Friends of Cardinal Valley

11/04/2026

Come out and support a great local group doing good things! Enjoy a budget friendly meal with friends and family!

09/28/2026

🦋Monarch Tagging at Cardinal Valley Wetlands🦋

Missouri Southern entomology students (lead by Dr. Jason Willand) and Friends of Cardinal Valley volunteers participated in three different monarch tagging events over the past month. The season started out slow, but on Friday, 79 monarchs were tagged in a single session at the wetlands. The monarchs appear to be enjoying the cooler weather and the abundance of yellow blooms from the bidens as much as we are.

Every year the Chert Glades chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists donate their time to plant hundreds of milkweeds at the Cardinal Valley wetlands. These plants are the hosts that monarchs depend on for laying their eggs. Much like our shorebird guests, monarchs are stopping by our wetlands while on their migration routes, attracted by the habitat that so many people have worked so hard to rehabilitate. We cannot say enough how much we appreciate our volunteers and the students who utilize Cardinal Valley sites for their studies!

Have you noticed any monarchs in your yard or during your outdoor activities this month?

09/27/2026

A big thank you to the Helen S. Boylan Foundation for their generous grant supporting our new Monarch Migration Educational Field Game!

This hands-on experience gives players a fun, interactive way to learn about the challenges of migration, the importance of protecting these unique pollinators, and how to help them along their journey.

We are grateful for your support and can’t wait for next season’s upgrades!

09/05/2026

Webb City’s Mining Days Festival is returning, and Friends of Cardinal Valley will be there! Play the Monarch Migration Game and discover how restoring habitat right here at Cardinal Valley helps monarchs and other pollinators. https://www.facebook.com/events/1040218691865819/

09/02/2026

07/22/2026

We are in the middle of National Moth Week, a citizen science project that takes place during the last week of July each year. During these studies, people spend their evenings attracting and observing moths, recording data, and submitting it to scientists to be processed.

We wanted to take this opportunity to give a shout out to some local lepidopteran superstars that have been observed at Cardinal Valley; Cercopia moths! Their scientific name is Hyalophora cercopia and they belong to the Saturniidae (giant silk moth) family. Seeing them on our sites is an indicator that habitat is rehabilitating as they rely on native plant species, such as maple and willow, to reproduce. These plants provide habitat at all life stages as well as food for the caterpillar stages. Adults appear between May and June, they live for about two weeks and do not eat during that entire time. The species spends the winter in the pupae stage and continue the cycle the next spring.

Have any moths caught your eye on these hot summer evenings? Do you have a favorite moth? We would love to hear from you and see your pictures in the comments!

If you are interested in learning more about National Moth Week visit: https://nationalmothweek.org/

📸: A. Wild

07/18/2026

Frogs are nature's water quality ambassadors. Stop by our booth on July 25th at the Shoal Creek Water Festival to learn more. https://www.facebook.com/events/1431160475699204

07/03/2026

With all the recent rainfall across the area, keep your eyes on the woods, trails, and forest floors—mushroom season is in full swing!

Two fascinating fungi you might spot are:

Chanterelles :These beautiful golden-yellow mushrooms are often found in moist woodlands during Missouri's warm summer months. They have a trumpet-like shape, wavy edges, and a fruity aroma. Chanterelles form important partnerships with tree roots, helping forests stay healthy.

Turkey Tail: One of Missouri's most colorful mushrooms, turkey tail grows in layered clusters on fallen logs and stumps. Its bands of brown, gray, tan, and cream resemble the feathers of a wild turkey's tail. These mushrooms play a vital role in the forest by breaking down dead wood and recycling nutrients back into the soil.

Fun Fact: Mushrooms aren't plants or animals—they belong to their own kingdom: Fungi! Missouri forests are home to hundreds of fungal species, many of which appear after periods of warm, wet weather.

Safety Reminder Never eat a wild mushroom unless you can positively identify it with complete certainty. Many edible species have look-alikes, and some mushrooms can be dangerous or even deadly. When in doubt, enjoy them with your eyes and a camera—not your dinner plate!

Have you discovered any mushrooms after the recent rains? Share your photos in the comments!

📸&✍: Shayla Eimer

06/26/2026

At Cardinal Valley Habitat Area, restoration efforts are already showing how quickly pollinators respond to habitat restoration.

Native plantings and improving habitat conditions are helping bring bees, butterflies, and other pollinators back into the landscape, right where they belong. This is what recovery can look like: small changes to habitat creating visible change in biodiversity.

As Pollinator Week comes to a close, the message remains the same: protecting pollinators starts with protecting and restoring the places they depend on.

Learn how to protect pollinators https://www.pollinator.org/7things

06/22/2026

What would our meals look like without pollinators? A lot less color. A lot less variety. And in some cases, familiar foods could become rare, smaller, or disappear entirely.

Pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects help many crops reproduce. Without them, food choices would be significantly reduced. Scroll through the photos and let us know what you would miss the most.

This National Pollinator Week, take a moment to recognize just how much they make possible. Click here to learn what we can do to help protect them.https://www.pollinator.org/7things