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Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard. Free to residents of Missouri.
A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is helping adventurous people step into the Kansas City metro’s urban outdoors during May with Adult Summer Camp programs. Exploring the waters of the Blue River will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. A guided hike through Parkville’s historic district and natural spaces will be offered from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24.
Staff from MDC’s Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City are organizing and leading the Adult Summer Camp programs. They are open to participants ages 18 and older. Discovery Center staff will touch on stream corridors, park lands, native plant landscaping, and abundant trees that connect people with nature in city settings. Exploring nature close to home brings surprising finds of songbirds, wildflowers, and fishes swimming in small streams and creeks.
The Blue River watershed drains two-thirds of the Kansas City metropolitan area. This program will discuss the watershed’s history and its role in the metro area today. Participants will learn about the actions by people that can have positive or negative effects on water quality and the natural corridor along the river. They will do some water quality measuring and use nets to sample for aquatic life such as insects, crayfish, and tadpoles. Those creatures support wildlife using riverine habitat.
MDC’s hike through historic Parkville will cover 2.5 miles, moderately paced, using sidewalks and short road segments in an older neighborhood with hilly terrain. The hike will start and end at the city’s English Landing Park. Hike leaders will discuss native and invasive plants, wildlife identification, hiking safety, and suggestions for other good urban hiking locations.
Participants in Adult Summer Camp programs will need to dress appropriately for weather conditions. COVID-19 safety precautions will be observed. Registration is required for both programs. To register for the Blue River program, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4w6. To register for the Parkville hike, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4wu.
The Discovery Center’s Adult Summer Camp programs will continue through the summer. For updates, visit the MDC events page for the Kansas City region, https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZVH.
