Events

Artwork on display in lobby.

Celebrate Earth Day all week with us! Artificial lighting helps humans function in the dark, but robs wildlife of their ability to perform daily functions. Join us as we learn the effects of light pollution on plants and wildlife and what we can do to stop it. This program will not be recorded. Please include a valid email address when you register so we can send you a virtual program link.

Veterans are invited to fish for free Saturday (April 20) at Bennett Springs State Park’s Veterans’ Fishing Day event. This special day is a chance for any veteran to get out and fish! Missouri offers tremendous trout park fishing opportunities and Bennett Spring proudly sponsors this event and an opportunity to fish for FREE.

At Veterans’ Fishing Day, fishing is free for all veterans. There is no license or daily tag fee. All veterans can pick up free trout tags at the park store on the Friday evening before or anytime on Saturday during the event. Fishing hours for the event will be 7 a.m.to 7:30 p.m.

During the event a part of the park’s Zone 2 fishing area will be specially stocked and reserved for anglers who are veterans. Adjacent to the fishing area, volunteers will be hosting a hospitality tent featuring fly tying demos, lessons, casting instruction, and the latest adaptive fishing equipment.

If you are interested in trout fishing, come out and fish with one of our heroes on the water – many volunteers will be on hand to show you the ropes! Not quite sure, practice with some of the casting games on the lawn or tie up a fly.

For more information please contact Ben Havens at Ben.Havens@mdc.mo.gov or call the hatchery at 417-532-4418.

Join us to discover the basics of responsible handgun ownership and the joys of shooting. We will cover safety, handgun nomenclature, sight picture, sight alignment, breath control, trigger squeeze, and much more. During the live fire portion, .22 handguns and ammunition will be provided. If you plan to use your own, bring a minimum of 50 rounds of new ammunition for your firearm. Make sure all firearms are unloaded before arriving at the range. There should be no live ammunition, or uncased firearms inside the classroom. Please leave all firearms in the vehicle until the class is dismissed including all concealed carry handguns and magazines.

Celebrate Earth Day all week with us! Most plastic materials are never recycled and end up in landfills or in the wild, potentially harming plants and animals. Volunteer Naturalist Dana Tideman will present appropriate ways to recycle and how to repurpose items in unique ways! All ages.

Naturescaping is simply utilizing native flowers, vines, shrubs, and other plants that share our environment for our landscaping needs. They may be as manicured as a formal garden or have a little wild space in a backyard corner. The benefits of a purposeful flowerbed or landscape will be covered from the roots up, including starting with a new space to rehabbing an existing flowerbed. The design and plant components of a butterfly garden, hummingbird haven, and more ideas to entice wanted wildlife will be included. The program is geared for all interested adults including educators developing rain gardens and planning outdoor classrooms.

(Presented by Jeff Cantrell, MO Stream Team Biologist and member of GROW NATIVE).

Celebrate Earth Day all week with us! Learn how different plants, fungi, and even animals clean up the environment, also called bioremediation. This program will not be recorded. Please include a valid email address when you register so we can send you a virtual program link.

Discover the basics of archery shooting. We will cover bow nomenclature and shooting techniques before we go shoot on the static archery range. You may bring your own bow to the program or use ours.

Let’s toddle down the trail and see what the rain brings us! We’ll let the babies explore spring together. Bring a heavy-duty stroller, baby carrier, or toddler to enjoy this walk. Ages 0 to 2.

Mussels are often hidden and seldom seen, but they are a vital part of Missouri's aquatic ecosystems. Join Naturalist Sam Grove to learn about mussel life cycles, unique adaptations, and mussel conservation. This program will not be recorded. Please include a valid email address when you register so we can send you a virtual program link.