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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.
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. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4At MDC will host a No Boundaries: Outdoor Skills class on May 31st at Burr Oak Woods in Blue Springs. Photo credit: MDC
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. Registration is required for these programs.
MDC programs in May at Burr Oak Woods will connect visitors with birds, native plant teas, and creatures of the Missouri outdoors. Photo credit: MDC
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 Blue Springs Elks Lodge #2509 will host their annual Roger Deterding kids fishing derby on Saturday, May 6th at Butterfly Trail Park in Grain Valley. Registration starts at 8:00am with fishing from 9:00am to 11:00am. The event is open to boys and girls ages 2-15.
Free donuts, hotdogs, chips, and water while supplies last. Following the tournament, there will be a number of giveaways as well as prizes for the most fish caught in each age group and for the biggest fish caught. Fishing poles and worms will be provided by the Elks Lodge if participants do not have their own. 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. 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. Photo credit: MDC
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. Kayaking, archery, and fishing will be some of the activities offered 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. Photo credit: MDC
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a free turkey hunting clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. This clinic is for individuals and families and is open to participants ages 9 and older. Hunting wild turkeys in the spring is an exciting time to be in the forests and woodlands. Spring wildflowers are blooming, trees are leafing out, and toms are gobbling to attract hens during their mating season. This clinic will cover the basics needed to get started turkey hunting. John Rittel, MDC community education assistant, will talk about scouting hunting territories, how to pick hunting spots, calling turkeys, equipment needed, and regulations. The clinic is appropriate for individual adults and families with children 9 and older. Children ages 9 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult. COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4g5. MDC will offer a free wild turkey hunting clinic for individuals and families on March 18 at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Photo credit: MDC
by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff at the Lake City Shooting Range near Blue Springs will offer two free programs during March for newcomers and experienced firearms owners. The shotgun, rifle, and pistol target ranges offer a variety of target shooting opportunities. But MDC staff also teaches classes about firearms, ammunition, and the outdoors. Registration is required for many programs.
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