Lakeside Nature Center, in Kansas City, makes it simple. Just show up! Meet outside the main doors and the hike will begin at its scheduled starting time. Dress for the weather and the bugs (or lack thereof). A naturalist will guide your hike, which usually take place on the Fox Hollow trail, which has a natural (unpaved) surface. Hikes can be canceled for severe weather, so call the center if you have questions at 816.513.8960.

This informal presentation will highlight how to discover more than 100 trails in and around our community. These range from short nature walks, to ADA trails that are wheelchair (and stroller) friendly, to challenging overnight adventures. Although you can hike with whatever you have, this presentation will also provide an overview of hiking accessories that may be helpful. Whether you’re an experienced hiker or just beginning, you’ll make a new discovery about the great outdoors in your community.

Join the Sierra Club for this four-mile excursion in the woods of Kansas City’s Northland. The Hidden Valley Park trail follows the rim of a steep ravine and dives into the valley that earned the park its name. Dogs are not permitted.

Cooley Lake Conservation Area is located about 20 miles east of Kansas City in Clay County, Mo. The refuge’s namesake is a marshy lake that was once the main channel of the Missouri River. The lake and wetlands are a popular stopover for migrating waterfowl, including American white pelicans. The area also features a bluff forest rich with wildflowers. Directions and a map will be sent to registrants via e-mail the week before and the day of the program.

Join Johnson County Parks and Recreation for an educational evening hike through the forest. Your group will visit stations throughout the park and learn about techniques to help you survive if you’re ever lost in the woods after dark. Headlamps and other sources of light will be provided.

The ruby-throated hummingbird is one of Missouri’s most captivating creatures. This session will explain how to create a habitat for them in your yard and garden. Naturalists will share tips on using native plants, nectar, and insects to attract them. You’ll also participate in a hands-on activity and create a DIY hummingbird feeder to take home. Participants must be 18 or older.

A naturalist from the Missouri Department of Conservation in foraging for fungi (mushrooms). Participants will learn about ethical foraging, testing for toxicity and the best places to find mushrooms. This event is hosted by the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, but the event will be held at Lake Lodge, near Rocky Point Glade, in Swope Park.

Lakeside Nature Center, in Kansas City, makes it simple. Just show up! Meet outside the main doors and the hike will begin at its scheduled starting time. Dress for the weather and the bugs (or lack thereof). A naturalist will guide your hike, which usually take place on the Fox Hollow trail, which has a natural (unpaved) surface. Hikes can be canceled for severe weather, so call the center if you have questions at 816.513.8960.

Just for kids: Explore mammals of Missouri. This educational program for children ages 7-12 will give insight into the mammals of Missouri. The program begins in the classroom before switching to a guided hike at the center.

Want to raise kids who love nature? Start with a story. And you don’t even have to tell it! A naturalist from the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center introduces nature and educates about the world of wildlife through the Little Acorns program, ideal for preschoolers-kindergarteners.

Observe birds in the urban oasis of the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center with the help of a Missouri Master Naturalist guide. Identify birds using traditional methods and mobile apps. Binoculars are welcome. This event, for ages 8 and older, is free but participation is limited and registration is required.

Children are invited to this weekly nature-themed storytime at the scenic Schlagle Library at Wyandotte County Lake Park. Kids will experience stories and songs about the world around them, get moving with an activity and explore a hands-on tactile element connected to nature. Occasionally, an animal ambassador is present. Weather-permitting, the activity takes place outside.

Who doesn’t love a bluebird? They’re year-round residents of Greater Kansas City and begin nesting in March. Naturalists at Burr Oak Woods and the Missouri River Bird Observatory will explain how to set up nesting boxes, which feeders to purchase and how to monitor them to ensure the population is healthy.

Turn the story of a tree’s life into a work of art. Tree rings, the visible bands of wood that form around a tree's trunk as it grows, together represent the story of its life. This class will demonstrate how to use horizontal wood slices as printing plates. By the end of the seminar, you’ll have created your own ink and paper print. This is a free event, but seating is limited and registration is required. Participants must be at least 18.

Join the Sierra Club on this 3.5-mile hike along the lakeshore. This natural surface trail runs through the woods between the shoreline of Lake Jacomo and a series of large limestone outcrops. It then goes past a wide inlet, where ducks like to roost, before turning back inland in a series of switchbacks. The trail is sometimes a leaf-covered path and in other places requires you to watch for rocks and roots in the trail.

