The fourth annual Tulip Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 7 at the Jewel Box in Forest Park
Approximately 60,000 tulips were planted by the Flora Conservancy of Forest Park with the assistance of the Parks Division. They are expected to be at their peak for the festival.

“The tulips make a beautiful entry into the Jewel Box,” said Anabeth…[more]

Improvements are underway to restore North Beach Park, which has been closed due to the Branson Landing development, and to re-open it to the public by May 1.
“It’s one of the prettiest parks in the city, and our intentions all along were to reopen it and make the park better for our residents and visitors,” said Branson Mayor Lou Schaefer. “The natural beauty of North Beach Park…[more]

Springfield, MO - A traveling exhibition, “Extremophiles: Living In Extremes,” will be on display at Wonders of Wildlife through Memorial Day, May 29, 2006. Misty Mitchell, Wonders of Wildlife Director of Life Sciences, said that this exhibition will “take you where you cannot go on your own and immerse you in a deep-sea experience.” NASA, who also contributed content, funded the display, and the University of Montana and Explore Digital…[more]

The newest online dating site can be found originating in the Ozarks; with Ozark interests and influences in mind. These interests can range from hunting/fishing, livestock raising, farming, outdoor activites and more. The site is free for those to join and use with other membership options. 

The site’s originality was developed by Sarah Madderra from Mtn Grove, MO, and with the construction/maintenance of the site developed/operated by Singles…[more]

The native plants and animals along Katy Trail State Park will be highlighted on the seventh annual Katy Trail Ride—“Wild on the Katy.” This year’s weeklong bicycle ride on the 225-mile Katy Trail State Park will take place June 18 through 22. Applications are now available for bicyclists that would like to participate in Katy Trail Ride 2007, a ride on the nation’s longest developed rail trail.

The…[more]

The National Audubon Society announced today that a $100,000 grant from Wild Birds Unlimited and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation will be used to provide scholarships for young people to attend summer camps at Audubon Centers across the United States.

The goal of this grant, which covers scholarships to Audubon summer camps in both 2007 and 2008, is to give at least 200 underserved and underprivileged children…[more]

“Today we celebrate the remarkable recovery of the bald eagle,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “The return of our national symbol is a victory for wildlife, a victory for conservation, and a victory for the Endangered Species Act.”

“We cannot commemorate this…[more]

National Geographic’s April 2007 issue examines the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas through the lens of respected photojournalist and Kansas native, Jim Richardson. The 22-page feature section, titled “The Flint Hills: A Kansas Treasure” captures a glimpse of the majesty of this unique Kansas prairie-land.

To complement the magazine spread…[more]

Polk County Bike Club Invites Public to Assist in Clearing Storm Debris on Frisco Highline Trail
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 17
The Polk County Bike Club is leading a volunteer workday for Ozark Greenways to clear storm tree debris from the north half of the Frisco Highline Trail this Saturday, March 14, starting at 10 a.m. The public is invited to help. If…[more]

Approximately 95 percent of all Springfield-Greene County park system facilities have now been reopened, following the Jan. 12 ice storm. The following facilities are the only parks or trails not currently available to the public due to unsafe conditions associated with ongoing ice storm debris removal:

George Washington Carver Park
Fellows Lake Trail
Sac River Mountain Bike Trail
Wilson’s Creek Volunteer Nature…[more]