Events

Registration required by visiting www.deeproots.org/get-involved (ages 15+) Spring has sprung and so have your weeds! Get your hands dirty and learn how to ID and manage seasonal weeds in your garden. All experience levels are welcome. Enjoy a naturalist-led garden tour following the end of the session. Contact cydney@deeprootskc.org for more information. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

Registration required (all ages) Mammals, reptiles and birds oh my! Missouri is known for its diversity of habitats and wild species. Join us for a fun Missouri animal themes trivia night where you can test your knowledge about our spectacular native animals!

Registration required by visiting www.deeproots.org/get-involved (ages 15+) Experience how native gardens change and learn seasonal maintenance required for success. Feel empowered, enjoy camaraderie and learn skills alongside native gardening experts and enthusiasts! All experience levels are welcome. The Deep Roots Demonstration Garden features Midwest native plants suitable for the home garden. Contact cydney@deeprootskc.org for more information.

Ropes have the potential to be the worst bane or the best friend of the outdoorsman. By learning a few simple knots, you can quickly learn to secure your gear, pitch your tent, tie your tarp, or manage whatever else the outdoors throws at you. Grab your own rope so you can tie along.

Lesson 1: Equipment, Casting and Proper Fish Handling combines instruction with hands-on fishing to teach young anglers and families basic fishing techniques and skills. Participants will learn how to properly and safely cast a spincast fishing rod, parts of a fishing rod, how to fasten basic fishing tackle and how to properly handle and release a fish. Lesson 2: How to Tie a Knot and Bait a Hook combines instruction with hands-on fishing to teach young anglers and families intermediate fishing techniques and skills. Participants will learn to tie an improved clinch knot and how to properly secure bait on hooks.

Fishing equipment, instructors/coaches and bait/lures will be provided.

Ages 7 and above. All children ages 7-15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Participants DO NOT need a fishing permit to fish during this program.

Each participant will need to register for this program individually on the Missouri Department of Conservation Discover Fishing website. Email instructor for assistance with registering for this program

Walk-in (all ages) Did you know that native plants beautify landscapes and help support songbirds and other cherished wildlife? Join the Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) at the Discovery Center for a spring native plant sale. Grow Native! vendors will be on hand with a wide selection of native flowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs, vines and trees for a variety of growing conditions. Vendors will contribute a percentage of plant sale proceeds to benefit MPF's prairie conservation in Missouri. Visit www.moprairie.org for participating vendors and information about pre-ordering or you can shop in person the day of the sale. If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

No registration required (ages 13+) In the United States, window collisions are estimated to cause 600 million bird deaths annually and almost half of these are at home windows. Do you have a window or two at your home or office that is frequently struck by birds? Join MDC and the Missouri River Bird Observatory to learn why window collisions happen, the best strategies to prevent them and what actions are being taken to reduce window strikes around the KC metro area. It's simple and inexpensive to save birds around your home and office! If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor at least one week prior to the program.

Many of us drive over the Missouri River without giving it a second thought. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to explore Missouri’s most magnificent natural resource in a canoe? It is magic to be on the river! We will explore an 9-mile stretch on the Missouri River from La Benite Park to Cooley Lake. Estimated time on the water is appx. 3 hours.

Please dress for the weather, wear closed-toe shoes and bring water, snacks, and a head lamp or flashlight.

MDC will provide canoes, paddles, and PFD’s. This program is dependent on weather and river conditions. Participants will be contacted if conditions are not acceptable on the weekend of the event. All participants MUST register separately. *Mandatory orientation on May 9th from 6:00-8:00pm at Burr Oak Woods Education Pond. You will automatically be registered into the orientation upon registration for this event. Those aged 16-17 must have an adult chaperone on the trip.

**Please do not register if you are not able to come to the orientation**

MEET AT LITTLE COMPTON LAKE CONSERVATION AREA for an evening of outdoor fun with an overnight camping option. Enjoy archery, fishing, (dinner break), a slide show on dark skies and a tour of the stars with telescopes from the Astronomical Society of Kansas City.

*This is a (Class 3) dark sky area. For comparison, the Blue Springs area is Class 5-6, two-three classes brighter. Little Compton Lake CA is about a 2-hour drive northeast of Blue Springs, MO. *Archery/fishing equipment will be provided by MDC for this program. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD, WATER AND CAMPING GEAR IF YOU CHOOSE TO CAMP FOR THE NIGHT. MO fishing rules apply: 65 and older and under 16 don’t need a license. There is a privy and large gravel parking lot with larger flat mowed area around it (NO ELECTRICITY). It is an MDC area, so no fees to camp. Area regulations say dogs must be leashed.

Archery and fishing programs offered from 5:00PM - 6:30PM. Then, we break for dinner.

People may chose to fish again after they eat.

Dark Skies/Astronomy program from 8:30-10:30PM.

People may choose to camp or drive home after that.

Experience the sunset at Burr Oak Woods as you never have! Join yoga instructor, Lisa LaCombe with Yoga Journeys, to discover the healing power of yoga while exploring our own unique connection to the natural world. We will begin our evening with a Yoga Flow practice, and then venture into the forest for some meditation and journaling. We will conclude the evening at sunset with some gentle restorative yoga, balancing mind, body and spirit. Meet at the Burr Oak Woods Robert Aylward Education Pond.

Register at yogajourneys1200@gmail.com