Conservation Federation vol 85 no 3

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

PRESERVING OUR CONSERVATION HERITAGE

For more than eighty-eight years, the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) has served as “The Voice for Missouri Outdoors.” Join in our efforts to secure our stronghold as advocates for our state’s wildlife and natural resources by becoming a dedicated member of our Founders Circle.

Your contribution will play an influential role in preserving Missouri’s rich outdoor heritage.

Each year, earnings from the endowment will be used to support CFM’s education and advocacy efforts. Special recognition will be given to those who reach each level of giving. Additionally, memberships will be recognized at our annual Convention.

Make your contribution today, to preserving our state’s conservation legacy.

Gold Level

Abe Phillips-2024

Silver Level

David Urich-2023

Bronze Level

Zach Morris-2022

Mike Schallon-2023

Liz Cook-2023

Gene Gardner-2023

Charlie Wormek-2023

Anonymous-2023 Anonymous-2023

Founders Circle Levels

Bronze - $5,000 to $9,999

Silver - $10,000 to $34,999

Gold - $35,000 to $74,999

Diamond - $75,000 or More

For more information contact Michelle at 573-634-2322 Ext. 104 or mgabelsberger@confedmo.org

The Magnitude of the Moment

Ihave always said that special moments happen faster than time. Special occasions go by way too fast, and it’s hard to soak it all in. This year, there were some powerful and special moments that took place, at the 88th Annual Convention of CFM, and we are so thankful for everyone that made them happen.

On behalf of the Staff, Board of Directors and all involved in our recent 88th Annual Convention, I want to say thank you to everyone in some way shape or form for helping our during our convention. It was one many of us will never forget for several different reasons.

On Friday March 1st, we started with a Life Member Reception, where the lively group of life members assembled to catch up and have some good discussions. The Membership Committee gave away some great prizes, and there were lots of smiles and hugs. It was a great way to kick off the weekend. After the reception, a Social was hosted for all the amazing award winners.

During the awards ceremony, Nathan “Shags” MacLeod and Trevor Morgan once again were the emcees for the event. As always they did an amazing job celebrating the conservationists and their achievements over the past year. One touching moment in particular, was when Shags recognized Sara Parker Pauley for her outstanding tenure as Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. He read a letter that his fiancée Savannah composed, talking about how Sara has helped propel women and given her confidence to succeed and enjoy the outdoors.

On Saturday morning, the first thing on the agenda was to hear from Missouri Department of Conservation Director Sara Parker Pauley and Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Dru Buntin. Both recapped all the wonderful things that each of their respective agencies has accomplished this year and is planning to accomplish in the future. We thank them both for their strong agency leadership and for coming to update our members. Sara was notably recognized by the CFM Staff and Board for her many years of service and given a Missouri Monarch Statue.

There were also some great presentations during the day on Saturday, which included: Health in the Outdoors, Land Trusts, a history of the Meramec River Dam that was stopped, MoHives Urban Conservation, the Dickerson Park Zoo, and information on managing your property. A great general assembly meeting was also held, and you can read about all the resolutions that were passed on page 46.

Then the affiliate lunch was held with a great presentation from the Missouri River Bird Observatory, and the Risberg Memorial Grants were handed out to CFM Affiliates.

Saturday night was a great combination of raising funds and awareness about CFM. Our silent and live auction was a huge hit – thank you to all the donors, bidders and everyone associated with these fundraising efforts! We recognized the newest members from the Founders Circle after dinner – be sure to check out the inside cover to see who those folks are. Also, Lorisa Smith was given the President’s Award, and Gary Van De Velde was given the Executive Directors Award for volunteerism. The evening was capped off with a great presentation from Mark and Terry Drury from Drury Outdoors. We can’t forget our great Conservation Leadership Corps students that were on hand all weekend, and all the work that goes into fostering that wonderful group!

On Sunday morning, we hosted the Board meeting before everyone headed home to get some rest from a busy weekend. At the conclusion of that meeting, we installed the new officers, including Bill Kirgan as President, Ginny Wallace as President-Elect, Steve Jones as Vice-President, Treasurer Bill Lockwood and Secretary Ben Runge. A huge thank you goes to all the outgoing officers and Board Members, including now Past President Zach Morris. Zach did an amazing job of keeping CFM on track to make Missouri and the outdoors relevant and available to all citizens.

Thanks again to everyone who made this convention memorable in some way! We appreciate each and every one of you. Mark your calendars now for March 7-9, 2025!

Yours in Conservation,

Tyler Schwartze

CFM Executive Director, Editor

Tyler poses with Abe Phillips after receiving he received Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday night during the Awards Ceremony at CFM's 88th Annual Convention. (Photo: CFM)

OFFICERS

Bill Kirgan - President

Ginny Wallace - President Elect

Steve Jones -Vice President

Benjamin Runge - Secretary

Bill Lockwood - Treasurer

STAFF

Tyler Schwartze - Executive Director, Editor

Micaela Haymaker - Director of Operations

Michelle Gabelsberger - Membership Manager

Nick Darling - Education and Communications Coordinator

Trisha Ely - Development & Events Coordinator

Joan VanderFeltz - Administrative Assistant

Emma Kessinger - Creative Director

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

CFM Mission: To ensure conservation of Missouri’s wildlife and natural resources, and preservation of our state’s rich outdoor legacy through advocacy, education and partnerships.

Conservation Federation (ISSN 1082-8591), Copyright 1938, is published 6 times a year in January, March, May, July, September, and November by the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM), 728 West Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101. Of each member’s dues, $10 shall be for a year’s subscription to Conservation Federation. Call (573) 634-2322 to become a member. Periodicals Postage paid at Jefferson City, MO.

Send address changes to: Conservation Federation 728 West Main Jefferson City, MO 65101

FRONT COVER

The cover photo was taken by Dan Bernskoetter on his property in Cole County last July, using a Canon R5 camera, Canon 100-400 mm lens, 1/800 sec, f/8, ISO 800.

Gold

Doolittle Trailer

Enbridge, Inc.

G3 Boats

Silver

Custom Metal Products

Forrest Keeling Nursery

Lilley’s Landing Resort & Marina

Bronze

Association of Missouri Electric Coop.

Black Widow Custom Bows, Inc.

Burgers’ Smokehouse

Central Electric Power Cooperative

Drury Hotels

Iron

Bass Pro Shops (Independence)

Bee Rock Outdoor Adventures

Brockmeier Financial Services

Brown Printing

Cap America

Central Bank

Community State Bank of Bowling Green

Dickerson Park Zoo

Business Partners

Your

Pure Air Natives

Redneck Blinds

Rusty Drewing Chevrolet

Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery

Mitico

Quaker Windows

Starline, Inc.

St. James Winery

HMI Fireplace Shop

Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc.

Missouri Wine & Grape Board

NE Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

NW Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

Ozark Bait and Tackle

Williams-Keepers LLC

Woods Smoked Meats

Farmer’s Co-op Elevator Association

Gascosage Electric Cooperative

General Printing Service

GREDELL Engineering Resources, Inc.

Heartland Seed of Missouri LLC

Hulett Heating & Air Conditioning

Independent Stave Company

Lewis County Rural Electric Coop.

Missouri Native Seed Association

Scobee Powerline Construction

Tabor Plastics Company

Truman’s Bar & Grill

United Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Mission: To ensure conservation of Missouri’s wildlife and natural resources, and preservation of our state’s rich outdoor heritage through advocacy, education and partnerships.

