Get Out!

Fun things to do and great places to discover nature.

• After spending winter in warm, sunny Central America, Ruby-throated hummingbirds return to Missouri in April. Put up a nectar feeder to watch the feisty flyers fight over who gets to sip.
• What’s orange and flies and loves fruit? It’s a Baltimore oriole. You can attract the brilliant birds to your yard by cutting oranges in two and placing the halves outside, with the cut sides facing up.
• Catch a rainbow when trout season opens on March 1 at Missouri’s four trout parks. To fish at the parks, you must buy and wear a daily trout tag from the park store. For additional rules and details, cast a line to mdc.mo.gov/fishing/species/trout.
• Look for the showy red flowers of columbine abloom on rocky bluffs and shady hillsides throughout Missouri. The deep, nectar-filled flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds and hummingbird moths.
• In mid-March, water striders start skating across the surface of ponds and streams. A strider’s legs are covered with thousands of microscopic hairs. The hairs repel water and trap air, allowing the insect to glide across the water’s surface without sinking.

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