Get Out!

• Listen for chorus frogs in February. Their calls sound like when you run your thumbnail across the top of a pocket comb.
• Keep an eye out for the first blooms of the year — Ozark witch-hazel and harbinger (har-bin-jer) of spring.
• Regift your Christmas tree. Take off the decorations, and ask a grown-up to help you tuck your cleaned-up shrub near your bird feeder. Or sink it in your pond. The birds or fish will appreciate the extra cover.
• February 2 is Groundhog Day, but it’s also World Wetlands Day. After you’ve checked on the groundhog (no shadow means an early spring), visit your nearest marshy area to watch for wild geese and ducks returning north.
• Lots of animals start courting in January and February. Keep an ear cocked for the nighttime sounds of bobcats, foxes, and screechowls looking for mates.

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