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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center has a full schedule of programs planned for October. Some programs require registration in advance, so Nature Center Manager Sara Turner said it’s important guests familiarize themselves with MDC’s event website for the center at mdc.mo.gov/southeastevents.
Turner said the biggest event in October will be the Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. Guests can expect a Trek N’ Treat Trail where they will meet our creature characters on the trail, misunderstood animals who seem spooky but are not such as snakes and bats. The event will also feature crafts, games, s’mores and cider and a spooky animal zoo. No registration is needed for this event.
“Children are welcome to wear costumes to this event,” said Turner. “We hope they’ll interact with our night time creature characters and learn they’re not really as spooky as some people think.”
Turner said parents should know about regular occurring age-specific programs at the center also, such as Babes in the Woods, Little Acorns and Conservation Kids. Babes in the Woods is specifically designed to give infants and toddlers up to two years old an introduction to nature. Little Acorns is for children ages three to six, and Conservation Kids is for children ages seven to 11.
“One size doesn’t always fit all, so we have programs that happen every month that are designed for the specific needs of these age groups,” Turner said. “This tailoring to age ranges helps to engage children where their needs are at each age and gives them a wonderful foundation of nature knowledge to build on as they get older.
October programs at the nature center include:
Nature center guests can conveniently manage program registration online at www.mdc.mo.gov/southeastevents. The first step in registering for a program is creating a profile, then signing up for future programs is simple. Once someone creates a profile and registers for an event, they will receive details about programs they’ve registered for.
“Another popular feature we offer is our texting subscription,” Turner said.
The nature center sends program registration reminders and updates to those who sign up by texting, MDC Nature, to 468311. Turner said an online subscription is also available to “sign up for updates” at www.mdc.mo.gov. A variety of updates are available at this option, but Cape Girardeau specific updates are available under facility updates and news for southeast region.
Find information about age specific monthly programs, such as Little Acorns, Babes in the Woods and Conservation Kids, as well as other programs at www.mdc.mo.gov/southeastevents. Events at the nature center are free, thanks to the 1/8th of 1 percent Conservation State Sales Tax. The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature is located inside Cape County Park North, just east of I-55 exit 99.
