Fun in Nature in Kansas City

Fall and winter in Kansas City offer a wide variety of events and festivals that allow families to have fun in nature. Here are a few of my favorites to give you some ideas to try this year.

Most metro nature centers offer Halloween events with a variety of natural and fictional characters. A couple of these include Lakeside Nature Center's "Magic Woods" in Swope Park, and "Enchanted Forest" at the Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park in Lenexa.

The Magic Woods comes to life on Friday, Oct. 10, 6:00-9:00 and Saturday, Oct. 11, 5:00-9:00. Admission is $5/person. At Magic Woods, hikers will meet Mother Nature and her friends as they stroll along the nature trail. Eco-Elvis and Eric the magician will entertain at this year's event (www.lakesidenaturecenter.org).

The Enchanted Forest welcomes visitors on Oct. 23.  Admission is free. Unlimited access to hayrides, inflatables and mini-pumpkin decorating is available with the purchase of a $3 wristband at the information booth. The trail features performances by marionette puppets, magicians and singers (www.ci.lenexa.ks.us).

For something different this fall, try a visit to the Powell or Warkoczewski observatories, which are supported by the Astronomical Society of Kansas City. The Warkoczewski (a.k.a. "Warko") Observatory is located on the roof of Royall Hall on UMKC's campus. It is open on clear Friday evenings from May 1 to October 31. Admission is free; visit www.askc.org/warko.html for parking and directions to the observatory. The Powell Observatory is located in Louisburg, KS, 25 miles from Kansas City. It is open to the public Saturday nights from May through October. A donation of $6/adult and $4/child is suggested to help support the observatory. A nice fall day trip to the observatory might include a trip to Louisburg Cider Mill, also located in Louisburg.

After the holidays, birding events inject some fun into the winter "blahs." Two local Eagle Day events are free and a must-see. Smithville Lake's Eagle Days is Jan. 10 and 11 at Paradise Golf Course Complex. See live eagles on the lake and in person at the eagle shows. On Saturdays, showtimes begin at 9:30 and occur every hour and half, with the last show beginning at 2:00. Sunday shows have the same schedule except the first show begins at 11:00. Wyandotte Lake's Eagle Days is Jan. 24 and 25. The event runs Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00 and Sunday from noon to 4:00. There are two locations around the lake for up-close bird viewing, one with eagles and another with other raptors.

If you ever wanted to contribute to a scientific study, here's your chance! The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual worldwide citizen science event that occurs every winter. This year it runs Feb. 13-16. Participants simply count the numbers and kinds of birds they see on these days. A count can be taken anywhere any time during these days, but must be for at least 15 continuous minutes at a location. Visit gbbc.birdcount.org to register and turn in your data!