December 6 - December 12 Discover Nature this week as Missouri’s wildlife den up or hibernate to avoid the cold. Winter is a challenge for wildlife and many species have various methods of surviving the cold. Some animals leave the state and don’t come back until spring. Others find sheltered dens and sleep until spring. Some remain in Missouri and stay active through the winter, but they still have specials ways of handling the cold weather. Woodchucks, or groundhogs, are considered true

Discover Nature this week and your Thanksgiving turkey. Chances are a turkey will land on your table this week -- a bird simmered in American tradition. The turkey was once so common in America and so well liked, that when United States officials were deciding on a national mascot there was much deliberation between the bald eagle and the turkey. The largest of North American game birds, turkeys are large and powerful, standing up to three feet tall when alert. These birds are easily identified

Discover Nature this week and a natural mystery called lichen. "United we stand, divided we fall". And so it is with lichens. A lichen is made up of two unrelated organisms: a fungus and an algae. If the fungus and the algae were divided, the lichen would no longer exist. The fungus gives the lichen form and shape -- it also holds water and slows evaporation. The algae, a green plant, provides food for the fungus. Lichens look like nature's living carpet and are often seen covering rocks and

November 15 - November 21 Discover nature this week by making something that will keep you discovering nature all winter long – a bird feeder. According to a Missouri Department of Conservation survey, one and a half million Missourians enjoy bird feeding. Even on the dreariest winter day, watching the freedom and brilliant feathers of a bird in flight or their interactions as they enjoy a meal of sunflower seeds in your back yard can lift a foggy mood. The most commonly recognized bird in

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

October 18 - October 24 Discover Nature this week as bald cypress and tupelo gum trees add their colors to Missouri’s fall landscape. Both the bald cypress and the tupelo are romantic trees, often associated with dark, mysterious swamps. The tupelo has full, graceful foliage, with oval shaped leaves that have a few randomly placed teeth. Though the Bald Cypress is known as an "evergreen" tree, it isn’t really. Like the hardwoods, its needles turn yellow in the fall and are shed. Tupelo and

October 11 - October 17 Discover nature this week as American wigeon, pintail and gadwall ducks migrate through Missouri. Waterfowl identification is a popular and growing recreation activity in the U.S. The key to the sport is knowing the characteristics to look for so you can quickly determine what species you’re looking at. Once ducks are spotted, the flight characteristics of the flock will be the first clue to identification. Small, compact, fast-flying flocks are more likely to be teal or

October 4 - October 10 Discover nature this week as you take in Missouri’s colorful fall landscape. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the peak of the fall colors is in the middle of October, and because our state’s trees, shrubs and vines turn at different times we enjoy a fall color season that may last four to six weeks. As you observe the leafy display, think about what’s responsible for painting our state’s trees in the new yellow, red and purple shades. Though the