Idaho Department of Fish and Game MK Nature Center

This bumble bee is enjoying the monarda. Also called bee balm, it’s a member of the mint family and is blooming in the butterfly garden right now. If you look closely at the photo, you can see the bee’s proboscis reaching into one of the flowers for nectar. Next time you visit, check out this interesting square-stemmed plant and it’s bumble bee visitors.

Bat watchers in the night. Last night’s bat program was informative and exciting! We saw and/or heard at least six different species and possibly several more. Canyon bat, silver-haired bat, big brown bat and hoary bat were the most common. Their echolocation calls were translated into audible clicks by the Anabat units, and the red lights allowed us to see the bats without the light bothering them. Program participants learned a lot, oohed and aahed, and left with a greater appreciation for these amazing creatures of the night.

A Flutter in the Night-Bat Program at MK Nature! Join us at 8:30 pm on July 11 for a talk about Idaho bats and detect bats over the pond. This program is designed for older children and adults.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/flutter-night-bat-program-mk-nature-center

The new queen bee has been placed in the hive. The green paint dot on her thorax indicates that she was born this year. It will also help visitors find her amongst the bees. She is attended by young workers called nurse bees, identified by their tiny eyes. They will feed and clean the queen. In about three weeks, the nurse bees become foragers, bringing nectar and pollen to the hive. Newly hatched nurse bees will take over attending the queen and maintaining the hive, and the cycle will continue into early fall. Next time you visit, see if you can spot our new queen!

The cottonwoods are snowing! This annual occurrence is the tree’s way of dispersing its seeds. If you look carefully, each seed comes equipped with its own poofy parachute that catches the wind to spread the seeds away from the parent tree. Contrary to popular belief, the cotton does not cause allergies because there is no pollen to cause an allergic reaction. However, other plants are releasing pollen right now, but we blame the cottonwood seeds because they are so visible.

The serviceberries are ripening on this, the longest day of the year. They were an important food for native peoples and are eaten by many birds and mammals. Happy Summer Solstice!

At this time of year, we often have visitors ask where the male mallards have gone. Actually, they are hiding in plain sight! They have molted their flashy breeding colors and look much like a female. This mallard drake is in that process. His head is still greenish, but his body has lost its sleek gray colors and is becoming more mottled brown. He will lose the green color on his head as well. This is called an eclipse plumage. But you can still tell the males from the females, just check out their bill. Males still have a dull yellow bill while the females’ bill is orange and brown. You can see this process in reverse in the fall when the males molt again, returning to their beautiful breeding colors.

Pollinator Celebration Event is almost here.
June 15th, 10 am to 3 pm. $5 ages 3 and up.
Did you know that if we didn't have pollinators many of the foods we eat would disappear?
Come out to our family friendly event to learn all about these amazing creatures.

Morning cuteness is four recently fledged western screech owls. These little ones were raised in one of the nature center’s nest boxes. It’s such a treat to get to see them.

Looking for something to do next Saturday, come out to our Pollinator Celebration.
June 15th, 10 am to 3 pm. $5 per person ages 3 and up. We will have lots of fun activities for the whole family! Taste honey, make a seed bombs, look at bees up close under a microscope, build a bee hotel, go on a scavenger hunt, spin to win prizes, get your face painted and much more.

A great blue heron and its reflection in the pond. Herons visit the nature center frequently in search of a meal. To watch a great blue heron fishing is to see patience at its most finely tuned. Freezing in place, the heron carefully watches the water for inattentive fish, sometimes staying still for many long minutes. A lightning strike of that dagger bill and dinner is served. Next time you visit, watch for a heron patiently watching and waiting for its next meal.

It’s not just our young visitors who enjoy climbing on the hollow log!

This group of adult and juvenile Canada geese were enjoying the pond this morning. Many wild youngsters are out and about at this time of year. Please be a responsible wildlife watcher and give them plenty of space if you encounter wild youngsters.

Someone is hiding in the pollinator garden! Do you see her?

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Pollinator Event Jun 15th, 2024, 10 am to 3 pm. $5 per person ages 3 and up. This will be a FUN family event. Build a bee hotel, taste honey, make a seed bomb, get your favorite pollinator painted on your face and much more 😊

The MK Nature Center will be having it's annual Pollinator Event on June 15th, 10 am to 3 pm. $5/person ages 3 and up. Save the date 😁.

