Community Calendar

A New Year – a new day and time!! Come to learn, play, or teach others at the Main Branch, Jackson. Adults are welcome but this club is primarily for youth ages 6-17. The chess club meets weekly on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.

Riverside Regional Library in Jackson will host a Book Swap on January 8 from 4-5 p.m. Discover your next favorite read! Bring a book from home and trade it in for something new.

For ages 18+ at the Main Branch, Jackson.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will host a  Maple Syrup Discovery Station on January 10.

As part of the MDC Historic & Primitive Skills series, community members will see some of the equipment involved in making maple syrup and learn about the process—from selecting the correct tree to tapping, storing sap, and cooking it down to syrup. Staff will be present to answer questions from 1-3 p.m.

The Maple Syrup Discovery Station will take place on Saturday, January 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center.

Join us in celebrating the re-opening of the Henry N. Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center!

Guests are invited to explore the center and nearby trails, reconnect with the mission of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and engage with community partners.

Enjoy family-friendly environmental crafts, interactive partner booths, opportunities to network with local naturalists and environmental organizations, self-guided winter hiking, biking, or birding, and delicious lunch available for purchase from The Kitchen on Lafayette!

Also on site:
Cache Bayou Outfitters
Friends of Giant City State Park
Friends of the Cache River Watershed
Friends of the Crab Orchard Refuge, Inc.
IDNR Division of Wildlife
IDNR Forestry
IDNR IL Nature Preserves Commission
IDNR Little Grassy Fish Hatchery
IDNR Natural Heritage Biology
Max Hutchison, Local author and conservationist
Prairie Research Institute, ISWS, & INHS
Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development, Inc.
SIU STEM Education Research Center
Southern Illinois Audubon Society
Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau
Stinson Memorial Library
The Nature Conservancy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rend Lake Project
University of Illinois Extension

The Crisp Museum will host a Basket Making Class on January 13.

The one-day class will be led by Laura Klaus, who has over 30 years’ experience as a weaver. Attendees will make a large woven reed basket with handles. There is a fee to attend. Please register by January 9.

The basket making class will take place on Tuesday, January 13, from 8:30 - 3:30 p.m. at the Crisp Museum on Southeast’s River Campus. 

KRCU is partnering with the Cape Girardeau Public Library and the American Red Cross for a blood drive on January 13.

Every two seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion. You can do your part for our community by giving blood at our American Red Cross Blood Drive. If you are healthy and eligible to donate, please join us and give the gift of life.

The blood drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13, at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

To sign up, visit Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation | American Red Cross or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

January is National Mentoring Month!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is celebrating 120 years of mentoring. Here in Southeast Missouri, we just celebrated 25 years of mentoring, creating over 2,500 matches during that time.

Come learn how you can help! Together we can make a difference!

All ages welcome.

Are you looking for a gentle yoga class or interested in some mid-week destressing? Join us for an hour of gentle yoga, held every Wednesday. Please bring your own yoga mat or bath towel, as well as a yoga block for your practice. Space is limited and registration is required. (ages 18+)

Registration is required for this event.

Missouri's Official Folk Dance is making a comeback at the Osage Center. Square Dancing has arrived at Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation. Enjoy a foot stomping good time learning this skill in an 8-week class designed for those with no previous dancing experience. Classes begin January 14. Registration is required.

Looking to compete against other chess players? Join our Chess Club, a great way to learn strategy, connect with others, and enjoy chess! This club is designed for adults who are interested in or have experience playing chess. Chess Club is held in the Genealogy Room in Adult Services. (Ages 18+)

Registration is required.