Teens and Tweens

Beavers are always busy, it seems. They are very industrious and seem to never stop cutting down trees and building all kinds of neat stuff. Beavers are by far the largest rodents in North America, and a main reason that St. Louis was established here 250 years ago.

Kids ages 6-12 can learn more about the beaver, conservation efforts for them and why they are thriving in Missouri.

9:30-11 a.m. Free, but reservations are required.

At August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area. 

From almost zero to half a million! The road to recovery for Missouri turkeys was a long and tough journey. Walk in the woods today and see turkey tracks or scat, but it wasn’t always that way. Celebrate the return of the wild turkey with stories, games, activities, and crafts to learn about these interesting and unique birds.

Then go outside and look for turkeys or their signs. 9:30 to 11 a.m. For ages 6 and up.

Free. At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-44 and I-270.

Meet the Mean Girls of Salem . . . Deep in the dark woods of Puritan New England, a clique of teenage girls make decisions that result in 20 executions, making them the most hated girls in history. Metro Theater Company and the Missouri History Museum present Afflicted: Daughters of Salem, a play inspired by the girls who forever established the legacy of Salem.

As part of National Engineers' Week, the Saint Louis Science Center is hosting Engineering Career Day. Teens, children and their families can check our formula racing cars, local robotics creations and other exciting hands-on activities and demonstrations from local engineering companies, colleges and organizations.

Free. More information: slsc.org

Their songs captured our hearts and their story will inspire you forever. An extraordinary journey into the mysterious world of one of nature's most awe-inspiring marine mammals, Humpback Whales takes audiences to Alaska, Hawaii and the remote islands of Tonga for an up-close look at how these whales communicate, sing, feed, play and take care of their young.

Who hoots this time of year? Kids and teens ages 7 to 14 will learn about Missouri's owls, learn to hoot like an owl and dissect owl pellets in this joint program sponsored by the St. Louis Jr. Audubon Society and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

10 a.m. Free. 

At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-44 and I-270. Call 314-301-1500 for reservations.

Tracks in the snow, hair on a fence, loud cries in the night. Could it be a mountain lion? The mountain lion and other large carnivores once served as nature's check on deer and other prey species. Today, humans control the deer herd, so the natural role of this big cat is gone. There aren't many animals that receive more interest in Missouri than mountain lions.