Get Outside in November

Birders Beware

With cold weather setting in, birders beware — a flock of hungry birds will be descending upon your feeders. Are you ready? Among them will include the energetic and always popular black-capped and Carolina chickadees. In addition, you are sure to see northern cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, and countless others amongst the feathered feeding frenzy. For tips on setting up your feeding stations this year, check out short.mdc.mo.gov/ZCS.

A Tale of Two Autumns

Red autumn, with its brilliant reds and oranges, ends this month, giving way to gray autumn, dominated by rusts, tans, and grays. The dividing line between these two distinct autumns is usually the first hard freeze, often coupled with heavy rain or strong winds that knocks the leaves from the trees. Gray autumn is a good preview of winter.

Native Plants

Thursday, Nov. 18, 12–1 p.m. Virtual event at Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64110. Registration required at the Deep Roots website at deeproots.org/native-plants-at-noon

Virtually tour the native landscape at MDC’s Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. Guided by native landscape specialists Alix Daniel and Cydney Ross, this monthly series features a live look at native plants of interest throughout the year. This program is a partnership with Deep Roots.

Find more events in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events

Give Your Rake a Break

Dreading the annual chore of raking leaves? Just don’t do it! It’s better for nature if you let the leaves lie. Allowing fallen leaves to remain on the ground is wildlife friendly. Fallen leaves provide much needed refuge and food for backyard wildlife, including insects, such as butterflies and other pollinators. The insects that overwinter in your leaf litter are essential food for nesting songbirds in spring. In addition, fallen leaves nourish the soil and create a nice mulch layer that helps rain and snow soak into the ground.

Get that Green

After most of the fall color is gone, you may see some green remaining in the forest understory. It may be exotic invasive bush honeysuckles, as they remain green well into December. Bush honeysuckles stay green after most plants have gone dormant, and in spring green up before other species leaf out. Because of this and their aggressive growth, bush honeysuckles outcompete native wildflowers and other plants and prevent forest regeneration. If you encounter this problematic shrub, help to control it. For more information, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/ZCi.

Hunters, Help Us!

November 13–14

Mandatory CWD sampling of deer opening firearms weekend for CWD Management Zone counties. Bring your deer to a sampling station near you. Get information on chronic wasting disease and sampling locations at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.

Natural Events to See This Month

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

• Winter is a good time to look for bald eagles.
• Voles and mice are active, creating tunnels under the snow.
• Look for frost flowers during the first hard freeze.