In 1935, conservationists from all over Missouri came together to form the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) with the purpose to take politics out of conservation. The efforts of our founders resulted in the creation of Missouri's non-partisan Conservation Commission and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Since then, CFM has been the leading advocate for the outdoors in Missouri.

Over 100 affiliated organizations

Share the Harvest

Corporate & Business Partnerships

State & Federal Agency Partnerships

National Wildlife Federation Affiliate

Operation Game Thief

Operation Forest Arson

David A. Risberg Memorial Grants

Missouri Stream Team

Education

Conservation Leadership Corps

Missouri Collegiate Conservation Alliance

Confluence of Young Conservation Leaders

Affiliate Summit

Scholarships for youth and students

Governor’s Youth Turkey Hunt

National Archery in the Schools Grants

Conservation Federation Magazine

Partnerships Advocacy

Legislative Action Center

Resolutions to lead change

Natural Resource Advisory Committees

Conservation Day at the Capitol

Staff and members testify in hearings for conservation and natural resources

Ways You Can Support CFM

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

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

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

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

Event Sponsorship and Product Donation

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

President’s Message

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

My name is Bill Kirgan, and on March 3rd, I was sworn in as the president of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. This is an honor that I could not have imagined during my long membership in the organization, which began in the 1970s.

I am a lifelong resident of St. James where, over the last 50+ years, I have served as president of most of the civic organizations (city council, board of education, chamber of commerce, etc.) at one time or another. During my work life I spent 35 years as a district manager with Farmers Insurance covering most of outstate Missouri.

About 11 years ago, shortly after I had retired, a former classmate and friend, Richard Ash, became president of CFM and could appoint members to his board. He asked if I would be interested in serving, and because of my long belief in the organization and newly acquired free time, I accepted his invitation. To say the least, it’s been an eye-opening and exciting experience.

I grew up fishing and turkey hunting and chased an occasional quail when they were available. I also had a taste of how conservation worked through my uncle (and namesake) Bill Towel, who served as director of the Conservation Commission during the 1960s. I still recall listening to him discuss with the adults at the time how some wanted to put politics back into how conservation issues were managed. It appears some things never change.

As you can see, my professional background is not in conservation but in dealing with people. The very good news is that the board and membership in CFM have a wealth of knowledgeable professionals in all things concerning the Missouri outdoors. Many have been department heads of MDC who are now retired, along with those who are not conservation professionals but are passionate about how they enjoy the great outdoors and are members of one of our affiliate organizations.

CFM is known as the “The Voice for Missouri Outdoors.” I view my new position as the one who keeps the many different voices in our organization in harmony and speaking loudly to those who need to hear that our Conservation Department remains independent and fully funded through the 1/8 cent sales tax as well as our soil and parks tax staying in force to continue to allow free passage to all who wish to enjoy them. In addition, I hope to expand our ability to fund the many other programs CFM engages in along with our partners. More about those programs in future issues.

Finally, I’d like to ask something of you. I’m sure most reading this are members of CFM; please ask a friend or relative to join you and us in supporting the outdoors by joining CFM. If you are not a member, please take a look at us at www.confedmo.org and add your voice to the chorus.

Bill Kirgan President, CFM

Why I Became a Life Member of CFM: Charles Burwick

Igrew up during my preteen years along the most magical short stream in Southwest Missouri, a bit south of Joplin. It was a wonderful place to experience the many wonders of nature, including hiking, fishing, and swimming in clear, cool water.

As an adult, I was truly fortunate to have experienced an exciting career. I served four years in the US Air Force. Following the military, I acquired my pilot’s license and worked in the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller. My career ladder in the FAA moved me to the FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where I served my final sixteen years until retirement.

We returned to Missouri, and landed in Springfield. I did not realize I was about to develop a second career that continues today. Here, I located the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, and learned a new class to train additional center volunteers was being scheduled. Also, I learned there was an active Audubon Chapter that meets there regularly. These two organizations were my early anchor for learning, subsequently exposing me to a wide variety of organizations, and most importantly, the associated people sharing their passion and knowledge about our environmental, conservation, and education in our state today.

I soon learned the Missouri Department of Conservation was working to recover the Bald Eagle. It is a success story that excites us all—young and old. However, as environmentalists, no matter what stokes our passion the most, we know that our natural world’s biodiversity, whether animal, plant, or insect is in deep, deep trouble.

Charles Burwick on a night out with friends. (Photo: Bob Ball, a long-time personal friend now deceased)

After being introduced to CFM, I have consistently noted, now and historically, the strong leadership, its organizational strength, and key substantive legislative influence that has kept conservation strong in Missouri. While attending virtual or in-person activities, I see people working hard to address issues by suggesting and implementing innovative ideas. I see effective communication with our State Capitol. Passion and determination are always present. Becoming a life member of a group of heroes like CFM’s is an honor.

LIFE MEMBERS OF CFM

Charles Abele

* R. Philip Acuff

* Duane Addleman

* Nancy Addleman

Tom Addleman

Nancy Addleman

* Michael Duane

Addleman

James Agnew

Carol Albenesius

Craig Alderman

* Allan Appell

Victor Arnold

Bernie Arnold

Richard Ash

Judy Kay Ash

Carolyn Auckley

J. Douglas Audiffred

Ken Babcock

Bernie Bahr

Michael Baker

* James Baker

Dane Balsman

Timothy Barksdale

Lynn Barnickol

Jamie Barton

Michael Bass

Robert Bass

Don Bedell

Thomas Bell

David F. Bender

Rodger Benson  Leonard Berkel

Barbi Berrong

Jim Blair

John Blankenbeker

Andy Blunt

Jeff Blystone

Kim Blystone

Glenn Boettcher

Arthur Booth

* Dale Linda Bourg

Stephen Bradford

Marilynn Bradford

Robin Brandenburg

Mark Brandly

Kathie Brennan

Robert Brinkmann

* Scott Brundage

Bill Bryan

Alan Buchanan

Connie Burkhardt

Dan Burkhardt

Charles Burwick

Brandon Butler

Randy Campbell

Brian Canaday

Dale Carpentier

* Glenn Chambers

Bryan Chilcutt

Ed Clausen

* Edward Clayton

* Ron Coleman

Denny Coleman

Rhonda Coleman

Liz Cook

Elizabeth Copeland  Mark Corio

* Bill Crawford  Andy Dalton  DeeCee Darrow  Ryan Diener  Joe Dillard  Tim Donnelly  Cheryl Donnelly  Ron Douglas  Chuck Drury

* Charlie Drury  Tom Drury  Ethan Duke  Mike Dunning  William Eddleman  John Enderle  Theresa Enderle  Joe Engeln  Marlin Fiola

* Mary Louise Fisher  Howard Fisher  Andrew Fleming  Matt Fleming  Howard Fleming  Sara Fleming  Lori Fleming  Paula Fleming

* Charles Fleming

Bob Fry

Manley Fuller  David Galat  Gene Gardner  Matt Gaunt  Jason Gibbs  Timothy Gordon  Blake Gornick  David Graber

Tim Grace Jody Graff

Richard & Sally Graham

* Joseph Gray  Tyler Green  Jason Green

Gery Gremmelsbacher

Debbie Gremmelsbacher

Jason Gremmelsbacher

Bernie Grice Jr.

