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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Discover nature this month with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center’s free event lineup featuring programs on bears, crafts, and nature story time, and a two-headed snake’s Sweet 16 birthday party!
It’s quite the feat for a female black rat snake with four eyes, two tongues, and two brains to survive 16 years – and you can visit her in all her uniquely-conjoined reptile glory while playing games, making crafts, and enjoying refreshments to celebrate her special day.
MDC Naturalist Alex Holmes said conjoined twinning occurs roughly one in every 100,000 black rat snake births. In the wild, those that survive probably wouldn’t be able to escape predators due to their body’s lack of dominate leadership, he said.
Auditorium presentations will take place at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet with the twins.
What kind of animal is big, has fluffy black fur, sharp claws, and a brown snout? That’s right, a bear! Did you know we have black bears in Missouri? Come to the Cape Nature Center to learn more about these unique animals!
Everyone loves a good story, and we have plenty of them here at the Cape Nature Center! You and your little one can watch and listen as our Naturalist reads a couple nature stories. This program is designed for children six years old and younger but is open to all ages.
Little Acorns and Babes in the Woods programs are designed to help children learn about the natural world through hands on experiences, crafts, and focused free-play activities.
All family members that plan to attend in-person and virtual events must be registered. To ensure the safety of all, in-person programs require family groups to practice social distancing, and masks are strongly recommended. Those interested are also reminded to follow current health recommendations which include:
Questions about these events and all others can be emailed to MDC Cape Nature Center Manager Laci Prucinsky at Laci.Prucinsky@mdc.mo.gov.
Advance registration is required for all programs and can be completed here. The first step in registering for a program is creating a profile at www.mdc.mo.gov/southeastevents. Once a profile is created and event registration is complete, additional details about programs will be sent via email. If you’re having difficulty registering online, you may contact the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center at (573) 290-5218. For more information on MDC or to contact MDC offices, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov.
Check out MDC’s other free September events here, and be on the lookout for more in-person events to register for in October!
Families now have the option to link their children’s accounts to their own accounts. Once a group account is setup, parents and guardians will be able to register their children for an event without utilizing multiple logins. An entire group, family, or select family members can be added to an event at the same time. This can be completed by logging into your account, selecting “My Group Profile” and then adding additional family or group members to your account. Setup your group account today, and you’re ready for all upcoming programs!
Stay in Touch
The Cape Nature Center sends program registration reminders and updates to those who sign up by texting “MDC Nature” to 468311. An online subscription is also available to “sign up for updates” at www.mdc.mo.gov. A variety of updates are available at this option, but Cape Girardeau specific updates are available under facility updates and news for southeast region.
Cape Girardeau Nature Center is located at 2289 County Park Dr. in Cape Girardeau, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. White Oak Trace Trails are open daily, from sunrise – 10 p.m.
