National Public Lands Day at Mark Twain Lake September 24th

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- St. Louis District
Mark Twain Lake Visitor Center

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Mark Twain Lake would like to invite the public to come celebrate the 18^th Annual National Public Lands Day on September 24^th with a variety of events planned throughout the day.  Come join others in the Nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort focused on preserving America’s Lands.  Start the day off in the morning by helping spruce up the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center between 9am – noon.  It doesn’t matter if it’s weeding, leaf removal or bush planting, every bit helps.  Plants and bushes will be provided courtesy of Hy-Vee on Broadway in Quincy, IL.  After all your hard work, reward yourself by building a bird house to take home with the help of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.  Then make sure to check out the rock and fossil showcase going on inside the visitor center.  Between 9am and 6pm, take a look at a mammoth’s hip and cast molds of raptor claws and T-Rex teeth!  

If you are in need of a little more physical activity, work on getting your group together to come compete in the First Annual “Trash Masters” competition that will start at the John F. Spalding Recreation Area at 1pm.  Teams of families, civic organizations, school clubs and church groups are encouraged to compete to see who can collect the most trash to prove that their group is at the “top of the heap.”  The winners will receive a plaque with a group picture for their group to display as well as their group’s name in the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center.  Most importantly, the winning group will also get a pizza party provided by Casey’s General Stores.

After all the day’s activities, head back to the visitor center by 6 p.m. to hear a talk on local geology.  Ranger Jose Garcia will discuss how the Salt River has shaped the area now known as Mark Twain Lake and left us with amazing vistas for everyone to enjoy.

The M.W. Boudreaux Memorial Visitor Center is located on Rt. J, just south of the Clarence Cannon Dam.  If you need additional information about any of the day’s activities listed above, please contact the Mark Twain Lake Project Office at 573-735-4097 or email us at marktwaininfo@usace.army.mil.