It's time to tag monarchs

Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, 1401 N.W. Park Road in Blue Springs, is offering the following activities for the month of August. All programs are free. For more information or to register, call 816-228-3766.

• Stories from the Civil War – for ages 8 and older, 7 to 8 p.m. Sept. 4. Meet Elizabeth Walker, who lived at Burr Oak Woods during the time of the Civil War. Discover the secrets of the past at Burr Oak Woods during the years William Quantrill fought the Jayhawkers. Call to register.

• Rockin’ & Readin’ Nature Tales – for ages 2 and older, 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 6. Your children will not want to miss these stories of exploration and discovery. No registration required.

• Little Acorns: Old fashioned fishing fun – for ages 3 to 6, 11 a.m. to noon Sept. 6. Young and old alike have used cane poles to fish with for many year, we have worms, cane poles, hooks, and fish. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the fun at the educational pond! Call to register.

• Burr Oak Woods Fun Badge: How was your day? – for Junior Girl Scouts, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 6. Earn a Burr Oak Woods fun patch to wear on the back of your uniform! Participate in an animal observation program that will fulfill one part of the Burr Oak Woods fun patch, as well as Wildlife No. 10. Call to register.

• Celebrating Prairies – for all ages, 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 6. Prairie Day will be here soon! Come get a preview of the event and discover many fascinating secrets about our prairies, past, present and future! No registration.

• Bethany Falls Hike – for ages 6 and older, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sept. 7. Discover what may be hiding in the rock crevices and the many uses of those same crevices during historical times. Please wear sturdy shoes and bring water. This hike is 1 1/3 miles long over some uneven terrain. No registration.

• Homeschool: Nature Hunting, 10 to 11:30 a.m. or 1 to 2:30 p.m. for ages 6 to 8; 10 to 11:30 a.m. for ages 9 to 11 and 12 to 18, Sept. 10. You can hunt for many things in nature, both for consumptive and non-consumptive uses. Come and explore some of these options. Call to register.

• Little Acorns: Old fashioned fishing fun – for ages 3 to 6, 10 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m. Sept. 10. Young and old alike have used cane poles to fish with for many year, we have worms, cane poles, hooks, and fish. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the fun at the educational pond! Call to register.

• Discover Nature Women: Archery for beginners ¬– for women 18 and older, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Learn the basic techniques for shooting a bow and arrow without the use of sights. There will be a good amount of time to practice. Girls ages 14 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult woman. Session 1. Call to register.

• Macro-Photography Scavenger Hunt – for ages 18 and older, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Sept. 13. Grab your cameras and search for exquisite subjects to photograph. Both digital and manual cameras will work for this program, as long as they have some kind of macro setting. The first person to complete the scavenger hunt list will receive an award. Call to register.

• Discover Nature Women: Archery for beginners ¬– for women 18 and older, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 14. Learn the basic techniques for shooting a bow and arrow without the use of sights. There will be a good amount of time to practice. Girls ages 14 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult woman. Session 1. Call to register.

• Prairie Day at Jerry Smith Park, in partnership with Burr Oak Woods and others, 2 to 6 p.m. activities; 6 to 7 p.m. concert, Sept. 20. Take I-435 south to Holmes Road exit, south on Holmes Road to 139th Street, then left (east) onto 139th Street. The park entrance is a short distance on the left.

• Tag monarch butterflies, collect prairie seeds, make rope from prairie grasses, eat bison burgers and enjoy the sweet sounds of music. Celebrate the region’s collaborative efforts to restore local prairies, friends, families and kids can join prairie restoration workday activities, view prairie inspired artwork, take a bird walk, and see and touch live prairie animals, including snakes, birds, lizards and amphibians. The event will end with a concert at sunset, so bring a chair and settle in to enjoy the music after a full afternoon of prairie fun. Bring work clothes if you want to participate in workday activities, and a lawn chair for the concert. No registration. For information, 816-228-3766.

• Wild Ones: Fort Osage wild edibles hike – for ages 18 and older, sponsored by Burr Oak Woods, 1 p.m. Sept. 22. Historian/naturalist Michael Duane will lead us on a unique hike along the Missouri River in search of some of the same edible and medicinal wild plants described in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Meet at Fort Osage. Call to register and for directions.

• Young at Heart: Going, going, gone – for ages 55 and older, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 23. You have heard about the demise of the passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet, and many species today that could suffer the same fate extinction! Discover what animals are in danger and what you can do to help. Call to register.

• Conservation Kid’s Club: Take your parent camping night – for ages 7 to 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 23. It’s time to plan our 7th annual “Take Your Parent Camping Night.” Let’s get together to do some planning and then head outdoors for an evening discovery hike. Call to register.

• Bird Watchers: In the pines – for ages 18 and older, 8:30 to 10 a.m. Sept. 24. All birding levels welcomed. Explore the Pine Grove near the front gate. Call to register.

• Burr Oak Woods Fun Badge: How was your day? – for Junior Girl Scouts, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 24. Earn a Burr Oak Woods fun patch to wear on the back of your uniform! Participate in an animal observation program that will fulfill one part of the Burr Oak Woods fun patch, as well as Wildlife No. 10. Call to register.

• Babes in the Woods: Creek crawling – for ages up to 36 months, 11 a.m. to noon Sept. 24. Bring your little ones for a little exploring in a creek. Dress to get your feet wet, and your little ones will need a change of clothes. Call to register.

• Little Acorns: Old fashioned fishing fun – for ages 3 to 6, 10 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m. Sept. 25. Young and old alike have used cane poles to fish with for many year, we have worms, cane poles, hooks, and fish. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the fun at the educational pond! Call to register.

• Young Friends of Nature: Nature Gladiators Teens – for ages 13 to 18, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 25. Get together with other teenagers for outdoor adventures in this monthly program series. “Fight” for your right to discover new and exciting things about nature. Test your strength, speed, eyesight, and more as we see how the human body compares to other creatures capabilities. Call to register.

• Monarch Tagging – for all ages, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 27, and 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 28. The monarch butterflies are moving to their winter home in central Mexico, and we are ready to tag them! Come help us capture, tag and release these beautiful butterflies. We will also capture other butterflies to view their colors up-close. Call to register.

• Discover Nature Families: Let’s go fishing – for families with children 5 and older, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30. One of the best ways that a family can discover nature together is to go fishing! Join us as we pass down this important tradition. Call to register.

• Feed the critters on exhibit at the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center at 3 p.m. Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. A nature film is shown at 3:30 p.m. each Sunday.

– Jillayne Ritchie