Cicadas begin their summer sounds in July

Discover nature and learn more about the periodical and annual cicada.

JEFFERSON CTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to discover nature this summer by learning more about cicadas. There are two types of cicadas, annual and periodical. As their names suggest, annual cicadas make an appearance every summer in July, whereas periodical cicadas emerge in 13 and 17-year cycles in late May.

Annual cicadas have dark eyes and greenish bodies, unlike the slightly smaller periodicals which have red eyes and blackish bodies.

After spending two-to-five years underground feeding on root juices, the annual cicada nymphs emerge and begin the search for mates using their raspy hum.

The cicada’s endless drone seems to come from everywhere. Cicadas emit a sound that can reach up to 95 decibels, depending on proximity. That is the equivalent noise level of a Boeing 737 before landing.

Unlike crickets rubbing together parts of their wings to create a chirp, male cicadas rapidly vibrate a piece of their exoskeleton to produce their loud call.

Despite the mild sound annoyance cicadas induce, the insect is a valuable food source for wildlife such as birds and other insects. In other countries it’s common for people to chow down on the meaty bug due to its predictable emergence in the summer. Cicadas pose no threat to people and minimal threats to trees.

While Missouri doesn’t have to worry about a large periodical cicada invasion this summer, states toward the east such as Ohio and West Virginia are dealing with a 17-year brood. The next 13-year periodical will not make an appearance in Missouri until 2024.

For more information on cicadas visit MDC’s online Field Guide at http://on.mo.gov/1Ubs3pQ.

MDC offers new Missouri Conservationist app

Get Conservation Department’s award-winning magazine right on mobile devices.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) now offers its award-winning magazine, Missouri Conservationist, through a new free app for mobile devices. Read about research and other happenings with fish, forest, and wildlife in Missouri. Get info on conservation news and events, in-depth articles, and ways to discover nature. Browse captivating wildlife photography and videos. Once downloaded, the app will offer current issues of the magazine to save and read. Get more information and download the new MO CON MAG app for Apple or Android devices at mdc.mo.gov/mobile/mobile-apps/mo-conservationist-magazine-app.

MDC taps Storybook Forest friends for conservation tales

Families find enchanted trails at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

Kansas City, Mo. – Once upon a time, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center realized children enjoy both nature’s surprises and familiar fairy tales. So do grownups. So on Oct. 3, the staff magically made well-known characters from fables appear. The Nature Center’s paved Missouri Tree Trail became for a day a walk into “Storybook Forest.”

   The free event drew several hundred people for both afternoon and evening presentations. Characters such as Robin Hood, Snow White, Belle and the Beast greeted visitors on their walk through the forest. Snow White’s pals, the Seven Dwarfs, volunteered as tour guides and pointed out wildlife along the way. Meanwhile, the fairy tale heroines and heroes cast spells of attention as they talked about outdoor fun, discovering and preserving nature, how natural life is interrelated with human life, and how some critters that seem scary – like spiders – really are not.

   

Mother Nature provided perfect weather on an early autumn day that was sunny but cool. Parents and grandparents brought youngsters who plucked crayfish from a pool, studied moss on logs and learned how friendly and fun a forest can be.

   “We saw Snow White,” a youngster proudly proclaimed. “Cool,” Belle replied, “I’m having dinner with her later.”

   Keep in touch with future programs at MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center by visitinghttp://mdc.mo.gov/node/280.

   And in keeping with the season, the staff at the Anita G. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City, will present a HOWLoween special event 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. The free fun for all ages will include nature stations along the outdoor trail such as Track or Treat, the Bone Yard and the Bat Cave. For information, call 816-759-7300 or visithttp://mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter.

   MDC connects people with nature year round. For conservation programs near you, visithttp://mdc.mo.gov.

Missouri State Parks encourages participation in National “Kids to Parks Day”

Missouri state parks and historical districts  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Missouri State Parks encourages all Missourians to get out in a park on National Kids to Parks Day, May 19. This national event is sponsored by the National Park Trust and endorsed by Missouri State Parks.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon proclaimed May 19 as Kids to Parks Day in Missouri and encouraged Missourians of all ages to get outside and enjoy our state and local parks.
“Connecting a child with the outdoors provides physical, mental and spiritual benefits. We encourage you to head out to the park of your choice for a fun-filled day in the outdoors,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Missouri is home to award-winning state and local parks. Parks provide an opportunity for children to engage in active lifestyles while experiencing all that nature has to offer. Whether it is a hike, a swim, or a bike ride all outdoor activities contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Gov. Nixon created the Children in Nature Challenge to encourage activities that introduce children to nature year-round. Communities and families can participate in the challenge. Learn more about the challenge at childreninnature.mo.gov.
For more information on the National Kids to Parks Day, visit kidstoparks.org. For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites or to find events planned on May 19, go to mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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MDC cosponsors St. Louis conference on connecting kids with nature

Cover via Amazon

Educators, youth leaders and parents will learn about "Nature Deficit Disorder" and outdoor experiences that reconnect children with nature.

By Dan Zarlenga, MDC

ST. LOUIS -- The disconnection of today’s children from the natural world is a growing concern among parents, educators and mental and physical health professionals throughout the country. “Nature Deficit Disorder" is a condition identified by author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods and has been linked to troubling current childhood trends such as the rise in obesity, attention disorders and depression.

To help address these concerns, the Gateway Children’s Nature Connection, a coalition of St. Louis-area organizations that share a mission of helping parents reconnect children with nature, is sponsoring the “No Child Left Inside Conference” on Saturday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the J.C. Penny Conference Center on the campus of the University of Missouri, St. Louis (UMSL).

The theme of the conference is “Growing Up Denatured: It’s Time for Kids to Go Back Outside.” It is open to professional educators, youth leaders and parents of young children interested in providing outdoor experiences that reconnect children with nature. The conference will explore benefits children derive from spending time in nature and the outdoors, including reduced stress, an increase in curiosity, creativity and problem-solving abilities, and improved physical and emotional health. Participants will discover the latest research on the issue, learn ways to address and prevent the effects of Nature Deficit Disorder, and take home ideas and activities to excite and motivate children to get outdoors.

Keynote speaker will be Sherri Griffith, a professor of Early Childhood Education at Central Methodist University. There will also be a special presentation by environmental musician and educator Curt Carter of the Land For Learning Institute.

An optional post-conference field trip will be offered the following day, Sunday, April 1, from noon to 4 p.m. Participants will visit selected sites for demonstrations on practical application of material covered in the Saturday conference.

The registration fee for the conference is $39, which includes a box lunch. The fee for the optional post-conference field trip is $20.

For more information or to register, contact UMSL Senior Coordinator of Continuing Education Jim Jordan at 314-516-7250. A detailed schedule of activities and online registration can be found at http://www.umslce.org/index.php/catalog/ by searching “no child.”

Charter members of the Gateway Children’s Nature Connection sponsoring the conference include: Missouri Department of Conservation, Doris L. Schnuck Children’s Garden, Shaw Nature Reserve, Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, Saint Louis Zoo, Raintree Learning Community, Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of State Parks, Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial Park and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville School of Education.

Cape Girardeau Nature Center Program

Image by epSos.de via FlickrThe forest looks different at night—it even sounds different at night!  Have you ever wondered what it’s like walking through the forest at night?  Venture out with us on our paved trail as we talk about wildlife that prowl our forest nocturnally.  Come to the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center on Thursday, August 11 between 5-8 p.m. and join us for a forest hike at night.  All ages are welcome—including youth and adult groups.  No registration.  Call 573-290-5218 for more information.