Fall Nature Festival with Native Plant Sale Set for September 13, 8am to 2pm

Rolla, MO - The Ozark Rivers Audubon Chapter, the Meramec Hills Master Naturalist Chapter and the Rolla Outdoor Collaborative School are once again proud to host the annual Fall Nature Festival to take place this year on September 13, 8am to 2pm at the Audubon Trails Nature Center.

Ozark Rivers Audubon, Meramec Hills Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists, and Rolla Outdoor Collaborative School, with the help of a grant from VisitRolla and our corporate sponsors, are hosting a Fall Nature Festival and Native Plant Sale on Saturday, September 13, at Audubon Trails Nature Center, 550 Meriweather Court in Rolla. Visitors can stop by and purchase Missouri native plants from our vendor, Prairie Hill Farm and unique birdhouses from Ned’s Nesting Boxes. St. James Marketplace Cafe and The Lunch Box food trucks and The Lavender Lemon will be available for lunch or snacks as you explore the festival and the 70 acre nature preserve.

A live demonstration of hummingbird banding will take place along with guided hikes to teach visitors about local birds, mushrooms and wildflowers as well as how to improve your nature photography! Rolla Outdoor Collaborative School and Arts Rolla will have fun nature activities for children available through the day. There will be more than twenty exhibitor booths from environmental organizations all over the state offering giveaways, activities and education about pollinators, native plants and nature.
This free event starts at 8:00 a.m. and will go to 2:00 p.m. Visitors are asked to park at the MODOT commuter lot on Nagogami Road as parking at the Nature Center will be limited to those using wheelchairs. Two free shuttle vans will operate continuously between the Nature Center and the commuter lot.

In addition to the VisitRolla grant several local businesses are sponsoring this event: The Rolla Animal Hospital, Sherry Sittes Shelter Insurance, Copeland Bus Sales, Hi-Tech Collision, Moorkamp & Arthur Family Dentistry, Phelps County Bank and AV3 Energy. For more information, visit FallFestival.monature.org.