Winter Scavenger Hunt
Winter weather is finally starting to settle in at Runge. Just a week ago, butterflies, flies, bumblebees, and a variety of insects were all too easy to find. Asters, white snake root, and a handful of other miscellaneous flowers were still in bloom. And, many of our nature center patrons were still wearing short sleeves and shorts. The weather has turned colder, many organisms have migrated, gone dormmate, or died, but there is still a lot to be discovered at Runge. Challenge yourself to get outside this winter by participating in our iNaturalist observation scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts can be found at the front desk of the nature center. After completing the hunt using the iNaturalist app or website and adding your observations to the "Runge Biodiversity Project," stop at the front desk to receive a free nature discovery item.
Dont forget to check out our "Observation of the Month" for October and November in the comment section (click on the title of the journal post on the online version to view the comments, or the following link for October and November’s "Observations of the Month" https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/runge-biodiversity-project/journal/44432-winter-scavenger-hunt). Keep exploring and maybe one of your observations will be selected in the future. Also, remember to share your favorite observations using Instagram - #RungeBiodiversityProject. Get out, observe, and explore this winter!
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October's "Observation of the Month" is a Southern Dogface, Zerene cesonia, a species of sulphur butterfly. This observation is only the second for the Runge Biodiversity Project. The Southern Dogface is considered locally common in the Ozarks, but uncommon to rare throughout the rest of the state, only 13 observation have been recorded on iNaturalist for Missouri. This observation can be found at: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/63846131
November's "Observation of the Month" are three Water Oaks, Quercus nigra, a first for the Runge Biodiversity Project. These oaks typically grow in bottomland forests and on the edges of swamps in SE Missouri. These individuals were most likely planted, or are the descendants of nearby, planted individuals. The trees were detected because their leaves were still green while all the other surrounding trees had brown, or had already lost their leaves. It just goes to show there is always something to discover at Runge. This observation can be found at: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/65234176
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