Kids love colors and nature is full of them. This program, for ages 7-12, is an opportunity for children to learn how diverse colors are expressed in wildlife. It finishes with a creative art project. Parents need to be present during the event and can participate if desired.

Join the Sierra Club for trail and habitat maintenance at the Blue River Glades Natural Area. This limestone glade is rare for northern Missouri. It includes chinquapin oaks nearly 300 years old atop limestone. A prairie-like flora of grasses and wildflowers provides rich color and texture through most of the year. The glade is threatened by several invasive plant species, especially honeysuckle, which needs to be eradicated so native flowers and grasses flourish again in these stunning wild areas.

Lakeside Nature Center, in Kansas City, makes it simple. Just show up! Meet outside the main doors and the hike will begin at its scheduled starting time. Dress for the weather and the bugs (or lack thereof). A naturalist will guide your hike, which usually take place on the Fox Hollow trail, which has a natural (unpaved) surface. Hikes can be canceled for severe weather, so call the center if you have questions at 816.513.8960.

Want to raise kids who love nature? Start with a story. And you don’t even have to tell it! A naturalist from the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center introduces nature and educates about the world of wildlife through the Little Acorns program, ideal for preschoolers-kindergarteners.

Celebrate the changing of seasons at this outdoor family tradition at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center. About this time of year, winter is beginning to fade. That calls for an all-ages celebration focused on trees. Family-oriented events will include: Tree tasting (really!), which means boiling tree sap to make syrup; Learning to split firewood; Throwing a tomahawk; Learning to start a fire with sticks; and more. This event is free and registration is not required.

Join this group hike to walk about 10 miles from North Kansas City, across the Heart of America Bridge, past the soccer stadium, through Berkley Park and finish at the City Market for lunch. You’ll need to arrange your own return trip to the starting point.

The Sierra Club is the sponsor of this group hike in Platte County. The six-mile (each way) Prairie Creek Greenway Trail passes prairie, crisscrosses the stream and encounters a few hills and forested groves.

Lakeside Nature Center, in Kansas City, makes it simple. Just show up! Meet outside the main doors and the hike will begin at its scheduled starting time. Dress for the weather and the bugs (or lack thereof). A naturalist will guide your hike, which usually take place on the Fox Hollow trail, which has a natural (unpaved) surface. Hikes can be canceled for severe weather, so call the center if you have questions at 816.513.8960.

Want to raise kids who love nature? Start with a story. And you don’t even have to tell it! A naturalist from the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center introduces nature and educates about the world of wildlife through the Little Acorns program, ideal for preschoolers-kindergarteners.

Join the Burroughs Audubon Society for this group activity. This extensive walking tour will survey waterfowl and bird life in and around Hillsdale Lake as well as surrounding marshland. After meeting at PetSmart, participants will carpool to Hillsdale Lake. There is a $5 admission fee to the state park.

Zoom in on Kansas City’s winter residents in this group walk. Bring binoculars and join a walk around the Discovery Center’s urban oasis. We’ll identify birds using guides and apps. Participants must be at least eight years old. The walk is guided by a Missouri Master Naturalist and Burroughs Audubon member.

Syrup comes out of bottles, right? Well, yes. But before that, its origin is in trees. In this educational program for ages 10+, the Gorman Center staff will explain the basics of tree selection, syrup collection and what’s required to turn sap into syrup. The program will include a short hike to view sap collection in progress.

People have mixed feelings about squirrels. Some think they’re cute. Others view them as a nuisance. But no matter how we feel, it’s obvious these creatures are remarkable and resilient. Join the staff of the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center for a squirrel-sighting expedition around the grounds. The event will also include a discussion of how squirrels survive the winter.

Join the Burroughs Audubon Society for a survey of wildlife. Plan to walk about two miles on a natural surface trail surveying birds along the Blue River and surrounding bottomlands.

Join the Burroughs Audubon Society for a bird-watching tour at Jerry Smith Park in South Kansas City. Hikers will be seeking to observe birds including the Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, six species of woodpeckers as well as winter residents including the Purple Finch, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and seven species of sparrows. The trails are natural surface and level.