Get Out!

Fun things to do and great places to discover nature.

• Take your favorite grown-up for a wildflower walk. Don’t forget to look overhead. Redbuds and many other kinds of trees bloom in March and April.
• Spring bird migration starts to peak in mid-April. How many birds can you identify?
• Snag a spoonbill! The Discover Nature — Families Paddlefish Snagging Clinic happens on Saturday, April 11. Choose from two sessions: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. or 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Begin in the Warsaw Community Building and end with a 2-hour snagging trip on Lake of the Ozarks. First-time participants only. Registration opens March 10. Call660-530-5500.
• American toads start singing on warm April nights. Make a house for them in your yard. Turn a chipped clay pot upside down in a shady, leafy area. Set a clay saucer on top to keep it dark and cool.
• Nine-banded armadillos give birth near the end of March. Each mama has four identical babies.

Critter Corner: Red-Eared Slider

You’re likely to see this turtle basking in the sun on logs or rocks from March until mid-October. The name “slider” comes from its habit of sliding quickly into the water when approached. Red-eared sliders look for mates between mid-March and mid-June. Mama sliders will leave the water to dig a nest and lay up to 22 eggs. Babies usually hatch in late summer or early fall. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.