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ForestKeeper Workshops

Winter 2024 Opportunities

Upcoming Classes

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:00am-12:00pm
 
Location: Caldwell Memorial Wildlife Area
Caldwell Drive
Washington, MO 63090
Improve your tree identification skills while enjoying a short, guided hike at Caldwell Memorial Wildlife Area. Join MDC Forester Cody Bailey as he explores the unique identifying characteristics of more than 20 of Missouri’s most common tree species. Learn about the important benefits each provides to people as well as animals and habitat. Perfect for families, hikers, and nature lovers. Reserve your spot today and connect with the forest in a whole new way!
 
 
Date: Saturday, April 8th, 2025,  5:30pm- 7:30pm
 
Location: Jay Henges Shooting Range
1100 Antire Rd, High Ridge, MO 63049
(636) 938-9548
Come out to Jay Henges Shooting Range and Education Center for an introductory class to Nature Photography. Bring your cameras and learn about aperture setting, lighting, and overall composition. Also be able to walk the natural areas around the range after hours.
 
 
 
Date: May 10, 2025 , 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Location: Kress Farm Garden Preserve, 5137 Glade Chapel Road, Hillsboro, MO 63050

Join the Missouri Chapter of Women Owning Woodlands for a casual, women-focused hike to learn about identifying trees in the springtime! 

The event is free, and all are welcome to join! We will hike about one mile while making frequent stops to observe trees. Our hike will proceed rain or shine but will be postponed in the event of severe weather. Be prepared for the weather and moderate hiking. 

For questions or accommodations, contact Sarah Higgins at sarah.higgins@missouri.edu or 636-797-5391, ext. 5057.

 

 

 
 
 

 

Landowner Workshops

Date: February 15, 2025 10:00am-12:00pm
Location: Platte County COmmunity Center South/ YMCA 8875 Clark Ave Parkvile MO 64152

Pruning workshop designed to give participants the knowledge to prune their fruit and landscape trees to make them more productive and healthier. The program will begin with a classroom overview of pruning at the YMCA and then conclude with an onsite pruning demonstration at the Platte County Community Garden.

Participants should dress for being outdoors for approximately an hour.

There is no fee for this event.

For more information, contact the Platte County Extension Office at 816-270-2141.

 

Prescribed Burn Workshops

Locations (Click for registration):

 
Prescribed burning can be a valuable tool for managing native plant diversity and controlling undesirable vegetation, but it can be dangerous and ineffective when not used properly. This workshop will provide basic information about how to plan and execute a prescribed burn for grassland management.

Upon registration, participants will be emailed a link to the virtual/online portion of the prescribed burn course. The online course is a mandatory prerequisite which requires a $25.00 fee to a third-party host (not MDC). Registrants will need to successfully complete the online course and quiz to attend the field day event. Please bring your certificate of completion and mileage record.

Other Opportunities: Take a Hike!

Date: Friday, May 9, 2025 8:30 pm – 12:00pm

Location: Platte Landing Park
300 S Main Street Parkville, MO 64152

Do you have an interest in birdwatching, but you’re not always sure what exactly you’re looking at? Join MDC staff at Platte Landing Park for a guided birding hike. We will meet at 8:30am and walk the trails to identify and document birds we see. Helpful items to bring include binoculars between 7-12x magnification, spotting scopes, paper checklist or eBird app, and a field guide or Merlin Bird ID app. Dress for the weather as we will be outside for the entirety of the program. Participants should park and meet in the dog park parking lot at Platte Landing Park. If you have any questions, please call Parma Woods Shooting Range at 816-891-9941.
 
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025 10:30 pm – 12:30pm

Location: Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Education Center
483 Hatchery Road Branson, MO 65616 (417) 334-4865

 

Join us at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery and Conservation Education Center for an Aquatic Plant Hike! We’ll discover the importance of floating wetlands, identify native species, discuss ecological roles, and explore how these unique plants and animals adapt to life in and around water.
 
Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025 6:00 pm – 7:30pm
Location: Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center
4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110
(816) 759-7300
Registration required (adults) Grab your walking shoes and get a jump on summer with an urban hike through historic Parkville. Covering roughly 2.5 miles, this moderately paced and hilly hike will utilize sidewalks and a few short road segments to explore nature in this older neighborhood. During the hike we will discuss native & invasive plants, wildlife ID, hiking safety and other great urban hikes in KC. The hike will start and end at English Landing Park. The instructor will e-mail the exact meeting location to participants the week prior to the hike
 
 
 
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025 9:00am – 1:00 pm
Location: Cape Girardeau Nature Center
2289 County Park Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
(573) 290-5218
As we hit the middle of spring temps are starting to get even warmer and the green has returned to the trees and plants. We’ll take a hike around a 4.2-mile White Oaks Trail at Hawn State Park. With a scenic view from large, exposed sandstone rock outcrops along with traveling through beautiful diverse mixed hardwood and shortleaf pine forest. Participants will meet at the nature center and carpool to the park. Please wear closed-toe athletic shoes or boots and weather appropriate clothing.
 
 
 
 

Forest ReLeaf is dedicated to planting and growing a resilient tree canopy across Missouri, to support healthy people, healthy habitats, and a healthy planet.

We connect, educate, and empower individuals and communities.

We champion the value of trees.

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Phone: (314) 533-5323
Email: info@moreleaf.org

Nursery and Arboretum, in Creve Coeur Park:
2194 Creve Coeur Mill
St. Louis, MO 63146

Office and Mailing Address:
4642 Shenandoah Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110

Jess Underwood
Finance & Operations Director

After 17 years in the non-profit and public sector, Jess remains committed to mission-driven work that tackles the challenges facing our communities. Their career began with a year of service as an Americorps St. Louis Emergency Response team member, responding to natural disasters and performing conservation projects. That foundation of service led to roles supporting the arts, affordable housing, mental health, and grassroots housing advocacy in St. Louis. During this journey Jess has worked to center the value “nothing about us, without us.” They do their best to ensure that the voices of people who have been marginalized guide the strategy and execution of work that honors their lived experiences. When they aren’t working, Jess is out paddling, hiking, working in their garden, or building something.