Have some free time over Winter Break? Bring your family to Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center between Tuesday, December 21 and Wednesday, January 5 for some nature-based fun, including: make a bird feeder, bird-related crafts, live animals at various times, and scavenger hunt cards to take on an on-your-own hike. (Nature center hours are 8 am - 5 pm, Tuesday - Saturday)

Join us at Valley View Glades Natural Area in Jefferson County to celebrate the New Year! We will hike the 2.66-mile trail at the conservation area, so please bring snacks and hydration! Wear warm, weather appropriate clothing and layers in case you get warm while walking. The trail is moderate difficulty on uneven terrain: bringing a walking stick is advised.

While this program is hosted by a Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center employee, the hike will be at Valley View Glades Natural Area in Jefferson County.

The backup weather date will be January 2, 2022, at the same time.

It’s game night at Tower Grove! While the weather outside may be frightful, you can join us for an indoor, nature-themed board game night that should be delightful. If you have a nature themed game, feel free to bring it along! Games are for ages 8 and up. Please register all who are attending.

MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.

Who’s that hooting it up each January evening?? Owls that’s who. You will learn what makes them such effective night time hunters and why they hoot so much this time of year. We will then take a short walk and see if we can entice any owls to fly in and talk to us.

We will meet in the Rockwoods classroom, and be inside for about 45 minutes and outside for 30 minutes. Dress appropriately (warm clothing, including gloves). Please bring flashlights.

MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.

Discover Dresser Island, a winter wildlife haven. We will hike 6.5 miles (with an option for 3.5 miles) along the Mississippi River in search of a variety of wildlife including eagles, pelicans, waterfowl, muskrats, deer, and many others. Dress for the weather, bring water and lunch, a camera, and binoculars.

Join us at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center to learn about how to identify trees in the wintertime. We will start in the classroom and learn some identification strategies, and then go on a hike to practice our new skills. Wear warm, weather appropriate clothing and layers in case you get warm while walking.

The backup weather date will be January 9, 2022, at the same time.

Join naturalists from Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center as we explore Pelican Island Natural Area. Pelican Island Natural Area is located in north St. Louis County along the Missouri River. Normally accessible only by boat, when the river levels are low enough (when the Car of Commerce Chute is low), the 2,260 acre Natural Area may be accessed by foot through the Pelican Island Access next to Sioux Passage Park. The island consists of mostly forest, but does also include wetlands, old fields, and shoreline. There are no trails on the island, so we will explore the shoreline, as well as a little forest exploration through GPS. Bring binoculars to watch for winter birds. Wear appropriate clothing for weather and bring shoes that may get wet and sandy (waterproof boots, or knee-high rubber boots are recommended). Bring snacks and plenty of water or Gatorade.

We will meet at the Pelican Island Access, which is adjacent to Sioux Passage County Park. Directions and further instructions will be sent out to participants by Friday, January 7th.

Due to water level concerns, we will notify all registrants by Friday, January 7th if the program will be able to occur, or if it will need to be rescheduled when water levels are low.

Due to water crossings, walking on sand, and walking through the forests without a trail, only those ages 7 and up will be able to attend the program.

 

Have you ever looked up and saw dozens of turkey vultures, circling in the sky? Together we will discover some of the “superpowers” these scavengers have and why these turkey vultures are known as environmental heroes!

All are welcome to attend, though content is geared towards kids.

We will meet at the Rockwoods Reservation Education Center. Please register all who are attending. MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.

The beauty and diversity of lichens is more noticeable and easier to observe, study and appreciate during the winter months. Lichens make a significant contribution to the biodiversity of Missouri’s natural communities.

This program will cover how to recognize the major groups of lichens as well as how to identify dozens of species of lichens which can be found year-round in Missouri.

This is a virtual event through Webex. Participants will receive an email with the link approximately 24 hours prior to the event. Please check junk mail/spam folders if you do not receive the invitation.

Who’s that hooting it up each January evening?? Owls that’s who. You will learn what makes them such effective night time hunters and why they hoot so much this time of year. We will then take a short walk and see if we can entice any owls to fly in and talk to us. Dress appropriately since we will be outside part of the time. Please Bring a flashlight. MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.?

Photographers call this time of the day the golden hour. Take a short early morning walk to the edge of the Mississippi River and watch the eastern sky change colors as dawn turns to daylight. An extra attraction at this time of year is the likelihood of seeing bald eagles as they soar above the river in search of food. Their increased numbers are evidence that Missourians care about conserving fish, forest, and wildlife.

Dress for the weather and bring a camera or binoculars! Meet at the front gate and caravan with the Naturalists to lot “L” to start the walk.

MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.

