Learn about trees and paint a tree cookie Nov. 15 at Powder Valley Nature Center

KIRKWOOD, Mo.—The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites you to make some cookies, and these cookies contain no sugar or calories.  However, they represent plenty of sweet benefits for both people and the environment.

MDC’s Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center invites the public to Tree Keepers and Cookies, a free program Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 9:30-11 a.m.  The event will be held at the nature center in Kirkwood and is open to participants ages 18 and up.

Join MDC naturalists to explore the benefits trees provide to Missouri.  Participants will learn about the history, life cycle, and the economic impact tree in our state.

For example, did you know that a tree-lined street can add up to 15% more value to a house, or that their shade can save a homeowner as much as 30% on air conditioning costs?  Trees promote physical activity in children and increased longevity in the elderly.  And Missouri’s urban trees help the environment by storing 12.4 million tons of carbon.

Attendees will flex their artistic muscles as they get a chance to paint a night scene on a tree cookie.  Tree cookies are cross sections of tree trunks that are dried and used to illustrate how trees grow by revealing their different layers. Each layer hides clues about the tree’s life and the climate in which it grew.  Participants can take their work home as a permanent keepsake of the event.

Tree Keepers and Cookies is a free program; however, advanced online registration is required at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZAz. 

Powder Valley Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-270 and I-44.

Sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed of MDC’s latest programs and events by going to  https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoP.