Area state park to showcase landscape, flora and fauna at night

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Many people have seen Big Oak Tree State Park in the daytime, but very few have seen the sights and heard the sounds it has to offer at night.

The East Prairie park is giving the public an opportunity to explore the boardwalk portion of the park at night through "Moonlight on the Boardwalk." The free event for all ages is set for 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

"It's just a fun activity to get people out here and to introduce them to various animals of the night and other things going on during the night as well as learn about the moon," said Chris Crabtree, natural resource steward for the state park.

Located 14 miles south of East Prairie on Highway 102, the park is a day-use park so this event provides an unusual opportunity to experience sights and sounds of the park after dark, Crabtree said.

"I used to work across the state in the prairies, and the parks are an amazing place to get out in the night whether on a moonlit night or when you're just star gazing," Crabtree said.

The event will begin at the Big Oak Tree Interpretive Center, and participants will hike about 1.5 miles on the boardwalk. The moon will be coming up a little bit late on Saturday, and the event starting time was created so people can arrive as the sun is setting, Crabtree said.

"Before the walk, we'll talk about a variety of things -- moon facts and basics or general knowledge, such as its orbit, rotation, distance, and people's love affair with the moon -- how it's portrayed in poetry, superstition and through songs about the moon," Crabtree said.

Some activities to test visitors' senses will be conducted, the natural resource steward said.

"We'll do some activities on the boardwalk and then hike out as it's getting dark, and hopefully, by the time we get to the end of the boardwalk, the moon will be low in the east -- not directly overhead -- and we can do a few activities out there," Crabtree said.

Plans include a moth mating game where participants are going to be divided in groups of two and assigned various scents. Then they'll have to find their partner by scent, Crabtree said. There will also be an opportunity to find bioluminescent fungi, which are mushrooms that glow in the dark, he said.

"This is a swamp, and it's wet so they might want to bring bug spray," said Crabtree, adding mosquitoes are present in the park.

Among sounds visitors may hear are those of various frogs and toads and even animals they're accustomed to seeing in the daylight.

"You may hear the sounds a deer makes when its blowing at you in the dark or coyotes, birds or raccoons -- what they sound like when chattering in the dark," Crabtree said.

On top of the real sounds visitors may hear in the dark, Crabtree said he plans to play various animal sounds and calls, too.

Crabtree noted earlier in the day, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Morris State Park near Campbell, visitors there can take a nature hike along the Beech Tree Trail.

"It's a general nature hike. We'll be looking at spring wildflowers and some of migratory birds," Crabtree said.

Local residents can take advantage of both events, Crabtree said. For those living in the Sikeston area, it takes about 40 minutes to drive to the Malden-Campbell area, he said.

A number of other events are scheduled for the summer and even the fall at Big Oak Tree, Crabtree said.

"This summer we're trying to offer more programming at Big Oak Tree State Park, such as nature hikes, bird hikes and moonlight on the boardwalk," Crabtree said. "It's a fun time to get out."

For more information, contact the park at (573) 649-3149.

Pertinent address:

Big Oak Tree State Park, East Prairie, MO