Ways You Can Support CFM

Membership

Support our efforts to promote and protect conservation and natural resources in our state Members will receive our magazine six times a year, event information, our bi-weekly enewsletter, and the opportunity to grow our voice

Affiliate Membership

CFM provides the platform for a diverse group of organizations to have their conservation voices be heard Affiliates have the opportunity to apply for grants, receive educational training and promote the mission of their organization.

Scholarships and Grant Support

CFM provides scholarships to graduates and undergraduates

We also provide grant funds to youth education programs and to affiliate projects Contributing will help future generations initiate boots on the ground projects

Life Membership

Become a life member for $1,000 Life memberships are placed in an endowment fund that allows us to continue our work in perpetuity

Business Partnerships

Business partners will enjoy recognition in each magazine issue along with opportunities to reach and engage with our active membership Ask us about our different Business Partnership levels.

All of our events have raffles with both silent and live auctions. The contributions of in-kind products and services not only assists in raising funds for conservation, but also promote the businesses that support CFM

What’s Your Favorite Fish?

Iusually try to write something in my column to encourage people to get outside and maybe try something new. This time of year, I know a lot of us are thinking about fishing, but not everyone who reads this is an angler. So instead of talking about why you should get out and go fishing this spring, I have a question: what is your favorite fish? For some people, that question might conjure images of a hard-fighting gamefish or maybe an elusive trout from a mountain stream. For others, their favorite fish might be a colorful species from the tropics, or something seen on display in an aquarium.

I think everyone – anglers and non-anglers alike –should have a favorite fish. Let me explain. Right here in Missouri, we are blessed with abundant and diverse water resources, and we have equally abundant and diverse fish populations. I would argue that some of our native freshwater fish are just as vibrant and beautiful as any tropical fish. Take the Longear Sunfish, for example. You might call it a bream, a pumpkinseed, or even a perch (though technically, the perch family Percidae includes Walleye, Sauger, Yellow Perch, and darters, but not sunfish). Whatever name you use, the Longear Sunfish is one of the most widespread fish in Missouri. It is also one of the most colorful, boasting brilliant blue and orange hues during the summer breeding season.

My personal favorite fish, the Northern Studfish, is a type of topminnow often found in warm, slow areas of Missouri streams. They have a small gold colored dot visible from above in the middle of their back. What you don’t see from above are the brilliant breeding colors: electric blue and red stripes along the side accompanied by yellow and orange fins with black borders.

Countless small fish exhibit beautiful breeding colors during spring and summer. So even if you aren’t an angler, I think you should have a favorite fish. Maybe the aptly named Rainbow Darter, which can be found hiding between rocks in most Ozark streams, or the Bleeding Shiner, whose bright red fins contrast with black stripes for a brilliant display.

If you love to fish, I’m sure you are already thinking about hitting the water as it begins to warm in the coming months. But whether you are an angler or not, you can have a great time looking for beauty below the water’s surface. This spring, take a hike near the creek, join a float trip, or go snorkeling in the lake. If you look closely, you might just find your new favorite fish.

Maybe I'll see you out there,

Zach Morris President, CFM

Why I Became a Life Member of CFM: Jeff Stegner

Igrew up in a family where the outdoors was literally part of our lives. It seems like we spent as much time outside as we did inside.We enjoyed frequent float trips on Missouri's beautiful rivers. Camping on gravel bars, scavenging driftwood for a fire, setting limb lines for catfish at dark and ending the day with a cookout, campfire, and a magnificent view of the stars. The best part is that it was only the first day!

Hunting was also a big part of our lives. I was learning how to sneak through the woods for squirrels and stalking the fence rows for rabbits. Watching the dogs work, go on point, followed by the adrenaline rush of a flushing quail covey. Honing those skills prepared me for deer and turkey as I got older. Missouri's diverse outdoors offer so much.

I was also taught what it takes to support our great outdoor resources, ensuring they exist for future generations. We attended many meetings and conventions supporting efforts that led to things such as the National Scenic Riverways, Missouri's Design for Conservation, and the Katy Trail.

I am so thankful for growing up in a family that taught me the enjoyment of the outdoors and the necessary work to preserve it in the future. I want to thank my Dad, Ed Stegner, for planting that seed in my early youth. Now I live on the family’s Century Farm, taking opportunities to share the outdoors with Scout troops and church youth groups, hoping to plant that seed.

I am a life member of CFM because we must all continue to support conservation efforts. But, more importantly, we must all plant that seed into today’s youth. After all, they are the next generation of caretakers!

In Memory

In Memory of Lee Redmond

We hope you will consider joining the over 300 dedicated conservationists who have already made a life commitment to the Conservation Federation of Missouri by becoming a Life Member today at www.confedmo.org/join.

Mr. Norman Stucky

In Memory of Sandy Zinn

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Kirgan

In Memory of Harold Frazier

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Damp

In Honor of Mr. Marc Gottfried

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Roberts

In Honor of the Missouri Hunters

Instructor’s Association

Mr. David Lomax