Discover red, white, and blue in nature this holiday weekend

If you are looking for some things to do away from the crowds on this Independence Day, the MDC has some great ideas... Read on for more info:

Find MDC Places to Go and Things to Do online and through the MDC MO Outdoors app.

Male Summer Tanager

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – With the Fourth-of-July weekend coming up, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to look for some red, white, and blue in nature through a holiday hike, bird watching, backyard fun, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

MDC offers some suggestions to get started finding red, white, and blue in nature:

• Red Royal Catchfly Flowers,
• Red Male Summer Tanagers,
• White Beard-Tongues or Foxgloves,
• White Great Egrets,
• Blue False Indigos, and
• Male Indigo Buntings.

Beard-Tongue or Foxglove

Want more information on these and other Missouri plants and animals, including where to find them? Use the handy and helpful MDC online Field Guide at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/search.

Need suggestions on things to do for outdoor adventures? Find Things to Do with MDC online at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/activities. Offerings include: cycling on trails, backyard nature fun, birdwatching, fishing, camping, floating, outdoor cooking, hiking, hunting, nature photography, wildlife watching, and more.

Need to find Places to Go for outdoor adventures? Visit MDC online at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places.

Take MO Outdoors on Adventures

Male Indigo Bunting on American Feverfew

With MDC’s free mobile app -- MO Outdoors -- users can quickly and easily find MDC outdoor offerings based on the types of outdoor activities they want -- close to home, work, or even while traveling.

MO Outdoors can help users find MDC conservation areas, fishing accesses, hiking trails, and more around the state based on their desired types of outdoor activities. Users can also mark “favorite” locations to quickly find them in future searches.

MO Outdoors also connects users to area regulations and season information; hours of operation; images; area closings; and interactive maps of area boundaries and features, parking lots, boat ramps, and wildlife viewing areas using their device’s GPS. Users can also download maps for offline use.

MO Outdoors is available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.

Celebrate Safely!

MDC reminds everyone to be careful with fireworks, campfires, and other sources of fire that could cause a wildfire. Fireworks are prohibited on all MDC conservations areas, accesses, and other Department locations.

MDC reminds the public that it is still critical to continue to heed all COVID-19 public-health measures during outdoor activities, such as physical distancing, avoiding overcrowding, handwashing, and others.

New Great Missouri Birding Trail website takes flight

Visit greatmissouribirdingtrail.com to find the best places to bird in Missouri.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages beginner and seasoned birders to discover nature by exploring the “best of the best” places to birdwatch around Missouri. Finding them is as easy as going online to the new website, Great Missouri Birding Trail, at www.greatmissouribirdingtrail.com.

The website includes maps of the best birding sites around the Show-Me State, along with information on various aspects of bird conservation. Pages include birding tips, beginner basics, landscaping for birds, and how to get involved with local bird organizations.

The best-birding locations include mostly public land, such as conservation areas and state parks, and cover various types of bird habitats, such grasslands, woodlands, forests, glades, and savannas. Each type of natural community hosts a different suite of bird species to identify.

The Great Missouri Birding Trail project was started by Mike Doyen of Rolla, president of the Missouri Bird Conservation Foundation. The Trail is now a partnership between the Foundation and MDC, with support from other state and federal agencies and birding organizations.

“Nothing is more critical to birds than habitat,” Doyen said. “If the habitat is right, the birds will be there. Visit some of the more than two hundred sites along the Trail and become familiar with the diversity of habitat that birds call home. Then ask yourself, what can I do in my backyard to improve habitat for birds?”

The St. Louis and Kansas City sections of the Great Missouri Birding Trail website are complete. Work continues on four remaining sections, including: northeast, central, southwest, and southeast, which will be completed in the next few years.