Places to Go, Things to Do

Plenty of outdoor fun for kids during May

Outdoor activities that provide lots of entertainment for kids and their families get into high gear during May.

The 2nd annual Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival is a packed event held May 4-6 at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary near Alton, Ill.

The 2007 Kids' Fishing Fair will be Saturday, May 19, at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County.

Nationally known shooter Tom Knapp will have an exhibition May 12 at the Busch Range and Education Center on Saturday, May 12.

St. Louis County parks have an introduction to geocaching, a canoe paddling day and a scavenger hunt during its May offerings.

(Also, see the story about kid and adult storytellers at the 2007 St. Louis Storytelling Festival on May 2-5 at various venues through the area. Go to home page.)

(Each month, Young Saint Louis.com gathers information about activities and events coming up that would be fun for kids and their families. Most of the activities selected either have free or low-cost admissions.)

Wings of Spring

St. Louis is on one of the biggest flyways that birds use to migrate north in the spring and south in the fall. In May, the flyway is filled with birds headed north after the snow melts.

The Wings of Spring event May 4-6 is a way for you to find out about birds and their habits. The event is sponsored by organizations such as the U.S. Corps of Engineers, state conservation and natural resource agencies and the Alton Chamber of Commerce.

Most of the activities will be held at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary near Alton.

Activities on Friday, May 4, will be for school children from Missouri and Illinois. But, the events on Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6, are open to the public.

Organizers urge families to bring binoculars and walking shoes to get an introduction to bird watching. There are also fun activities which include folk storytellers and raptor awareness classes by the World Bird Sanctuary.

There will guided hikes and riverboat tours also.

For information, visit www.wingsofspring.org or call the Alton Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-258-6645.

2007 Kids Fishing Fair

One of the best ways to get your 2007 fishing activities started is to attend the 2007 Kids' Fishing Fair. This year it's on Saturday, May 19, at Busch Memorial Conservation area in St. Charles County. Fair hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with registration starting at 7:30 a.m.

The fair is for kids 15 years of age and younger. You can bring your own fishing rods and bait. However, there are a limited number of rods and reels that can be borrowed.

Kids attending the fishing fair also will receive a free "goodie bag" of fishing gear and other special offers from sponsors.

Admission is free but you must be registered. For information, call (636) 441-4554.

The Missouri Department of Conservation's Show-Missouri Fish Mobile Aquarium also will be at the fishing fair. The aquarium actually will be at the Busch area May 18-21.

Other MDC Activities

An interesting event for kids 7-13 will be cave exploration at the Rockwood Reservation in western St. Louis County. The exploration of Rockwood Cave will be Friday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This exploration is a "down-and-dirt" activity. It includes crawling on your stomach inside the cave. You'll want to have long pants and long-sleeved shirt. Also, bring a flashlight.

The group size is limited to 25. To register, call (636) 458-2236.

A nighttime activity for families is the Once in a Blue Moon Evening Stroll at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. This will be Thursday, May 31, from 8:30 to 10 p.m.

For information and reservations, call (314) 877-6011.

The Nature Center at the Powder Valley Conservation area is re-opening after three years of reconstruction. The grand opening will be Friday, May 11, and exhibits will be open on Saturday, May 12. For info: call (314) 301-1500.

Trailnet's May Bike Rides

Trailnet has an active schedule of bicycle rides for May, which is National Bike Month.

Included are a number of free Weekday Evening Rides.

There will be Tuesday Night Riverfront Trail Rides from May 1 through August 21. These are held 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and include rides of from seven to 27 miles.

A Tuesday Night with a Twist ride will be on May 15. This ride will include spur rides through the Old North St. Louis Neighborhood. This 9-mile ride will include stops for interpretation talks. There's also a final stop at the Crown Candy shop.

There are more challenging rides for adults on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

There are three Bicycle Fun Club Rides in May. There's the Lewis and Clark Departure Days Ride Saturday, May 12; the Berry Bicycle and Strawberry Festival Ride on Sunday, May 20, and the Great Pizza Bicycle Ride on Monday, May 28.

Trailnet has added a "hike it" element to the Departure Days event. Separate hiking trails of from 2 to 5 miles have been added for those who'd like to hike rather than bike.

The Fun Club rides usually have easier routes and often are linked to fun activities occurring on the routes those days.

For a complete schedule with ride details, contact Trailnet at www.trailnet.org. Or you can get a free printed 2007 brochure by stopping at your neighborhood bike shop.

Tom Knapp Shotgun Exhibition

Tom Knapp with his hunting dogs

Renowned shooter Tom Knapp will give two exhibitions on Saturday, May 12, at the Busch Range and Conservation Education Center in St. Charles County. His appearances will be at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Nicknamed "The Shooting Star," Knapp will demonstrate his skill with a shotgun on clay targets. He puts on exhibitions around the world and hosts the Benelli's Bird Hunter show on cable's Outdoor Channel.

Besides the shooting, his exhibitions have messages of safety, responsibility and good sportsmanship. For information, call (636) 441-4554.

St. Louis County Parks Events

Geocaching has some of the elements of a scavenger hunt with map reading and GPS skills added. In recent years, it's been increasing in popularity and you can find layouts across the country.

The St. Louis County Parks will hold a Geocaching 101 class for all ages on Saturday, May 5. It's from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Greensfelder Park in West. St. Louis County. The cost is $10 per person. To sign up or for information, call (314) 615-4386 or (636) 391-0922.

The first of four full-moon paddling activities will be held Saturday, May 5, at Creve Coeur Park Lake. The cost is $5 for the 3-hour boat ride but you have to bring your own canoe or kayak.

The fee includes an all-you-can-eat hot-dog, drink and marshmallow picnic. For information or signup, call (636) 391-0922.

Laumeier Sculpture Park will host a Scavenge Through the Night event on Friday, May 18, from 7-10 p.m. This event is for families and kids must be accompanied by an adult.

Be sure to bring a flashlight. Advance registration is needed and cost is $8 per person. For registration or information, call (636) 391-0922, Ext. 10.

St. Louis County Parks have lots of other activities. To check, visit www.stlouisco.com.