Get Outside

Berry Pickin’

If you have a craving for pie or homemade jam or jelly, you’re in luck! Gooseberries, raspberries, and mulberries are beginning to ripen.

Song of Summer

Listen for the annual cicadas as they begin to sing.

Longest Day of the Year

June 20 is the Summer Solstice, also known as the first official day of summer. It’s also the longest day of the year. With so many daylight hours, how will you use them to discover nature?

Central Region Pollinators: Monarch Mania

Saturday, June 9 • 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Runge Conservation Nature Center 330 Commerce Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109 No registration required. Call 573-526-5544 for information All ages. Learn about the monarch butterfly and other pollinators in Missouri at this fun, family-friendly event. Take home a native plant. Talk to experts about butterflies, gardening, and butterfly habitats, and discover how you can help monarchs thrive. Activities include games, crafts, scavenger hunts, guided walks, presentations, videos, and a display by Missourians for Monarchs.

Soaking up the Sun

You won’t be the only one catching some rays this summer! Watch for nonvenomous northern watersnakes basking near water.

Missouri’s Landscape is in Bloom

Look for lady’s slipper orchids, tulip poplar trees, butterfly milkweed, prickly pear cactus, among others. The beauty of Missouri’s landscape is waiting to be discovered. What will you find?

Southeast Region: Neighbors in the Park

Saturday, June 30 • 1–4 p.m. Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center 2289 County Park Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 No registration required. Call 573-290-5218 for information. All ages - You don’t have to leave the city to enjoy exploring the outdoors. You can do it in your own neighborhood! Come down to Indian Park in downtown Cape Girardeau to try your hand at some fun outdoor activities you can do at home. Learn to pitch a tent in a tent race, so you can camp in your own backyard. Meet and learn about some wild animals that live near you. Practice casting and catch “fish” in our casting game, so you can fish the Mighty Mississippi later. Make a birdfeeder so you can attract birds and watch their antics. There’s so much you can do right near you!

Bird is the Word

June is a great time to be a birder in Missouri. Watch for birds carrying food to their young and for fledgling birds leaving the nest. Remember, never disturb these young animals.

Check out the Rod and Reel Loaner Program and get hooked on fishing

The Rod and Reel Loaner Program lets you check out free fishing poles and tackle boxes. Offered at more than 100 locations throughout Missouri, the loaner program makes basic fishing accessible to everyone.

To find a loaner location near you, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/ZJq.

What to See This Month

Here’s what’s going on in the natural world.

• Tarantulas Cross roads in southwest Missouri
• Bobcat kittens are born through the month
• Female coyotes wean pups