MK 25th Anniversary and Native Plant Sale Set for April 25

The public is invited to the Morrison Knudsen (MK) Nature Center's 25th Anniversary Festival and Native Plant Sale on Saturday, April 25. The anniversary festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include live music, food and drink, fun and educational games, crafts and plenty of opportunities to learn about Idaho's diverse plants and animals. Live bird presentations will be held hourly from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Educational games and activities will cost $1 to $2 each, with discount savings on multiple ticket purchases. The plant sale will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature several new species of native plants with plenty of time to browse. Native plant experts will be available to help you select plants for your yard's particular conditions. The MK Nature Center is located on Walnut Street behind Fish and Game Headquarters. For more event information, visit http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/education/?getPage=234. In response to the popularity and demand for native plants, the sale offers a wide variety of hardy, drought tolerant natives along with several varieties that prefer shade and a little more water than what Mother Nature alone provides. The plants will be arranged by their preferences for sun or shade, and signage will detail watering requirements and soil type to make it easy to select species that will survive in the buyer's location. Adding native plants to your yard, if only a few, is an affordable way to create beauty, wildlife habitat, and conserve water. Hummingbirds and butterflies are particularly easy to attract. A "members-only" sale for Native Plant Society members will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 24. Nonmembers may become members at the Friday sale and shop that day. Only cash and checks are accepted. A list of available plant species for sale will be posted after April 16 at http://www.idahonativeplants.org/.