Neosho National Fish Hatchery

05/23/2026

The visitor center and grounds will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. We will open at 8:00am Tuesday, May 26th.

05/23/2026

We've been seeing some already. Keep that yard light off!

The fireflies are close. The emergence isn't random — it's triggered by a specific combination of soil temperature, humidity, and rain.

The larvae have been underground for a year or more. They need sustained warm soil — not one hot afternoon but multiple warm nights in a row — before they pupate and surface.

🌿 The trigger sequence:

Soil warmth — most eastern species need soil consistently in the mid-sixties before adults emerge. A week of warm nights does what a single warm day can't.

Rain followed by humid evenings — larvae live in moist soil and leaf litter. Moderate rain followed by warm humid dusk is the classic combination. Dry springs delay emergence. Waterlogged soil delays it too.

Timing — flashing starts roughly twenty to forty minutes after sunset, when the sky is dark enough for bioluminescence to register. In the mid-Atlantic, first flashes usually appear late May to early June. Further north, mid-June. Deep South, already active.

🐾 How to predict it:

- Watch for a stretch of warm nights after rain
- Step outside at dusk on a humid evening
- Look low — the first flash comes from the grass, not the air

After a year underground, it lasts about half a second 🌿

05/23/2026

something to celebrate

Photo taken by USFWS

05/23/2026

Happy World Fish Migration Day! To learn more about fish passage visit:

Rivers have always been connecting us, just like they connect fish. When we protect a free-flowing river, we protect not just the fish, we protect everyone. We are connected to fish, rivers and each other. We are culturally and spiritually connected. We are river people.

05/23/2026

(199/250) The eastern newt has three life stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile and aquatic adult. Larvae have gills and olive-green or brown coloring. Juveniles are bright orange to red and are known as red efts. Adults are olive green and may develop webbed hind feet. Watch for these newts across the eastern half of the country.

Credit: Grayson Smith/USFWS

05/23/2026

happy World Turtle day!

05/22/2026

Black Bass fishing in Ozark streams starts Saturday (May 23) for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. Daily limit is 6. Possession limit is 12. Minimum length is 12 inches. More at mdc.mo.gov/fishing/seasons/black-bass-ozark-streams.

05/22/2026

This weekend is more than a three-day break or the unofficial start of summer. It's a time to reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service to our country.

National memorials like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial offer space to gather, mourn and honor the fallen. As we enjoy the freedoms they protected, may we also take time to honor those who made it possible.

Photo by National Mall and Memorial Parks

05/22/2026

tomorrow at our nearest national monument, George Washington Carver National Monument

It’s spring migration. Join us for "Birds on the Move." Learn all about bird migration with an expert from the Ozark Gateway Audubon Chapter. Join us Saturday, May 23 at 10 a.m. Binoculars available! No Experience needed! Program free of charge!

Image Credit: NPS|GWCA

05/22/2026

Not many visitors this morning with the weather except for these folks. As they waddled away, I reminded them that we are open this weekend, but will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day