Mark & Kathy Haas

Tom & Margaret Hall

Christopher Hamon

* Deanna Hamon

J. Jeff Hancock

Herman Hanley

Keith Hannaman

Elizabeth Hannaman

Lonnie Hansen

John Harmon

* Milt Harper

Jack Harris

David Haubein

Jessica Hayes

* Susan Hazelwood

Mickey Heitmeyer

Loring Helfrich

* LeRoy Heman

* Randy Herzog

Bill Hilgeman

Jim Hill

Mike Holley

Rick Holton

CW Hook

* Allan Hoover

John Hoskins

Todd Houf

* Mike Huffman

Wilson Hughes

Larry Hummel

* Patricia Hurster

Kyna Iman

Jason Isabelle

Jim Jacobi

Aaron Jeffries

Robert Jernigan

Jerry Jerome

Roger & Debbie Johnson

* Don Johnson

* Malcolm Johnson

* Pat Jones

Steve Jones

John Karel

Thomas Karl

Jim Keeven

* Duane Kelly

Cosette Kelly

Junior Kerns

Todd Keske

Robert Kilo

* Martin King

Bill Kirgan

* Judd Kirkham

* Ed Kissinger

Sarah Knight

TJ Kohler

Jeff Kolb

Chris Kossmeyer

Chris Koster

Dan Kreher

Carl Kurz

* Ann Kutscher

Larry Lackamp

Kyle Lairmore

* Jay Law

* Gerald Lee

Debra Lee

Mark Lee

Randy Leible

Wade Leible

* Joel LeMaster

* Norman Leppo

* John Lewis

Bill Lockwood

Leroy Logan

Christine Logan - Hollis

Bob Lorance

Ike Lovan

Wayne Lovelace

Kimberley LovelaceHainsfurther

Jim Low

Mark Loyd

Emily Lute-Wilbers

Martin MacDonald

Michael Mansell

Steve Maritz

Danny Marshall

John Mauzey

Bill McCully

Chip McGeehan

Teresa McGeehan

Justin McGuire

Nathan "Shags" McLeod

Jon McRoberts

Richard Mendenhall

Tom Mendenhall

Donna Menown

John "Mitch" Mertens

Cynthia Metcalfe

Walter Metcalfe

Larry Meyer

Stephanie Michels

Mitchell Mills

Joshua Millspaugh

Davis Minton

Lowell Mohler

John Moore, Jr.

Gary Moreau

Johnny Morris

Mary Morris

Zachary Morris

John Mort

Leanne Mosby

Steve Mowry

Diana Mulick

David Murphy

* Dean Murphy

Richard Mygatt

* Steve Nagle

Rehan Nana

J. Roger Nelson

Jeremiah (Jay) Nixon

Gary Novinger

Frank & Judy Oberle

Larry O'Reilly

Charlie & Mary O’Reilly

Beth O'Reilly

Anya O'Reilly

Jeff Owens

Austin Owens

Sara Parker Pauley

Scott Pauley

Randy Persons

Edward Petersheim

Albert Phillips

Jan Phillips

Glenn & Ilayana Pickett

Jessica Plaggenberg

Becky Plattner

Zach Pollock

Jerry Presley

Albert Price  Nick Prough  Kirk Rahm  Kurtis Reeg

John Rehagen

David & Janice Reynolds

Carey Riley

Kevin Riley

Mike Riley

Dana Ripper

John Risberg

Mary Risberg

Ann Ritter

Charles Rock  Derrick Roeslein

Rudy Roeslein

Charles Rogers

Kayla Rosen

Gerald Ross  Pete Rucker

Benjamin Runge

Tyler Ruoff

William Ruppert  Tom Russell  Jacob Sampsell  Bruce Sassmann  Jan Sassmann

Frederick Saylor

Michael Schallon

Mossie Schallon

* Evelyn Schallon  Thomas Schlafly  Pamela Schnebelen

Donald & Deb Schultehenrich

Tyler Schwartze

* Ronald Schwartzmeyer

Timothy Schwent

Travis W. Scott

George Seek

Arlene Segal

* E. Sy Seidler

* Sara Seidler

Joshua Shadwick

Anita Siegmund

Emily Sinnott

Douglas Smentkowski

Gary & Susanna Smith

Zachary Smith

* M.W. Sorenson

* Ed Stegner

Jeff Stegner

Everett Stokes

William Stork Jr.

Winifred Stribling

Norm Stucky

Mary Stuppy

* Mark Sullivan

Jacob Swafford

Jim Talbert

Norman Tanner

Travis Taylor

Richard Thom

Don Thomas

Tim Thompson

* Jeff Tillman

Robert Tompson

Mike Torres

Matt Tucker

David Urich

Jennifer Urich

Alex Uskokovich

Gary Van De Velde

Barbara vanBenschoten

Lee Vogel

Albert Vogt

Frank Wagner

Ray Wagner

* Julius Wall

Ginny Wallace

Mervin Wallace

Randy Washburn

Mary Waters

* Henry Waters, III.

Daniel Weinrich

Michael Weir

Robert Werges

Evelyn Werges Bennish

Tom Westhoff

Gary Wheeler

Georganne Wheeler Nixon

Mark Williams

Dennis Williams

Dr. Jane Williams

Stephen Wilson

Michael Wilson

Laurie Wilson

Jonathan Wingo

Jon R. Wingo

Michael Wiseman

Daniel Witter

Brenda Witter

* Addie Witter

Owen Witter

Dick Wood

Howard Wood

Joyce Wood

Nicole Wood

Charles M. Wormek

Brad Wright

Suzanne Wright

David Young

Judy Young

Dan Zekor

Daniel Zerr

Jim Zieger

Robert Ziehmer

Emily Ziehmer

Lauren Ziehmer

Colton Zirkle

Ethan Zuck

Guy Zuck

Mark Zurbrick

*Deceased

The Conservation Federation Banquet series is comin g to Columbia!

Raffles - Games and Activities - Silent and Live Auctions - Dinner

Thursday, July 11, 2024

5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Bass Pro Shops Columbia, MO

Honoring

Sara Parker Pauley’s tenure and leadership in Missouri outdoors

Ticket Prices:

All paid guests will receive a one year membership to CFM. Columbia

You can purchase your tickets online today or call the office.

$450- Table Sponsor (10 seats)

$90- Couple

$50- Individual

$20- Youth (7 - 16)

Free- 6 & under

Visit

www.confedmo.org/columbia

Conservation Federation of Missouri, 728 W. Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101

For more information, please call (573) 634-2322

Utilizing the Power of Partnerships

Floating on the Current River has been a tradition for many families. The picturesque clear, turquoise water with the tower bluffs looking overhead paints a near-perfect scene. There’s only one thing that causes a blip: invasive plants. We see them everywhere, along roadsides, in pastures, and even along the river. Thanks to a partnership in the Current River watershed, agencies and private landowners can help lessen the impact of invasive species.

The Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership (SRISP) is a Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) located in nine southern-Missouri counties encompassing the Eleven Point, Jack’s Fork, and Current Rivers. The SRISP’s mission is to establish a strong, cross-boundary public-private partnership that inventories, monitors, controls and prevents the spread of invasive species. The Scenic Rivers Region includes diverse ecosystems where invasive species are sparse and lands where invasive species are established, causing significant impacts. Working with federal, state, and non-government agencies, and private landowners, the SRISP strives to inventory and monitor invasive plant populations, treat invasive species, and bring education and awareness of the impact of invasive species to the public.

