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by Joe Jerek, Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a hunter-education skills session on May 25 from 8:00am - Noon at Paradise Outfitters, 1500 S. Broadway in Oak Grove. The hunter-education skills session is the second half of the hunter-education certification process, taken after completing one of the knowledge-based options. Students must be 11 years of age or older by the day of the class. Students will need to complete the knowledge session of the course prior to attending this skills session. The knowledge portion can be completed through an online offering or by completing chapter review questions from the student manual. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/hunter-education. Registration is required for the May 25 offering at mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/200565 Photo credit: MDC
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After nearly four years of planning and 18 months of construction, the wait is finally over as the City of Blue Springs and Blue Springs Parks & Recreation announce the opening of the new Blue Surf Bay Waterpark at 5:00am, Friday, May 24th to the public.
Prior to the grand opening, the city will host a dedication ceremony at 4:30pm, Thursday, May 23rd. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony as well as tour the facility from 5 to 7 p.m. that day. Nestled between 7 Highway and Adams Dairy Parkway on Mock Avenue, Blue Surf Bay offers family-friendly entertainment along with aquatic thrills. Boasting both an indoor and outdoor play area, the waterpark features an array of attractions and amenities for all ages. Features of Blue Surf Bay Waterpark include:
Blue Surf Bay Waterpark will include both swim lessons and aqua fitness classes. Hours for the waterpark are as follows: Indoor Aquatics Center Mon-Thurs: 5:15 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri: 5:15 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Outdoor Waterpark Hours Mon-Fri: Noon-7 p.m. Sat-Sun: Noon-6 p.m. Visit www.bluespringsgov.com/waterpark to view videos and learn more about the new waterpark and its amenities. by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a free guided birding hike from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 18, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Resident and migrating songbirds and raptors will be active as spring progresses. The Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area that surrounds the nature center has hiking trails through forest, woodland, and native grassland habitats. There are also creeks and small ponds within some trail areas. Hikers should see a variety of birds. Adam Brandsgaard, MDC conservation educator, will provide birding tips and help identify birds spotted. Also lending expertise on the hike will be members of the Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City. Birding beginners or those with various experience levels are all welcome. Hikers should dress for the weather and bring their binoculars, drinks and snacks. The hike is open to participants ages 12 and older. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/42b. To learn more about the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods. by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation Spring is here, and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is again offering free Discover Nature — Fishing lessons to connect people with nature. The first two lessons in the series will be offered from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at Lake Jacomo near Blue Springs. MDC will provide the fishing gear and bait. Instructors will give tips and demonstrate gear, then participants will go fishing with coaching from MDC staff and volunteers. Discover Nature — Fishing classes are open to individuals and families with participants ages 7 and older. No fishing permit is required while taking the lesson. Registration is required. The session on May 10 will offer Lesson One and Lesson Two in the four-part series. Instructors will talk about fishing equipment, demonstrate casting techniques, and show how to handle fish. They will teach the proper knots to tie hooks and lures onto fishing line, and how to bait hooks. Then participants will go fishing. Registration is required, and each participant must be registered individually. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/42H. MDC staff and volunteers will present Discover Nature — Fishing lessons throughout the summer at various locations. To find classes near you, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zty. For information about Missouri fishing opportunities, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z9N. MDC is offering Discover Nature — Fishing lessons to connect people with nature. The first two lessons in the series will be offered from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at Lake Jacomo near Blue Springs. Photo credit: MDC
by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation 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. The in-person class is from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. The virtual course is from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. on the same day. Participants may choose to put their knowledge into action by becoming a Missouri Butterfly Monitoring Network volunteer. The class will include a slide show about 25 common butterflies and instruction on how surveys are done. There will be a Wild About Pollinators Booklet trivia game. The in-person course will include a mock butterfly survey using the Burr Oak Woods garden and natural areas. Instructors will also cover how to enter data on a website and they will help participants choose a monitoring route on a public natural area. This is the sixth annual training in the Kansas City area for the Missouri Butterfly Monitoring Network. The network is 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. The in-person class is open to participants ages 14 and older. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/42m. The virtual class is open to participants ages 10 and older. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/42e. 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. The in-person class is from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. The virtual course is from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. on the same day. Photo credit: MDC
