Shepherd Of The Hill Hatchery Newsletter

[Phil Lilley]

Special Note about programs at the Fish Hatchery: Unless specified for scouts, all programs are intended for families. Scouts may come as a family, but they must make their own individual reservations. We do not take multiple family reservations. Each family must make their own reservation by phone. Multiple families may make a single reservation for scout programs. Reservations are taken by phone and not by email.

1. Walk & Talk – Lake Shore Trail

Saturday, October 17th @ 10:30 am FAMILIES & SCOUTS

We will meet at the large pavilion at Table Rock State Park to hike the south portion of the Lake Shore Trail. This will be an easy half-mile hike on a paved trail to learn about trees, plants, animals, and fall colors along Table Rock Lake. For scouts, this hike will satisfy several requirements of boys and girls badges. Bring a bottle of water and meet us at the State Park pavilion. Space is limited and RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. To make reservations call (417) 334‑4865 ext 0.

OWL

2. Discover Nature at Night (Halloween-style Program)

Saturday, October 24th @ 7 – 8:30 pm FAMILIES & SCOUTS

Ever wonder what animals do at night? Are some of the animals you associate at Halloween really that scary? Come to our Halloween-style program at the Fish Hatchery to have fun learning more about creatures of the night and how they make their way in nature. You will take a series of short hikes to six stations. Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight. Space is limited and RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. To make reservations call (417) 334‑4865 ext 0.

3. Blue Star Memorial Dedication

Saturday, November 7th @ 9am EVERYONE

Thanks to the Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club, the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery is proud to have Branson’s first Blue Star Memorial. This memorial honors all veterans and will be dedicated on the Saturday before Veterans Day. This permanent memorial is being placed in front of the Conservation Center and will include native plants and a water feature.

Here is a brief history of the Blue Star Memorial: The Blue Star Memorial Marker Program of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. began in 1945 to honor the men and women serving in the Armed Forces during World War II. The name was chosen for the star on the flags displayed in homes and businesses denoting a family member serving. Garden Clubs pictured a ribbon of living memorial SOTH Blue Star Memorialplantings in every state. The designation of Blue Star Highways was achieved through petitions to the state legislatures and in cooperation with the Departments of Transportation. A uniform marker was designed to identify the Highways.

The Blue Star Memorial Program grew to extend thousands of miles across continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. All men and women who have served, are serving, or will serve in the Armed Forces of the United States are included. The need for an extension of the program to accommodate other than dedicated highways became apparent. As a result a smaller By-Way marker, to be placed in areas such as parks, civic and historical grounds, was approved in 1981. This marker was changed in 1994 to be more descriptive by including the words "A tribute to the Armed Forces of America"

A Third marker was added in 1996. This marker was identical to the original Blue Star memorial Highway marker, except for the removal of the word "highway". This change allowed the marker to be placed on the grounds of our National Cemeteries or Veterans Administration Centers. In 2004 the scope of this marker was enlarged to include other appropriate civic locations.

The Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club is honored to be able to place this Blue Star Memorial at the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center.

Come share in this dedication on November 7th. No Reservations Required.

4. Fish are Jumping – Brown Trout are moving upstream

If you have not gotten a chance to see the new fish ladder in action, now is the time. The trout are moving upstream and using the fish ladder. Fall is the breeding season for brown trout and their instinct is to move into the upper reaches of smaller streams. Unlike Salmon, trout do not have to find the exact location they were spawned. Using that knowledge to the Hatchery’s advantage, we increase the volume of water into the fish ladder to get the trout to jump and swim up into the new Hatchery facility. With the high water from the release of water from the Table Rock Dam flood gates, the trout have an easier time with the ladder. Most of the trout can simply swim to the bottom rather than have to jump. If you want to see this spectacular activity, go to the picnic area at the Hatchery and walk toward the bridge. Walk to the right of the bridge and you will see and hear the water rushing down the fish ladder. By the way, the foot bridge across the outlet is closed due to damage from two large trees which fell on it in late August.

5. Ask a Naturalist Does it hurt trees to have their leaves fall off?

Megan in Hollister asks, "I really enjoy the trees in the fall as they turn colors. I wanted to know if it hurt the trees to have their leaves fall off?"

You as a very interesting question. While we really don’t know if trees ‘feel’ pain, we know for sure that the shedding of leaves in the fall is a natural thing for most of our trees in the Ozarks. The main reason for the shedding of the leaves is to prevent loss of moisture in the winter. In the fall the trees pull the valuable green chlorophyll back into their trunk to reveal the bright colors that had been masked all summer. Once the chlorophyll is out the tree actually cuts off the leaf from the stem using a chemical called abscisic acid. The leaf stem is sealed for the winter and then is often separated by the wind. So because the tree cuts the leaf off on its own, it is probably not very stressful and most likely painless.

If you have a question that you would like to have a Naturalist answer, send your question to John.Miller@mdc.mo.gov . We will then answer your question in a future newsletter.

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful autumn in the Ozarks.

Cheers!

John Miller

[Joe C]

Hey! How about a pic or video of the fish ladder? Being from Illinois, I dont get the chance that often to get down there, but I sure would like to see it!