Powder Valley Nature Center celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. It would be disingenuous for me to say, I can’t believe it’s been around that long, because coincidentally, we have a daughter who is 35 years old this year, and she has been enjoying the “special place” since she was very little.
The state Department of Conservation’s education and information center, along with its natural areas and family friendly hiking trails, was one of several locations in the area we would plan to visit as an incentive when our kids were young. This past week our grandson made his first trip.
JT Winkelman has his name on a Passport to Powder Valley program booklet that the nature center is using this summer to engage visitors. Everyone who completes the five activities included in the booklet receives an anniversary sticker and is entered in a drawing for a grand prize that will be awarded at the end of October.
“These activities emphasize the nature center’s mission: to connect individuals with nature,” said naturalist Lauren Baker, a department employee at the center. “This program is perfect for all visitors, from individuals to family groups. Come help us celebrate Powder Valley’s 35th anniversary.”
The passport program began on July 14 and continues through Oct. 31. The passports are available from the center information desk. The nature center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. A celebration event is being planned for the weekend of Oct. 24.
“The passport encourages visitors to explore not only the nature center itself, but the surrounding trails and grounds,” Baker said. “The passport can be completed at your own pace anytime up to the end of October to enter the grand prize giveaway.”
We completed stop No. 1 by watching the birds at the feeders just outside the center’s large main floor windows. The raccoons and squirrels that tried to find something to eat on the elevated platforms added to the excitement.
The second activity in the passport program requires checking in at the front desk to get a Discovery Backpack from a nature center volunteer. Each backpack has a theme with tools and activities to help with learning and understanding for either the birds, trees, or “creepy, crawly” invertebrates outside the center.
Many ambassador animals live in display cases inside the nature center building. We will go back to check off item No. 3, but during our recent visit we saw snakes, turtles, fish and others. The big timber rattler was very active when we were there, and the protected alligator snapping turtle is definitely an attention grabber.
Stop four requires the most coordination, but it is guaranteed to be the most informative. Naturalists like Baker and volunteers lead free programs that explore nature through activities like art, cooking, and animal encounters. Advanced registration at mdc.mo.gov/events is required for the programs. There are more than 20 programs scheduled in August.
Taking a hike on one of the three paved trails at Powder Valley is the fifth and final component to complete the passport. The one-third mile Tanglevine Trail is the shortest of the walks in the woods. The Broken Ridge Trail and the Hickory Ridge (short loop) are both less than a mile too. The long loop for the Hickory Ridge Trail is just 1.2 miles. While on the hike, participants are asked to take a picture of something they see during their walk or a selfie with a trail marker sign.
Once all five stops have been completed, the passport is returned to the front desk staff who will review each activity. For the hike you are asked to show the photo from one of the trails. After reviewing the passport, names are entered in the grand prize drawing for a basket, which includes a tour for four at the Endangered Wolf Sanctuary, a $100 value, Laumeier Sculpture Park Membership ($125), A History of Kirkwood Missouri book, and four tickets to Missouri Botanical Garden ($65).
For 35 years I have claimed Powder Valley as “almost in Jefferson County.” Near the intersection of Interstates 44 and 270, it is a wooded haven for kids of all ages to enjoy. Get your passport and learn all the nature center has to offer.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 35 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.