by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free upcoming hunter education skills session from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Participants will earn the safety certificate needed to obtain hunting permits. The session will teach and test participants for safe firearms handling and basic hunting skills. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4BH. For any questions about the session or help getting registered, contact Adam Brandsgaard, MDC conservation educator, at Adam.Brandsgaard@mdc.mo.gov, or call (816) 228-3766, ext. 1325. The skills sessions classes are for students ages 11 and older. The certification course can be completed online by hunters ages 16 and older for a paid fee to an online provider. But for hunters ages 11 to 15, or those of any age seeking in-person instruction, they must take the free skills class in person. They will need to complete the knowledge portion of the class prior to the skills session. That can be done by filling out the chapter review questions in the student manual, or youths ages 11 to 15 can complete the knowledge portion online for a fee paid to the provider. Printed student manuals are available at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, MDC’s Kansas City Regional Office in Lee’s Summit, the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City, or they can be ordered online for free at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zox The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free upcoming hunter education skills session from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Participants will earn the safety certificate needed to obtain hunting permits. The session will teach and test participants for safe firearms handling and basic hunting skills. Photo credit: MDC
by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is holding an Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Each family or group may receive one redbud or black walnut seedling to plant in their yard. These native trees when mature will provide color and food for wildlife. Redbuds provide lavender blossoms in spring. Black walnuts provide shade when they grow tall as well as nuts edible for people or wildlife. Seedlings will be provided while supplies last. The redbud and black walnut seedlings were grown at MDC’s George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking, Mo. Registration is not required for this event. For more information about Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods. Photo credit: MDC
by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation
Native plants do well in home gardens because they’re adapted to local soils and weather patterns. They are also beneficial to songbirds and pollinator species such as butterflies and bees. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is hosting a native plant sale from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Native plant vendors from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery and City Roots Nursery and Landscape will be onsite and offering plants while supplies last. Besides purchasing native plants, it’s a chance for visitors to get tips about gardening with natives from the vendors. Wildflowers have various blooming periods and can provide color in spring, summer, and fall. They also provide interesting structure in winter. Birds benefit because natives host insects important to feeding baby birds in the nesting season. Pollinators such as butterflies and bees benefit because they evolved as specialists using native plants as a food source or as hosts for eggs and larvae. This native plant sale is open to all ages and registration is not required. For more information on the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods. by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation
Connecting with nature can boost physical and mental health, science has shown. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) helps people deepen their connections with nature with a series of Nature Rx programs at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Next up in the series is a Mindfulness and Sensory Stroll from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27. A key component of the Nature Rx series is when Lisa Richter, MDC naturalist, points out new things people can see, hear, touch, and smell in the outdoors. Experiencing nature with heightened awareness is the goal. Scientific studies have shown that nature contact can provide health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and boosting immunity. The Mindfulness and Sensory Stroll down a Burr Oak Woods trail provides an experience but also a guide to how people can experience nature on their own. Nature Rx events are held regularly at Burr Oak Woods year-round. Some upcoming programs will include nature themes such as wildflowers as well as activities such as archery and kayaking while immersed in nature. The Nature Rx programs are open to participants ages 18 and older. Registration is required. To register for the Mindfulness and Sensory Stroll, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Xo. Upcoming Nature Rx programs can be found on MDC’s events page for the Kansas City region at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4X3. For more information about the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center and the area’s hiking trails, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods. by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation Morel mushrooms taste good and hunting them provides an excellent reason for a walk in the woods when spring is blooming. But there are more mushroom types than morels to be found, cooked, and enjoyed. Learn which mushrooms to pick and which to avoid when the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) offers a free virtual Midwest Mushrooms class from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19. No prior experience hunting mushrooms is necessary. This online class will help newcomers get started. But it will also help experienced mushroom hunters learn more about morels and all types of mushrooms. Alix Daniel, MDC native landscape specialist and a mushroom expert from the Missouri Mycological Society, will provide mushroom hunting tips. Daniel will discuss various mushroom species and where to find guides to help with identification. There will be a question-and-answer session available to participants after the presentation. Midwest Mushrooms is open to participants ages 12 and older. Registration is required. To register, visit http://short.mdc.mo.gov/48c. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) offers a free virtual Midwest Mushrooms class from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19. Photo credit: MDC
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