Since 2021, the SRISP has been working with several partners to implement on-the-ground invasive species work by treating county road right-of-ways and forest service system roads. Through a grant provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the SRISP has treated more than 30 miles of county road rightof-ways in the Scenic Rivers Region, specifically in the Mahan’s Creek area in Shannon County. Working in conjunction with MoDOT, the SRISP treats roads that stem off from major numbered and lettered highways that the MoDOT invasive species strike team treats for invasives, making a connected system of roads that will no longer be sources of spreading invasive plants like Sericea lespedeza and spotted knapweed into pastures and riverways.

Children were able to learn about invasive plants and take home some native seeds in a butterfly themed craft when Valarie attended the Pollinator Festival in Maramec Spring Park last year. (Photo: Valarie Kurre)

By targeting roadways, invasive plants can be stopped before spreading onto public and private lands. The SRISP also works with private landowners who live along the roads being treated, providing them with knowledge, chemical, and crews to treat the invasive plants on their property. By treating both an adjacent land parcel and the roadway, there is almost a near elimination of a plant and seed source for those invasive plants to spread.

The SRISP also strives to provide education and outreach efforts for not only the Scenic Rivers Region but the whole state of Missouri. In the past year, the SRISP hosted a webinar on invasive plant ID and treatment with the Missouri Prairie Foundation, attended the Missouri State Fair and other festivals, and hosted workshops for partners on invasive plant inventorying applications. Through all of its partnerships, the SRISP hopes to continue to assist land management agencies and private landowners in irradicating invasive species over cross-boundaries.

Valarie Kurre Coordinator - Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership

Affiliate Organizations

Anglers of Missouri

Association of Missouri

Electric Cooperatives

Bass Slammer Tackle

Burroughs Audubon

Society of Greater Kansas City

Capital City Fly Fishers

Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment

Columbia Audubon Society

Conservation Foundation of Missouri Charitable Trust

Dark Sky Missouri

Deer Creek Sportsman Club

Duckhorn Outdoors Adventures

Festus-Crystal City Conservation Club

Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri

Forest Releaf of Missouri

Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

Greater Ozarks Audubon Society

Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri

Greenway Network, Inc.

James River Basin Partnership

L-A-D Foundation

Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance

Land Learning Foundation

Legends of Conservation

Magnificent Missouri

Mid Mo Prescribed Burn Assn.

Mid-Missouri Outdoor Dream

Mid-Missouri Trout Unlimited

Midwest Diving Council

Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters Association

Missouri Association of Meat Processors

Missouri Atlatl Association

Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation

Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative

Missouri Birding Society

Missouri Bluebird Society

Missouri Bow Hunters Association

Missouri Caves & Karst Conservancy

Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society

Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation

Missouri Conservation Pioneers

Missouri Consulting Foresters Association

Missouri Disabled Sportsmen

Missouri Ducks Unlimited- State Council

Missouri Environmental Education Association

Missouri Environmental Education Projects

Missouri Forest Products Association

Missouri Grouse Chapter of QUWF

Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation

Missouri Master Naturalist

- Great Rivers Chapter

Missouri Master Naturalist

- Hi Lonesome Chapter

Missouri Master Naturalist

- Meramec Hills Chapter

Missouri Master Naturalist

- Osage Trails Chapter

Missouri Master Naturalist

- Springfield Plateau Chapter

Missouri National Wild Turkey Federation

Missouri Native Seed Association

Missouri Outdoor Communicators

Missouri Park & Recreation Association

Missouri Parks Association

Missouri Prairie Foundation

Missouri River Bird Observatory

Missouri River Relief

Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc.

Missouri Rural Water Association

Missouri Smallmouth Alliance

Missouri Society of American Foresters

Missouri Soil & Water Conservation

Society-Show-Me Chapter

Missouri Sport Shooting Association

Missouri State Campers Association

Missouri State Parks Foundation

Missouri Taxidermist Association

Missouri Trappers Association

Missouri Trout Fishermen's Association

Northside Conservation Federation

Open Space Council of the St. Louis Region

Outdoor Skills of America, Inc.

Ozark Chinquapin Foundation

Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc.

Ozark Land Trust

Ozark Riverways Foundation

Ozark Trail Association

Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club

Perry County Sportsman Club

Pomme De Terre Chapter Muskies

Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc.

Quail Forever & Pheasants Forever

River Access Coalition

River Bluffs Audubon Society

River City Foundation

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership (SRISP)

South Side Division CFM

Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers

St.

Louis Audubon Society

Stream Teams United

Student Air Rifle Program

Tipton Farmers & Sportsman's Club

Tri-Lakes Fly Fishers

Turtle Conservation Group

United Bowhunters of Missouri

Wild Bird Rehabilitation

Wild Souls Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation

WildHERness

Wonders of Wildlife

World Bird Sanctuary

Young Outdoorsmen United

Conservation Leadership Corps - How Cool is Convention?

Two years ago, as a Freshman at Mizzou, I applied to become a member of the Conservation Leadership Corps(CLC), making this year’s annual CFM convention just my second. Yet, both times attending left me feeling as though I have been a part of CFM for much longer. Perhaps it was all the members, partners, and friends of CFM at the event that provided so many great opportunities to learn. Or that each attendee has unique stories that illustrate a shared passion for the outdoors and for protecting natural resources that they are always ready and willing to share. But most likely, it’s the memorable award ceremonies that far surpass the Oscars in quality. Look out Jimmy Kimmel, here come Shags and Trevor!

Once again, CLC students had a great time listening to and engaging with the conservation issues and solutions of the present and future at the convention. One such opportunity I had this year was to present a resolution I authored to the General Assembly entitled, “Encourage Awareness of Microplastic Pollution in Missouri Streams.” I wrote the resolution with the help of fellow CLC students beginning back at the CLC fall workshop in October. After multiple drafts, meetings, and lots of research, it was very rewarding to see this resolution pass the general assembly and to learn about the issues surrounding all the other important resolutions that passed at this year’s convention.

In addition to the General Assembly, CLC also got to hear the addresses of Directors Sara Parker Pauley of MDC and Dru Buntin of DNR. Sara Parker Pauley also took the time to speak directly with CLC students at the start of the convention, along with the deputy director of DNR, Hannah Humphreys, and Tom Neubauer of MDC. To oversimplify a great conversation, many questions were asked, and even more answers were provided, about building a career, down to owning a job interview! Speaking of building a career, in reference to their studies, 8 words that any CLC student will hear often are, “What are you going to do with that?” It’s the milliondollar question at the convention.

Some of my fellow students know exactly what lies ahead for them, and others (myself included) may just know that it will involve conservation in some way. But for both, our time at the convention is a hugely important step in gaining confidence for a career.

For all CLC students, the banquet was not only an opportunity for some college students to crack a deal on a great auction piece (although I will be sure to enjoy my handcrafted Mallard Duck wearing a top hat).

But more importantly, it is an opportunity to meet and talk with new people, and network with resource professionals. The advice I have received from everyone at the convention has been invaluable, and I speak for every CLC student, and any young person interested in conservation for that matter, when I say that we greatly appreciate the time you take simply to talk with us and give a glimpse into how your unique career path came to be, in a field that continues to inevitably grow and change. If possible, encourage the young conservationists you may know to join the CLC, and I look forward to meeting more of you this time next year!

