Nature, I want you. Nature, I need you.

It was a warm, sunny 60 degrees today so I decided to check out the Springfield Nature Conservatory. About fifteen minutes south of downtown off of highway 65. It's no more than a 25 minute drive from anywhere in town.

Inside the conservatory, they provide nature explorations through education, activities and displays. Outdoors, seasonal changes and an array of wildlife promise a unique adventure with each visit. 

Their website brags, "Surprise a white-tailed deer bedded in a cedar thicket. Smell the fresh scent of the Ozark woods after a rain. Watch an eagle snag a fish from an icy lake," all of which stirred my excitement as I dashed off towards all six trails- some short in length and some that will allow you to feel the burn in your legs. 

Nature Center Features

• Eighty acres of forests, fields and creeks, along with frontage on Lake Springfield.
• Wildlife, including deer, foxes, mink, muskrat, raccoons, squirrels, birds, turtles, frogs, bugs and just about everything else that lives in the Ozarks.
• Nearly three miles of trails, as short as a fifth of a mile, as long as two miles.
• A boardwalk over the marshy shallows of the lake.
• A building containing:
  • 150-seat auditorium
  • classrooms
  • restrooms
  • exhibits
  • information desk
  • sales of books, calendars, and fishing and hunting permits
• Regularly scheduled public programs, guided walks and nature films.
• Covered sack lunch area.
• Pull-through bus and RV parking
• Facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities.
• Hunter education for the many people who won't remove their Sarah Palin bumper stickers.

Springfield Conservation Nature Center

The price for admission to peace and joy? Free. Thank you, Nature Conservatory!

Enjoy the slideshow of way too many pictures that I just couldn't part with...

Pay attention! This sign has a lot of information!

 Ah the trails....so well maintained and lovely. You will instantly start whistling and you will feel your blood pressure slow-ly low-er. Sllooow....

Don't you dare take home fall leaves.

While on the bridge, you can see straight down to the bottom of the stream!

Ok, I didn't see an Eagle, but I found a lone butterfly.

I didn't see a deer, but if you squint, you just might see a bluebird.

Can you see the tiny fish swimming?

Who is this handsome trail blazer? Oh, it's my husband Jeff!