Get Out!

Fun things to do and great places to discover nature.

• Beat the heat by splashing around in a creek to catch crayfish. If you grab the little mudbugs by the backs of their shells, they can’t pinch you. After you get a good look, put them back where you found them.
• Slip an old pair of socks over your shoes and go for a stroll in the weediest place you can find. Soon, the socks will be covered with seeds. Stuff soil inside the socks, stick them in a baking pan, and soak them with water. Keep them damp, and in a week or so, your socks will sprout!
• In July, look for dragonflies laying eggs in lakes, streams, and wetlands. Most dragon mamas deposit eggs by dipping their tails in water. Others make slits in aquatic plants like cattails and lay eggs inside.
• Frog season opens at sunset on June 30. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting filthy, grab a buddy, and head to a pond. Shine a flashlight in the face of the first frog you find. The frog will freeze, giving you time to sneak up and grab it.
• In August, swallows gather in huge flocks before flying south. A whirlwind of thousands — sometimes hundreds of thousands — of these airborne insect-eaters is an amazing sight! Look for them swirling and swooping near wetlands, large lakes, and over crop fields.

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