Troy Beilsmith CLC President

2024 CLC Exec Team. From left to right, Troy, Camille, Kaley, Cooper. (Photo: Jared Lami)

18th Annual

Saturday, August 10, 2024

Shoot as a Team or Individual Two Shooter Scramble- 75 targets, $70/team Individual Sporting Clays- 50 targets, $40/shooter

Schedule of Events

Registration: 8:00 a.m. - Noon

Shooting: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Awards: 2:00 p.m.

Prizes for Two Shooter Scramble & Individual Sporting Clays using the Lewis Class System

Pre-registration is encouraged, but signing up on the day of the event is acceptable.

Visit www.confedmo.org or call 573-634-2322 to register or for more information.

Challenge shooting games will be held during the event!

Food trucks will be available on site and drinks will be provided.

Presented by:

Central Electric Power Cooperative & Bass Pro Shops - Columbia

Central Electric Power Cooperative's members are Boone Electric Cooperative, Consolidated Electric Cooperative, Callaway Electric, Cuivre River Cooperative, Central Missouri Electric Cooperative, Howard Electric Cooperative, Co-Mo Electric Cooperative, and Three Rivers Electric Cooperative.

Prairie Grove Shotgun Sports, 1420 County Rd 276, Columbia, MO 65202

Conservation Federation Sporting Clays Classic

Scan to register

Conservation Federation Announces Election Results

The Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) proudly announces its newly elected board members for the year 2024, marking a significant step forward in the organization's commitment to conservation stewardship and conservation efforts.

Bill Kirgan is the president of the board. Followed by Ginny Wallace as president-elect, Steve Jones as vice president, Benjamin Runge as secretary, and Bill Lockwood as treasurer.

Other notable additions to the board include:

• Michael Schallon and Katie Marsh will serve on the Executive Committee.

• Katherine Brookshire, Leanne Tippett-Mosby, Adam Sapp, and Emily Schrader will serve as At-large Directors.

• Leanne Tippett-Mosby will also serve as the National Wildlife Federation Alternative Representative.

The newly elected board members express their gratitude for the opportunity to serve and pledge to work collaboratively to address the conservation challenges facing the state. With a focus on community involvement, education, and policy advocacy, the Conservation Federation of Missouri is well-positioned to make a positive impact on the conservation landscape in 2024 and beyond.

Together, this dedicated group of individuals will continue to uphold the CFM's legacy of promoting responsible and sustainable conservation practices throughout the state. For the complete list of the CFM board, please visit www.confedmo.org/board-of-directors/.

Committed to Community & Conservation

Owned by the members they serve, Missouri’s electric cooperatives do more than provide reliable and affordable electricity. They are active in their communities, concerned for the wellbeing of their neighbors and devoted to the rural way of life that makes the Show-Me State a special place to live, work and play. Missouri’s electric cooperatives are dedicated to protecting the land, air and water resources important to you and your quality of life.

Learn more at www.amec.coop.

TA Chicken Named McChick

he family next door got a chicken as a pet for their kids. They called it McChick after the McDonalds chicken sandwich. The kids carried it around everywhere. Sometimes, it would come over and roam around our yard clucking and scratching the ground.

At first, I would run it off. Gradually, McChick worked her way into my heart like many dogs in my life had done. McChick could not go on point for quail, flush pheasant, retrieve ducks, or tree a squirrel, but she would leave me an egg once in a while behind a bush. I would bend down to pet her or pick her up in my arms. She kept me company as I worked in my yard.

I worried about her. I did not want her to get out on the road and get run over. There were several neighborhood dogs. I had also seen red-tailed hawks flying around. On the farm I grew up on, Grandpa called them chicken hawks. We always lost a few chickens to them.

One morning, I walked outside and looked around for McChick but did not see or hear her. I saw movement at the corner of the house and walked over to see what it was. A hawk had McChick pinned to the ground. I kicked the hawk to get it off. I was too late. McChick was gone. I picked up McChick and smoothed her feathers. I was sorry that I did not get there sooner. The hawk would not leave its meal and sat on one of our birdhouses, watching me.

I texted the kid’s mom and told her what had happened. I asked her if she wanted me to bring McChick over so they could bury her. She thought that would be too hard on the kids and asked if I would bury her at our house so they could visit her grave. I agreed.

I buried her in the shade of several oak trees where the kids liked to come and sit with me to watch birds on our feeders. I took a flat rock, carved McChick into it, and put it at the head of the grave. It was the least I could do for this chicken that had captured our hearts.

Later that day, Mom and Dad brought them over to visit the grave. Tears flowed. We adults were also choking back a few tears. That was several months ago. The kids still visit the grave. They will remember this special chicken. So will I. For a little while, in time, God blessed us with a chicken named McChick. I once heard it said that perhaps the greatest gift an animal has to offer is a permanent reminder of who we really are.

After a few weeks of grieving time, the parents decided to get a new pet for the kids. It was a cat. I know a lot of you love cats. I have never been attached to cats like I was to dogs or like I was that chicken.

My wife and I enjoy feeding birds in our backyard. We have for many years. There are many feeders for them. Also, houses so the birds can raise their babies. We have planted numerous native plants for birds that love to eat their seeds and berries.

In winter, we have Cardinals, Chickadees, Doves, Sparrows, Wrens, Nuthatches, Bluejays, Juncos, and several woodpecker species. In spring, they are joined by Yellow Finches, Indigo Buntings, Bluebirds, and more.

Around mid-March, we start putting up sugar-water feeders for the arrival of my wife’s favorite bird, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We also have plenty of native flowering plants to keep them around until they migrate in the fall.

For a short time, in the Spring, I put out feeders with grape jelly and oranges to feed the many colorful Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks that stop by on their way to other places.

Watching birds and other wildlife out our windows is more entertaining than anything on our television, computer, or smartphone. The investment we make benefits them when food is scarce. We benefit as well from the joy of watching them.

Now, back to the cat. A recent study by the Smithsonian Institution and the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic cats kill about 2.4 billion birds a year and have contributed to the extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles.

I have found several dead birds. It is not the cat’s fault. The domestic cat is a predatory species. That means they, much like their wild ancestors, are specialized, solitary hunters. The mere sight and sound of prey trigger a cat's hunting instinct. To them, hunting is more about fun and entertainment. Quite simply, a cat cannot resist the flapping wings of a bird. If a cat manages to catch a bird, it plays with it and throws it around. Cats do not usually eat what they kill. When their human owners let them outside, they will continue to kill.

I ran the cat off when I saw it in our yard. I have put out orange and lemon peels around the bird feeders, as the smell is supposed to repel cats. It has not worked. The kids love their cat, and we love the kids. I continue to do things to discourage the cat from coming over and killing our birds.

So, is it cruel to keep a cat indoors? Cats hunt and are active in the evening or early morning. If you let them outside, do that from mid-morning to mid-afternoon and then keep them inside the rest of the time. As long as a cat has the space and resources to express all of its natural behaviors and is not frustrated when it cannot go outside, there is no reason it cannot live a happy life inside as a house cat. And, we bird lovers can continue to live a happy life feeding and watching the birds.

There are other reasons our neighbors should keep the cat inside. Sometimes, at night, I see their cat out roaming around. I also hear the howl of coyotes. They would love to catch and eat a cat. So would the owls that are out there also. During the day, the red-tailed hawk that killed McChick is out there also. It will also kill and eat cats.

The kids call me Grandpa Larry and call my wife Grandma. They are over often and are a special part of our lives. I do not want to wipe away their tears again over the loss of another pet. I would not miss the cat, but I still miss a chicken named McChick.

