Evergreen trees are a staple in Missouri’s winter landscape, but what’s the story behind their existence and their place in holiday culture? We use the term “evergreens” for needle-leaved trees that stay green all year. This group includes pines, spruces, hemlocks and true firs. Although evergreens have leaves year-round, the needles fall continually. Some needle-leaved trees – notably the yews and larches – are deciduous, meaning they shed their leaves each year and replace them in the spring

You see them at any given park pond, but what’s the story behind those geese? The Christmas goose is a holiday tradition in many Missouri homes. From sky to table, the Giant Canada is the largest goose in the world. Thought to be extinct nearly 65 years ago, it’s a conservation success story. Roughly 2.6 million are harvested by hunters in North America, and their numbers are increasing. These tasty birds can weigh more than 20 pounds, with lifespans up to 30 years in their natural habitats,

You might steal a kiss under its green branches around the holidays, but in nature, mistletoe is known as a thief. This parasitic plant attaches to and steals nutrients from trees, but it's not a complete parasite as its leaves can convert sunshine into energy to make its own food. And it's not a complete bum as its flowers, fruits, and leaves provide many benefits. The oak mistletoe, our most common, was once believed to extinguish fire. This comes from an earlier belief that a flash of

Discover Nature this week with Missouri snakes. There are many myths out there about snakes, and one very old myth claims certain snakes once stole milk from cows and were labeled “milk snakes” because they were commonly seen around barns or sheds. It was believed these snakes drank milk from the cows, but the truth was the snakes were there to eat the mice. Some people claim that snakes run in pairs, which is another myth. Snakes do get together briefly in the spring to mate, but since they are

Discover Nature this week with yourThanksgiving turkey. A bird – most likely a turkey -- will land on your dining table this week signaling America’s thankfulness. But did you know that your entrée’s ancestors were once so common in America that when U.S. officials were deciding on a national mascot there was deliberation between the bald eagle and the turkey? It’s true! Turkeys are large, powerful, and can stand up to three feet tall when alert. They’re also the largest of North American game

Discover Nature this week with Missouri’s dabblers and divers. Dabblers and divers are two main types of ducks, and you can tell them apart by the way they eat, fly and look. Dabblers (also called puddle ducks) ride high along the water, skimming the surface for food. They’ll tip their head underwater and stick their bottoms straight up in the air while munching on seeds, grains, plants, insects and worms. Divers ride low in deep, open waters and can dive down 40 feet or more to feed on fish,

November 6 - 12 Discover Nature this week and the value of a rodent. Though some folks scream and climb the highest point possible when they see a rodent, there isn't a reason to avoid native rodent species according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The term "rodent" may raise images of disease-infested vermin living in garbage-strewn alleys. Actually, most of the negative images arise from two unwelcome imports -- the house mouse and the Norway rat. These old-world immigrants are not

Take an early morning hike in the late autumn air this week and Discover Nature in Missouri’s most fleeting flower - that isn’t really a flower at all. Frost flowers are delicate white blossoms that occur during the first hard frosts each fall when moisture squeezes through cracks in the stem and freezes into frosty Wribbons, rosebuds or other artistic looking shapes. Autumn rain and early frosts favor their formation, because they form when the water that is sucked out of the soil by a plant’s

This week we can Discover Nature through conflict management. Fox and Gray squirrels are among the most commonly observed Missouri animals. Because they populate as many towns and cities as they do forests, conflicts occur year-round when humans and squirrels live in close proximity. This time of year, squirrels look for a warm place to avoid the cold weather, and unfortunately they’ll often choose an accessible attic as their favorite shelter. Squirrels can be destructive in an attic because of

October 25 - October 31 Discover Nature this week as Snow goose populations peak at Missouri’s wetland areas. Snow geese travel through Missouri during their migration from the subarctic and arctic tundra breeding grounds to the coastal marshes, bays and southern wet grasslands where they spend the winter months. These medium sized, gleaming white geese make a great subjects for nature photography. Though most snow geese are white, they do have other color phases, too. Because the young travel