Come join us in celebrating the annual return of bald eagles to the St. Louis Region. This special event will consist of a 30 minute live bald eagle program in the auditorium by the World Bird Sanctuary. Opportunities to view bald eagles in the wild, with the assistance of volunteers and spotting scopes, will be available at off site locations as well. Information on these viewing locations will be sent out to registered participants. All ages are welcome to attend but preregistration of each member of your party is required. MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate. For more information you can call the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center at 314-301-1500.

All ages (Must be able to hike 2 miles on moderate-difficult terrain)

Join Rockwoods’ naturalists on a hike on the Rock Quarry trail and learn to identify trees by their bark. We will cover identification of some of the more common trees you will see in the woodlands in the St. Louis area. This event is all ages, but the trail is rugged and not suitable for strollers. Participants must be able to hike two miles on the moderate-difficult terrain. Please dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear.

All ages.

Do bats really suck your blood? Do toads give you warts? Join us for a Missouri wildlife myth busting virtual program to find out the truth! Impress your friends and family with your knowledge! We will be busting myths and testing your knowledge with a true or false style game during the program, so please be prepared to write with a pen/pencil and paper. Registration required.

Please provide an email in your profile so a program link can be sent.

Please check your spam folder for the email with the WebEx link if you do not receive one after 5:00 pm the day before the program.

Winter is a great time to set out seed and observe birds from the comfort of your cozy windowsill. In this class we will go over basic backyard birds of winter, what they like to eat, and how to use binoculars. We will also create birdseed feeders for your yard and take a short walk to the area’s bird blind. Participants should dress to spend some time outside and be able to walk .5 miles on a paved trail. MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.

Do you have maple trees? Do you love maple syrup? Then this workshop on how to develop your own backyard maple syrup operation is for you. We cover the history of Maple Sugaring in Missouri, tree identification and all the way to cooking. Portions of the program are outside, so please dress for the weather. 

Even though eastern white pine trees are not native to Missouri, they are often in urban areas and urban landscapes since they grow easy and fast, and they are a beautiful tree. In this program, we will discuss various pine (or other evergreen) trees, including Missouri's only native pine tree species, and recipes using pine needles. The recipes we will be covering will be pine needle tea and pine needle shortbread cookies, using needles from eastern white pine trees. We will have pre-collected eastern white pine needles but will be making the recipes together. ***Register each person individually.

It’s the ultimate partnership between man and bird. The sport of falconry goes back thousands of years and you can learn about it at An Evening with Raptors virtual event. Join Powder Valley staff on Friday, January 28, beginning at 7 pm, as area falconers gather virtually to offer you the rare chance to observe and learn about these fascinating feathered hunters.

Listen as Master Falconer Meagan Duffee-Yates explains how to get started in this age-old sport.

Several area falconers will display their falconry tools, hoods, and other equipment, as well as live birds – the birds that they use in their sport. You will have the opportunity to ask the falconry team questions through the chat box.

All ages (adults must handle the actual cooking)

Join Rockwoods Reservation naturalists in an outdoor cooking demonstration! Learn how to cook a hearty dinner outside in a dutch oven. We will give tips on how to pack ingredients for a dutch oven meal for you next camping trip, how to cook those ingredients, and care for your own dutch oven. We will provide dutch ovens for participants, but feel free to bring your own. After our dinner, we will enjoy s’mores over an open fire, because a camping meal isn’t complete without s’mores!

Have you wanted to get into nature photography, but don’t know where to start? Come join us as we learn nature photography for beginners and hike to the confluence at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area! You don’t even need a fancy camera to take stunning nature photographs. You may be shocked by the amazing pictures you can take with smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras!

During this program, we will go over tips and tricks to taking great nature photographs. We will then hike down to the confluence, stopping along the way to snap some photos of the scenery and wildlife. Hopefully we will spot a bald eagle or two, so feel free to bring your binoculars as well!

The hike is two miles round trip, on easy/intermediate terrain. We will be outside for the entire duration of the program, so please dress accordingly!

**This is a beginner level nature photography class, but all skill-levels are welcomed!**

*If inclement weather is forecasted for January 29th, the program will be rescheduled to February 5th from 8 – 11 a.m.*

Who Cooks for You, Who Cooks for You All? Have you heard that call in the night? You heard the Barred owl! After watching the sunset take a stroll on a wooded path to the Confluence as we listen for the distinctive call of the Barred owl, one of several owls which call Missouri their home.

Meet at lot ”L” about 4 miles from the front entrance. Allow 15 minutes to drive from the front entrance to lot “L.” Dress for the weather.

MDC asks all participants to observe current local social distancing and masking guidelines. Bringing and wearing face coverings is encouraged when appropriate.