recreation. Staff from each of the agencies will be on hand to help visitors with outdoor skills and answer questions about nature.
     Individuals and families will be able to paddle kayaks, target shoot with easy-to-use archery equipment, practice yoga, learn about birding, go hiking, go fishing, and see nature displays. All ages are welcome. Registration is not required. MDC and the park agencies will provide all the equipment needed for the activities. For example, it’s a chance for newcomers to learn how to go fishing, how to cast lures with a rod and reel, and how to handle a fish. Experts will help with other activities, too. Visitors can learn a new skill or sharpen an old one.
     April 22 is also Earth Day and getting outdoors is a fine way to honor the day and perhaps get started on a lifetime sports.
     The Kemper Outdoor Education Center is at 8201 Jasper Bell Road. To learn more, visit the event’s website at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Q7 or call 816-229-8980.