Get Out!

Fun things to do and great places to discover nature.

• Tune your ears to nature’s soundtrack. Birds, frogs, toads, and insects start calling for mates this time of year. Can you name who’s singing those love songs?
• Take to the woods for a wildflower walk. ID the blossoms you find at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.
• Mid-April is time to hang up hummingbird feeders. To make “nectar,” boil one part white sugar with four parts water, then let it cool. No need to add red food dye.
• Fish are biting! Grab a grown-up and find a good fishing spot at mdc.mo.gov/atlas.
• Don’t miss morel season. These tasty mushrooms start popping up in mid-April. Always go with an experienced mushroom hunter, and never eat a mushroom unless you’re sure it’s edible.

Looking for more ways to have fun outside? Find out about Discover Nature programs in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events.

What is it?

• Like a bat, I fly only at night.
• And I sail on the wind like a kite.
• I live in the trees like my nut-loving kin.
• But I also eat bugs like a robin or wren.

Gray above and white below, the flying squirrel has large eyes and ears that help it find food and avoid predators at night. It lives in dead trees, often in old woodpecker holes. To “fly,” it spreads its front and back legs to stretch its loose flap of skin and soar like a furry kite. Like gray and fox squirrels, the flying squirrel eats nuts, and it also gobbles up beetles and moths. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.

Critter Corner

Canada Goose Goslings

In March, Canada geese begin nesting along ponds, lakes, and swamps. Their eggs start hatching in mid-April. Babies, called goslings, are feathered in yellow down and can walk and swim hours after hatching. They stay with their parents for their first year of life. See how many goslings you can count this spring, but be careful. The parents are very protective, chasing, hissing, and flapping at anyone who comes near their babies! Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.