Cover - McChick visiting with me while I work. (Photo: Larry Whiteley)  Left - Our buddies from next door (Photo: Larry Whiteley)

Larry Whiteley

The Adventures of Frank & Ed: Tadpoles, Newts, & Frogs

Iwould like to introduce my grandsons, Frank & Ed. Sometimes they prefer to be called Francis and Edward but to me they’re Frank & Ed.

Frank, Ed, and I have been going on adventures for a while now and each adventure is just that, an adventure in the outdoors that involves learning, excitement, discovery, and fun! It seems to me that ponds, creeks, mud, and rocks have magical power to attract kids.

They can’t resist exploring the wonders that exist around these places. Since I was the same way when I was growing up, I knew from the start that if you go you will get wet and muddy, it’s just a fact of life so accept it and have fun with it and maybe prepare for it a little by having a towel and a change of clothes handy.

Our equipment for this type of outing consists of shoes to wade in, a net with small mesh, and a bucket. Maybe also take along some fruit snacks in Papa’s pocket for when a little candy can make a fall, bump, or bruise feel “all better.”

Lots of really cool and interesting things live in and around creeks and ponds, but the critters that Frank & Ed get most excited about are Tadpoles, Newts, and Frogs. We also catch water bugs and the occasional minnow or crawdad but the slippery and jumping things always get the biggest reactions. Be sure to caution the kids about handling these critters as they are somewhat delicate and susceptible to being “loved to death,” so put them into a bucket for observation and try to limit the handling to a few minutes, then tell the adventurers how important it is to let them go and why!

You’ll be amazed how quickly they learn about wild things and wild places, even if those things and places are in your backyard. One public area we have visited frequently is James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area. It’s located just east of the Kansas City Metro area and is owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation. There are several ponds and muddy creeks to explore on this 3,084-acre public area. You can find out more about this area at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area at mdc.mo.gov/ discover-nature/places/james-reed-memorial-wildlife-area.

One of Frank & Ed’s favorite places to go is a small woodland pond we have access to in Hickory County. The pond is only about ¼ of an acre and maybe five feet deep, but it has springs that hold water year around. In the springtime, life abounds in and around it. There aren’t any fish in this little pond, so the frogs, salamanders, and newts lay eggs here. We have found Spring Peepers, Leopard Frogs, Toads, Cricket Frogs, Bull Frogs, Central Newts, and Spotted Salamanders in this little pond. Frogs are the easy ones to identify but the tadpoles of those frogs are sometimes harder to figure out.

You can get an excellent field guide from the Missouri Department of Conservation called “The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri”. This book has illustrations of keys to identification for frogs, salamanders, turtles, and snakes. It even has a section called “Guide to Selected Tadpoles of Missouri” in it. Bet you didn’t know there are eight different parts in the anatomy of a tadpole’s mouth, did ya? The book also gives distribution maps showing where these critters are found in Missouri. You can purchase this book at Missouri Department of Conservation website: mdcnatureshop.com.

I’m sure by now you are wondering how old Frank and Ed are. Frank is five, and Ed is three. We are looking forward to many more adventures soon. So, stay tuned for more Adventures of Frank and Ed. We can’t wait for the next one.

Cover - Ed and Frank get some hands-on experience with creatures of the pond. Ed has a small frog and Frank has a tadpole. (Photo: Jeff Blystone)

Rigt - Jeff and his grandson Frank search through a dip net for a new find. (Photo: Jeff Blystone)

Jeff “Papa” Blystone

Road trip. We didn’t choose the perfect playlist. Or program the GPS. But we did fuel the car that made you realize there are no wrong turns, only new adventures. When the energy you invest in life meets the energy we fuel it with, amazing journeys happen.

CFM Updates the Strategic Plan

CFM operations are guided by the 1938 articles of incorporation, bylaws most recently updated in 2022, and a Strategic Plan which is updated and revised at 5-year intervals. The most recent 5-year Strategic Plan for the period 2024-2028 was approved by the Board of Directors on December 1, 2023.

The purpose of a strategic plan is to prioritize efforts, allocate resources, proactively address issues and opportunities, and provide goals with end results. The Strategic Plan is essential for coordinating CFM activities through an Executive Committee, Board of Directors, affiliate member organizations, the CFM committees, staff and individual members. The Strategic Plan was developed by a planning committee with extensive input and review by the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, committee members and certain affiliate members and organizations.

The Strategic Plan begins with a Vision Statement articulating CFM’s commitment to strong citizen support for conserving our state’s rich natural resources managed by private landowners and strong, science-based agencies for the benefit of all Missourians. The Vision Statement is followed by the CFM Mission of ensuring conservation of Missouri’s wildlife and natural resources, and preservation of our state’s rich outdoor legacy through advocacy, education and partnerships.

There are eight Value Statements which begin by recognizing the hunting and fishing heritage of CFM’s founding members, who banded together in 1935 to form CFM and lead the statewide effort to establish the constitutional Conservation Commission and Department of Conservation. The Value Statements recognize the importance of the independent Conservation Commission, the 1/8 of one percent sales tax funding the scientific work of the Missouri Department of Conservation. We also value the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri State Park system and their soil and water conservation efforts funded through a 1/10 of one percent statewide sales tax. Other Value Statements highlight the importance of diversity and inclusiveness in outdoor interests, collaboration with members, affiliates, partners, and science-based decisionmaking in the management of Missouri natural resources.

The Strategic Plan contains five goals. The first goal outlines CFM objectives to advocate for scientifically sound conservation and natural resource laws, regulations, policies, and programs.

A primary objective of this goal is to take action on relevant legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives at the state and federal levels. Other objectives include regularly monitoring issues important to CFM and its affiliates and producing wellresearched, science-based, and timely responses; funding a legislative lobbyist to promote CFM initiatives and interests; developing CFM resolutions, as needed, on current legislative, conservation, and natural resource and environmental issues.

The second goal involves educating members, affiliates, and partners about current natural resource issues, the conservation of natural resources, and the purpose of CFM. Important objectives involve developing a communication plan, providing informational materials to affiliates, and expanding communication through social media.

The third goal is directed at developing natural resource conservation leaders. Objectives include funding and support for the Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) for young adults and mechanisms for encouraging future participation in CFM of CLC members who have completed the program. There is an objective to develop and provide leadership opportunities within CFM for members and affiliate members representing a variety of outdoor interests.

The fourth goal is to collaborate with affiliates and other organizations to promote participation in outdoor recreation and conservation programs and activities. An objective involves providing support to public and private partnership workshops and conferences tailored to broaden the conservation coalition. An additional objective includes promoting the work of CFM affiliates and partners.

The fifth goal involves ensuring a fiscally sound organization with the capacity to fully accomplish the CFM mission. There are objectives for exploring new funding sources, developing and sustaining a dedicated membership and affiliate organizations, building a diverse and active Board of Directors and committee leaders, and maintaining a wellqualified and motivated staff. The new Strategic Plan provides a foundation for annual initiatives, coordination among CFM committees, and creates a forward-focused vision for aligning members, affiliate organizations and staff to increase the purposeful function of the organization. The Strategic Plan can be viewed online at: confedmo.org/governance/.

Thank you for your continued support of CFM and our mission.

Executive Director Tyler Schwartze & The Strategic Planning Committee

Forgotten Infrastructure: Septic Remediation Efforts in the Ozarks

Call them “forgotten infrastructure.” For most folks, septic tanks are the last thing on their mind. Until something goes wrong. In the Ozarks, the fragile connection between ground and surface water through our karst topography make it important that homeowners are proactive with septic system maintenance.

