With the Independence Day holiday weekend coming up, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to look for red, white and blue in nature through a holiday hike, bird watching, backyard fun, fishing and other outdoor activities.

A press release says MDC offers some suggestions to get started finding red, white and blue in nature:

· Red Royal Catchfly Flowers;
· Red Male Summer Tanagers;
· White Beard-Tongues or Foxgloves;
· White Great Egrets;
· Blue False Indigos; and
· Male Indigo Buntings.

If you want more information on these and other Missouri plants and animals, including where to find them, you can use the handy and helpful MDC online Field Guide at https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide.

Photos courtesy the Missouri Department of Conservation