Remus has read our new sign and let his person know that he is not allowed on the nature center grounds. He knows that this protects the wildlife living in the nature center because even though he’s a good boy, dogs can scare wild animals. And sometimes people are afraid of dogs, too. Instead, Remus will enjoy a long walk along the nearby Greenbelt where on-leash dogs are welcome. Thank you for being a responsible fellow, Remus!

This western fence lizard found himself taking a swim in the turtle pond this afternoon. He was rescued and placed in a drier more suitable habitat. The iridescent blue is beautiful and the blue patch on his throat identifies him as a male. These small lizards are found in drier habitats of southwestern Idaho. They prey on a wide variety of insects as well as ants and spiders.

The pollinator garden is awakening. These lovely blossoms are the beginning of what we hope will be a lovely summer-long parade of flowers for pollinators. Stop by to see what’s blooming! The garden is a project of the Friends of MK Nature Center; we appreciate their support!

A BIG thank you to Officer Craig Mickelson and K-9 Officer Blue for coming to MK Nature Center last night to tell and show us how they work to fight wildlife crime! We learned how Office Mickelson trains Blue to detect certain species and gun powder/gun oil. Blue successfully found hidden dead animals at the nature center that were wrapped in plastic, in cupboards and boxes! This talk concluded our evening lectures until fall. Stay tuned to see the fall line-up!

Idaho Gives! Consider donating to FRIENDS OF MK NATURE CENTER! https://www.idahogives.org/organizations/friends-of-mk-nature-center 100% of money donated to this organization is spent on improving the nature center. We appreciate your support!

We have goslings! These little fluff balls hatched today and are being brooded by their mother. Geese, like all waterfowl, have synchronous hatching of their eggs. This insures that all the hatchlings hatch and leave the nest at the same time. Because they are precocial, they are ready to tackle life shortly after hatching, once their down is dry. They can swim, walk and feed themselves, but rely on their parents for protection and keeping warm. These little ones won’t be here for long, so stop by to observe them. As with all wild babies, please respect the family by keeping your distance.

Native plants for native wildlife! Come shop for native plants at the annual native plant sale held at MK Nature Center on April 27th from 10am-1pm.
https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/native-plants-native-wildlife

Celebrate Earth Day this Saturday with the City of Boise and over 50 community partners on a mission to preserve the health and habitat of our favorite place on the planet! Enjoy music from KRBX Radio Boise, live art, games and activities, food trucks and an electric vehicle car show. Join the global celebration and learn how you can make a difference here at home, from planting a free shade tree to switching to green energy, growing a pollinator garden, or eating local. You’ll find dozens of ideas large and small, plus take-home gifts to help get you started. Don’t forget to bring a t-shirt to create your own Earth Day wearable art at the free t-shirt press!

Walk, ride, or roll to Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park on Saturday, April 13 from noon to 4:00 p.m. Learn more at cityofboise.org/earth-day.

The unfurling of spring as told by flowers. Come by to see what is blooming!

April's evening lecture will be all about ELK! Join us on April 11 at 6:30 pm at MK Nature Center as we host IDFG's Deer and Elk Coordinator, Toby Boudreau. https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/evening-lecture-series-whats-wapiti-0

The nature center has many unique species of stuff animals to help you finish off your holiday shopping list.
We are open 10 to 3 pm, Tuesday through Sunday.

We still have some 20 lb bags of bird seed, wreaths, seed characters and bells left. Check out our flaming seed bells and wreaths which are great for keeping squirrels at bay.
All proceeds go towards supporting our day to day operations.
Nature Center is open from 10 am to 3 pm Tuesday through Sunday.
We will be closed Christmas Eve.

The MK Nature Center is a great place to finish up your holiday shopping.
We have a few bags of seed and seed bells left too. All proceeds go towards our education programs and day to day operations.
We are open Tuesday through Sunday 10 to 3pm.

Don't forget to make it out to our Bird Seed Sale Fundraiser. Today from 9 to 5 pm.
FREE family activities.
Come see a Peregrine Falcon and Red Tailed Hawk up close.
Prestations are at 11:30, 12:30 and I:30 pm.
Kid's craft is from 11 to 2 pm.
We also have lots of great gift ideas for everyone on your list!