In 2022, The James River Basin Partnership, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, Missouri Smallflows Organization, and H2Ozarks applied for a grant from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) received by Greene County to develop and implement the replacement of failing septic systems.

ARPA placed priorities on social equity through assistance to low-income families, as well as environmental protection programs. Both goals would be incorporated into the septic remediation project.

"Living day-to-day with a failing system is unfathomable. Families can't wash clothes or flush toilets; children can't play outside because of ponding sewage, noted Carin Love of H2Ozarks. “So many households deal with this every day with no resolution in sight. Greene County's support of this program has given these families much needed relief.”

The program would focus on the James and Sac River watersheds, which include a majority of Greene County. There are more than 20,000 onsite wastewater treatment systems in the county presently.

The program was based on a similar one offered by H2Ozarks from 2012 through 2020, which aided homeowners in the Table Rock Lake area to replace 309 failing systems. $2 million in funding came from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources State Revolving Fund (SRF) program.

A proposal was submitted to county ARPA coordinators, who then awarded the task force $133,000 in ARPA funds to develop both a remediation project and a homeowner education program. Greene County Environmental Division staff have expressed a more comprehensive homeowner education program was needed for county residents.

The goal was a pilot program to develop and test a homeowner assistance grant, and to bridge the gap in time until Missouri DNR could re-start the SRF program. “the need for more funding to help low-income residents to have adequate sanitation is a real need,” said Tammy Trantham, Director of Missouri Smallflows Organization.

After the county approved the proposal, team members began to develop a framework of how the grant would work and who would qualify, as well as promotional and educational materials. Only applicants from the James or Sac River watersheds would be accepted. A maximum amount per applicant was determined based on an amount of $90,000 for actual replacement costs.

The cost-share program would be for current failing systems only, and not new systems.

At present, four systems were replaced in 2023, with work on a fifth one beginning sometime in early this year. The committee hopes to be able to replace an additional sixth system before the grant ends in December 2024.

"It has been great for Greene County to show support to its residents to aid in remediating failing wastewater treatment systems,” said Trantham. “The funding for these types of projects has been a challenge to bring to Missouri homeowners.”

Besides homeowners, the program has also created stronger relationships in the water quality groups.

“The partnerships between our organizations and Greene County have brought more awareness to the issue and hopefully, more funding in the future,” noted Trantham.

Todd Wilkinson

Photo credit: Todd Wilkinson

Theodore Roosevelt’s Conservation Legacy

Author Douglas Brinkley’s biography of Roosevelt entitled Wilderness Warrior, begins with story in the prologue about Roosevelt arriving unexpectedly at a Whitehouse cabinet meeting on a wintery morning in 1903 extremely excited about something. The cabinet members could tell something of great importance had happened but could only guess what it was because they were not sure if he was agitated or excited. Brinkley tells it this way.“Having endured the assassination of three Republican presidents – Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, and William McKinley, Roosevelt’s so-called kitchen cabinet at least had the consolation of knowing that their boss was, for the moment, out of harm’s way. Still, they leaned forward, bracing for the worst.“Gentlemen, do you know what has happened this morning?”said Roosevelt breathlessly, as everyone leaned forward with bated breath for the bad news.“Just now I saw a chestnut sided warbler—and this is only February!”

That was Roosevelt in a nutshell. The life and Presidency of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt has filled volumes. Some have described his presidency as having two sides; The trust-busting progressive who reined in industrialist excess, won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the end of the Russia – Japan war, and the side that set aside millions of acres of public land for wildlife conservation. Both are true. But Teddy had lived a lot of life prior to becoming president after William McKinnly was shot and killed by an assassin.

He was born in 1858 and witnessed the great slaughter of wildlife in the last part of the 19th century after the Civil War including the near extinction of the buffalo and the decimation of birds in the everglades by plume hunters. He was a lifelong student of the woods, bird watcher and hunter. By age 23, he had been elected to the New York State Assembly. While an assemblyman, his career path took a sudden turn in 1884 when his mother and Alice, his young wife died on the same day.

His Mother died from Typhoid, and his wife died during childbirth. Devastated, he headed west to a ranch he purchased in the Dakota Territory, today’s North Dakota. He built a cabin, worked cows, hunted extensively, survived the winters, and won respect from the hard frontier folks when he punched out a mean, armed drunk in a bar.

In 1897, he was named Assistant Secretary of the Navy. When war with the Spanish in Cuba became eminent, he lobbied for and was made Commander of the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. His Commanding officer was Col. Leonard Wood, namesake of today’s Fort Leonard Wood. He was loved by his troops who would become know to history as “The Rough Riders.” They fought valiantly at the battle of San Juan Hill and, together with the U.S. Navy’s defeat of the Spanish fleet, turned the war in America’s favor.

By fall, the Rough Riders were back in New York, mustering out. Before they did, they surprised Roosevelt with a Fredrick Remington bronze titled “Bronco Buster,” which he loved.

Fame garnered from leading the Rough Riders catapulted Roosevelt into the Governor’s seat in New York. The Vice President’s Position soon followed and by 1901, following the death of McKinnly, he became president. Wildlife and wild places were about to become a priority.

Roosevelt’s excitement at having seen a Chestnut sided Warbler in February encapsulates Roosevelts lifelong interest and enthusiasm for all things wild. The American Museum of Natural History’s website says, “When Roosevelt came to office, it was a peculiar environmental moment: America was in the midst of a nature renaissance. A growing nature study movement, widespread reading of authors such as naturalist John Burroughs, and declining transportation costs—not to mention inventions such as the bicycle and binoculars— each facilitated amateur nature exploration.”

Teddy was the right man at the right place at the right time. He would become our greatest “naturalist President” by setting aside more than 230 million acres of wild America for posterity between 1901 and 1909, Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a universal endeavor.

“The crusade for the American wilderness was perhaps the greatest U.S. presidential initiative between the Civil War and World War 1. Roosevelt’s most important legacies led to the creation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the passage of the Antiquities Act in 1906. His Executive orders saved such treasures as the Devil’s Tower, The Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest.”

Roosevelt felt strongly about wilderness and wild places. It Impacted him because he had been there and could see the danger of it being lost forever. In the preface to his book, Wilderness Hunter, Roosevelt penned the following:

“No one but he who has partaken thereof can understand the keen delight of hunting in lonely lands. For him is the joy of the horse well ridden and the rifle well held; for him the long days of toil and hardship, resolutely endured, and crowned at the end with triumph. In after years there shall come forever to his mind the memory of endless prairies shimmering in the bright sun; of vast snow-clad wastes lying desolate under gray skies; of the melancholy marshes; of the rush of mighty rivers; of the breath of the evergreen forest in summer; of the crooning of ice-armored pines at the touch of the winds of winter; of cataracts roaring between hoary mountain masses; of all the innumerable sights and sounds of the wilderness; of its immensity and mystery; and of the silences that brood in its still depths.”

We owe a debt of gratitude to Roosevelt and others of his era for protecting the best of our wild places and beginning the conservation movement. Gustzon Borglum immortalized Roosevelt by including him on Mount Rushmore. Author Jeff Shaara Writes at the end of his novel, “The Old Lion”, “…Borglum gave us his image of four men, chosen among many, who are most responsible for passing down to us or culture, our laws, our history and our nation so that we might, in turn, hand these down for all time. Looking back at the image of Teddy Roosevelt, this author hopes we are up to the task”.

