Kansas City area Animal Appreciation
One of my favorite quotes about caring for our natural world comes from African environmentalist Baba Dioum: "In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will only love what we understand, and we will understand what we are taught." In our area, we are fortunate to have many places where we can learn about our native wildlife and appreciate the natural world around us.
My absolute favorite place is Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs, MO. It remains one of the best places to learn about and watch wildlife. Trails are free and open to the public from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during daylight savings time and close at 6:00 p.m. after daylight savings. The nature center offers many free programs and is open Tuesday through Friday, 7:00-6:00, and Saturday, 8:00-5:00. My favorite features are the 3,000-gallon aquarium with native fish and turtles and the large bird feeder area, which is almost always active. Visit mdc.mo.gov/regions/kansas-city for more information on trails and programming.
Another favorite is Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park, Kansas City, MO. This area has trails and a fantastic nature center with many live animal displays. They are one of the only wildlife rehab facilities in Kansas City. As a result, they have a large collection of raptors, along with their other educational animals. Programs are offered for free or a small fee. Every month they offer a "Hike with a Naturalist" program where visitors hike the trails of Swope Park. The trails are open during daylight hours, and the nature center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00-4:00, and Sunday, 10:00-3:00. Nature center admission is free. Explore www.lakesidenaturecenter.org for information on programs and rehabilitation.
Ernie Miller Nature Center in Johnson County, KS, is a lovely escape to nature. They feature historic and nature education programs, which are usually available for a small fee. The nature center has a bird feeding station, displays and live animals. Trails are open dawn to dusk, and the nature center is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00-5:00, and Sunday, 1:00-5:00 from March 1 to Oct. 31. The rest of the year it is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00-4:30, and Sunday, 12:30-4:30. Visit www.erniemiller.com for a listing of programs and events.
Prairie Park Nature Center in Lawrence, KS, is a gem of a nature center. While smaller than many others, it is home to a 7-acre virgin prairie containing 180 species of native plants, flowers and grasses. It also features a bird feeding area, variety of displays and a surprising number of live animals. They offer weekly free programs Saturday mornings at 10:00 and Sunday afternoons at 1:30. Other programs are available for a small fee. Find out more information on program dates and times at www.lawrenceks.org/lprd/ppnc.
These are only four of the amazing places to learn about and appreciate wildlife in our area. For even more ideas, visit kcpassport.com or pick up a “Kansas City's Passport to Adventure” booklet at any of the many participating educational interpretive sites.
Heather Shields is a Kansas City native and a high school science teacher.