Category Archives: Outdoor/Nature

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The Future Of Flooding In St. Louis: Is There A Solution?

Missouri Route 141/Interstate 44 intersection. Photo by Ursula Ruhl (SCT).

Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told a concerned audience at the Powder Valley Nature Center on Nov. 1 that there’s undoubtedly more rain — and flooding – in the long-range weather forecast for this area.

Mayors from Kirkwood, Fenton and Valley Park, along with about 70 area residents, attended the Corps’ Meramec River Flood Risk Workshop. Local mayors introduced themselves before the program began and noted damage to their towns by flooding since 2015.

“No one has the magic answer on how to stop the rains or stop the flooding,” said Fenton Mayor Josh Voyles. “But we welcome the chance to discuss how we can prepare for future flood events here tonight.”

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Posted on November 10, 2017 in Environment, Outdoor/Nature

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Missouri State Parks Extends Centennial Passport Program

Missouri State Parks announced today that, because of its ongoing popularity across the state, the Centennial Passport program has been extended until April 9, 2018.

The original deadline was Oct. 31, 2017. The new deadline date commemorates the state park system’s founding on April 9, 1917, and gives Passport participants an additional six months to complete the program. The extension applies to both the printed passport and the digital passport formats.

All of the rules remain the same, except for the deadlines:
Printed – Completed passports must be presented to park/historic site staff for verification by close of business on Monday, April 9, 2018.
Digital – To be eligible for a prize package, passports must be completed by close of business on Monday, April 9, 2018.

Grand Prize drawings will now be held on May 15, 2018. Go to mostateparks.com/passport for more information about the Centennial Passport Program.

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Posted on November 10, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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Powder Valley Nature Center To Close Nov 4-6 For Managed Deer Hunt

Photo by Diana Linsley, Webster-Kirkwood Times.

Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center and its grounds will be closed this Saturday, Nov. 4 through Monday, Nov. 6 to accommodate a managed archery deer hunt in the area.

The managed hunt is being used as a tool to help keep deer numbers at a healthy level.

During the closure, the nature center building and grounds, including the surrounding trails, will not be accessible to the general public.  Powder Valley will resume normal operational hours again starting Tuesday, Nov. 7.

The goal of the three-day managed hunt is to help balance deer populations which have grown beyond what Powder Valley’s 112-acre habitat can provide for, according to MDC Urban Wildlife Biologist Erin Shank.  Using data from fall spotlight survey counts, Shank estimates the deer population is approximately five times what can comfortably exist there, given the area’s size and proximity to residences and roadways.

More from the MDC release below.

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Posted on November 4, 2017 in Local Events, Outdoor/Nature

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Some creatures can’t seem to catch a break, especially around the Halloween season

Photo: Webster-Kirkwood Times

No haunted house for Halloween is complete without a scary bat, a spooky owl and a sly, skittering spider. Area yard decorations feature bug-eyed spiders, hooting owls and flapping bats all ready to give kids the critter jitters.

Certain creepy creatures are just naturally synonymous with Halloween. But why? Do spiders, bats and owls deserve a bad rap every October?

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Posted on October 30, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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TRIM Grants Awarded To 35 Missouri Communities

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) TRIM grants offer cost-share funding for government agencies, public schools, and nonprofit groups to manage, improve or conserve trees on public lands.

“Trees make life better for our cities and towns every day,” said MDC Community Forestry Program Supervisor Russell Hinnah. “TRIM grants help communities with tree inventory, pruning, planting, and programs that help keep our neighborhood trees healthy and thriving.”

The MDC recently awarded $382,914 to Missouri communities through its Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant program.

See what cities and organizations received the grants below.

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Posted on October 18, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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Time For Autumn’s Magnificent Display!

Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) offers a few tips about where to enjoy Missouri’s spectacular and colorful fall display.

Predicting the peak of fall color can be difficult. Missouri is blessed with a great variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. Their leaves turn at different times, so Missourians enjoy a fall color season that may last four to six weeks.

Find out more from the MDC about where to visit this fall below.

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Posted on October 14, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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Missouri Department of Conservation Offers Missouri Teachers Free Nature-Based Classroom Learning Opportunites

Photo by Holly Shanks

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages teachers to get connected with conservation-education by using its new Discover Nature Schools (DNS) teacher portal.

The new portal is available to Missouri teachers who participate or have an interest in MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program. The DNS program began in 2007 and provides instructional materials for teachers and students from pre-K through high school about Missouri’s native plants, animals, and habitats and connects them with nature. It also provides grant funding for classroom supplies and field trips in nature. There are more than 1,600 Missouri schools that take part in the program.

Find more information from the MDC below.

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Posted on September 23, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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Native Trees and Shrubs Available From MDC State Forest Nursery

Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) George O. White State Forest Nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes.

This year, the State Forest Nursery is taking orders starting a couple months early, beginning on Sept. 1 instead of in November. Orders are being accepted through April 15, 2018. Supplies are limited so order early. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking from February through May.

More from the MDC information release below.

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Posted on September 6, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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The American Burying Beetle: Back From The Dead?

Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.

The American burying beetle disappeared from Missouri decades ago. Once found in 35 states, the federally-endangered beetle is now struggling to hang on in less than seven. The dead flesh eating beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is the largest class of carrion beetles.

In 2012, MDC entered into a partnership with the St. Louis Zoo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Nature Conservancy (TNC) to bring the beetle back from extirpation within the Show-Me-State.

“It’s not every day you get to work with federally-endangered species.  It’s really exciting to have a role in the nation-wide conservation of this animal,” MDC’s St. Louis Regional Natural History Biologist Andrea Schuhmann said.

See more from the MDC update below.

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Posted on August 22, 2017 in Home, Outdoor/Nature

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Get Ready – The Historic 2017 Solar Eclipse Is Here!

Click on the Webster-Kirkwood Times eclipse image to read the article “Get Out & Enjoy The Solar Eclipse”

The 2017 solar eclipse is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime event! Several local watch events have been scheduled. Check out the article from the Webster-Kirkwood Times about where to find an event and a few eclipse tips. Find article HERE.

NASA’s website also has a large amount of interactive data to explore, such as eclipse path maps, eclipse history, and eclipse safety. Find the NASA Eclipse 101 information HERE.

 

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Posted on August 18, 2017 in Environment, Local Events, Outdoor/Nature