Events

Bill Palmer's interest in the outdoors began in the 1950s on a small farm in Montgomery County. As a boy he spent time stalking rabbits and watching birds such as bobwhite quail which were plentiful on the farm. These early adventures became the foundation for his lifelong love and appreciation of nature. Bill Palmer's photographs may be viewed in the Runge main lobby thru Saturday, June 28. No registration required. All ages

Join us for Summer Guided Fish Hatchery Tours at the newly reopened Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Education Center! Tours will be Tuesday through Friday at 10AM,11AM,1PM, and 2PM, starting May 27th until August 29th. Tours will begin inside the building at the large Trout Aquarium and then move outside to the raceways. Tours last approximately 30-40 minutes. No registration required.

*PLEASE NOTE the Conservation Education Center and Fish Hatchery will be CLOSED on June 19th and July 4th in observation of state holidays.

Contact staff for any questions at Shepherd@mdc.mo.gov or (417) 334-4865 ext. 0

Come check out this month's artist spotlight: Patricia Littlefield in our lobby and Webster Groves Nature Study Society in our auditorium. Artwork will remain up for the duration of the month.

Patricia will host a meet and greet session in our lobby on June 21, 1 pm - 3 pm for her artwork. Please stop by to say hello!

Discover what’s for dinner at Burr Oak Woods as the nature center’s amphibians, fish, and turtles enjoy their feast every Tuesday and Friday. The snakes are fed on the second and fourth Wednesday (June 11 & 25).

After finding painted rocks around Jefferson City, especially on the trails at Runge, Janet Bonnot decided to join the JC Rocks fun in 2018. Runge is pleased to present a variety of Janet's nature-inspired creations. No registration required. All ages

This is a two day clinic, participant are required to commit to BOTH days. Please do not register if you can not attend both days of the clinic.

Join us for a "Big Muddy" Alternative Methods Catfish Clinic on the Missouri River.

We'll start the clinic off on Saturday morning with an orientation at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center where we'll learn all about building various types of set lines and how to use them to target the Missouri River's Blue, Flathead and Channel catfish.

Then in the afternoon, we'll head out on the river in Missouri Department of Conservation boats to set some trotlines, jug lines and limb lines for catfish.

We'll meet again bright and early on Sunday morning and head out on the river to collect the fish that we caught overnight.

We'll also finish the clinic off with a catfish cleaning demonstration.

This program is appropriate for adults and families with children 9 and older.

On Saturday, participants will have an opportunity to eat lunch between the orientation and our time on the river. Otherwise, please bring snacks, water and dress appropriately for the weather. Afternoon is likely to be hot, morning will be cool.

MDC will provide all equipment including PFD's (life vests) for each person. Participants are welcome to bring their own Coast Guard approved PFD if they prefer. PFD'S will be required on MDC boats at all times.

This program is dependent on safe weather and river conditions. Participants will be contacted if conditions are not acceptable on the weekend of the event.

All participants MUST register separately. Do to limited space in the boats, please do not bring any participants who are not registered for this event.

Contact John Rittel for additional information or for assistance with registration.

john.rittel@mdc.mo.gov

Members of the Missouri Trout Fisherman's Association will teach you about fly-fishing. This is part one of two classes. Learn what fly-fishing is, what fish have on their menu, some basic fly-fishing points, a few knots to get you going, and casting. After the indoor portion, participants will drive to Living Memorial Park to practice casting. This is a two-part series, and you must register for both. The second part of this series will be held on Saturday, June 21. Ages 16 and up. Registration required.

Its Father’s Day weekend! Why not enjoy it paddling a canoe on Perry County Community Lake. This program is an opportunity to get your friends and family out on the water. Participants will receive basic instruction and then borrow one of our canoes for an afternoon on the lake. We will not be paddling as a group, and your party may go at their own pace. MDC staff will be on the water to assist in emergencies. Our canoes hold up to 600lbs. Please only register one person per group as we have 10 spots and 10 canoes. For where to meet from Perryville, take Route T west 1.50 miles, then County Road 700 southwest to the area. Please no pets or alcohol. Failure to arrive by 1:30 will forfeit your reservation. Canoes, paddles, lifejackets and safety equipment will be provided.

Registration required (ages 8+) Ever wanted to try throwing a tomahawk? Now is your chance! Join us for a fun and exciting experience where you'll learn how to safely throw a tomahawk and get tips to make it stick like a pro. Whether it's your first time or you're sharpening your skills, this is an adventure you won't want to miss! If accommodations are needed, please e-mail the instructor after registering and at least one week prior to the program.

Get up close and personal as we explore macrophotography. Whether you are using a specialty camera or a cell phone, macrophotography is a great way to observe and capture images of small subjects such as flowers and insects. After learning more about macrophotography, we will head outside to see what types of images we can capture. Macrophotography lens kits for cell phones will be available for participants to borrow. Registration required. Ages 7+