Kyle Carroll

Cover - Roosevelt on horseback was a happy man. (Photo: Library of Congress) Left - Chestnut Sided Warbler (Photo: Jocelyn Anderson)

Five Steps to Improve Your Turkey Hunting Success

With turkey numbers declining in much of the country, taking a gobbler this spring may be a bit more difficult than during the boom years of the past decades. No doubt, working harder to tag a tom is in order.

“Prepare for the unexpected,” said turkey hunting guru Walter Parrott. “And if you really want to kill a gobbler, prepare for the worst hunting scenarios you can imagine.”

Granted that is not the approach most turkey hunters want to take. Turkey hunters with much hunting time under their belts have experienced those days when turkey hunting was relatively easy. We remember those days and, as a result, often unrealistically hope such a day will come again.

1. Prepare mentally

“Walking into the turkey woods on opening day with little or no preparation is asking for failure,” said turkey hunting pro Ray Eye. “It’s really a tough mental game to kill gobblers with any kind of consistency. You can read articles, watch turkey hunting shows, watch Youtube videos, CDs and all of the social media posts, but there is nothing like time spent in the woods. You have to learn about turkey behavior and let turkeys tell you how to hunt them.. And everyday is different. That is what destroys turkey hunters mentally. You have to get lots of experience under your belt to be able to interpret what is going on with the turkeys and in your area. When you get fit with the mental game, you will b begin killing more turkeys. It ain’t easy to get mentally fit for the games turkeys will play.”

2. Mix up your calls

Each turkey hunting pro has his approach to calling and hunting wild turkey gobblers. I once heard Mark Drury say that you need to start calling softly. On the other hand, Ray Eye declares that you need to call loud and long. “Call until you make their ears bleed,” Eye is famous for saying.

I’ve heard a handful of turkey hunters over the decades swear by one method of calling. Yet, the vast majority of turkey hunters plan on working a lot harder by going the extra mile by calling as they think the moment dictates.

Listen closely and you’ll hear turkey hens making a multitude of sounds. Their vocalizations are a mixture of squeals, whines, purrs, and moans in addition to the usual clucks and yelps. These mixtures of true-to-life turkey calls often drive gobblers mad. Work diligently at perfecting a wide variety of turkey sounds and you’ll enjoy more turkey hunting success.

Mastering a wide range of turkey calls takes time. If you are new to the game, begin with a box call. It is the easiest to learn to use. To yelp on a box call, Missouri turkey wizard Joe Hollingshad says to move the handle an inch or so off to the side of the lip and “close the box”. That movement will run two notes together—kee-owk. “ Just light pressure on the lid will give you coarse, raspy yelps. Place a bit more pressure on the handle for higher notes,” says Hollingshad.

Every turkey hunting vest should include a couple of pot calls in glass or slate. Running them properly will often coax a gobbler into gun range. Hold a slate (or glass or aluminum) pot lightly up on your fingertips. Grasp the peg as if writing with a pencil. Hold the striker at a 45-degree angle to the call’s surface. To yelp, work the peg either in little circles or short straight lines, whichever you prefer. Don’t lift the striker off of the surface as you call. To purr, exert just enough pressure on the peg so that it skips lightly over a slate surface. Purring on a slate call is the best way to pull a tom those last few yards into shotgun range.

3. Keep a gobbler guessing

When a tom gobbles in a spot where it cannot possibly see you, cup a hand over your mouth and turn your head left and right while running a diaphragm call Reach out and work a friction call to either side of your body also. The combination of sounds represents more than one hen. Greedy toms will often investigate to add more hens to its harem. A good combo for this scenario are the Drury Outdoors Signature Mouth Calls coupled with the Cookie Cutter Tracer Lid Pot Call.

4. Hunt the odd spots

Mark Drury says one of his go-to tactics is to pop up a camo blind smack in the middle of a field. He knows from scouting when a gobbler comes to strut for the day. “Set a hen decoy and a jake 20 yards from the blind and in the direction of where the turkey roosts,” he said. “When the bird gobbles at first light, sit tight. If he files down, works to the field and sees your decoys, he’ll usually run right to them, although with turkeys you never know. While a new blind in an open field will spook every deer that sees it, turkeys could care less and will strut right up to it.” Hawk blinds work well in cover or in open fields.

5. Move around

If you get frustrated from working the same gobbler day after day with no results, make a move. It may take extra work to approach the bird from a different direction the next morning. Start fresh, as if it is the first morning you’ve hunted the gobbler. Break out some different calls that the tom hasn’t heard. This may be the time to utilize a gobbler call, too. The move and the new sounds may be all it takes to coax a grumpy old gobbler into investigate.

Bill Cooper

If you have work a gobbler from the same direction for days, with no results, make a move and approach from a different direction. (Photo: Bill Cooper)

Dock Shooting for Missouri Slabs

He pulls the string tight and aims. When he releases, the projectile swiftly flies towards its target.

Truman Lake guide Barry Morrow enjoys bow hunting for deer, but on this occasion, the string he is using is a fishing line, and the projectile is a plastic grub and jighead combo. Instead of a big buck, Morrow is targeting slab-size crappie under boat docks.

“Dock shooting” is one of the most effective tactics for catching crappies tucked up in the shady areas of docks. “It is kind of instinctive like with a bow and arrow,” says Morrow, a veteran crappie tournament competitor. “It is a matter of pointing, aiming and releasing.”

Another tournament angler who shoots for crappie is Lake of the Ozarks guide Terry Blankenship. He had to learn the technique in order to compete with the shooters on his home waters of Lake of the Ozarks since the lake contains thousands of docks.

“Some of the biggest crappies are going to be like bass,” Morrow says. “They are going to be way back underneath the docks in the shade. There is so much of a dock to cover. Whether it is a swimming dock that is usually pretty wide or a pontoon boat in a dock well, there is a lot of shade in there.

By skipping a lure back under there, letting it fall, taking your time and being able to watch and feel that line move, you are going to pull some big slabs out of there. A lot of tournaments have been won doing that.”

Morrow sees novices make the biggest mistakes when they try to shoot docks: using too big a jighead or too heavy a line. For optimum skipping distance, Morrow’s first lure choice is a 1 3/4—or 2-inch plastic grub with a 1/32—or 1/16-ounce jig head. He ties the lure to a 6-pound fluorocarbon line.

Once the lure arrives at the far dark reaches of a dock, the next critical stage is prolonging its stay in the crappie’s strike zone by controlling the fall rate of the lure. Since some crappies will be holding near the surface while others will be suspended 3 feet down or deeper in the water column, Morrow sometimes has to experiment with lures and line until he triggers a strike. “If you are using a 1/32- to 1/16-ounce jig, then changing the size of the plastic body or using a marabou jig is going to change the rate of that fall,” he says.

“The tendency of crappies is that they like to get under the darkest areas of those docks,” says Blankenship. “A lot of times whenever you shoot a jig way back into those dark areas, a lot of your better fish are the first ones that will bite, and they will bite really quickly in 2 to 4 feet of water.”

One of Blankenship’s favorite skipping lures is the 3-inch Bobby Garland Slab Slayer attached to a 1/16-ounce jighead. He believes the 1/16-ounce jighead is the ideal size for skipping, since a 1/32-ounce head is too light to propel the lure and a 1/8-ounce model tends to plow into the water and dives too fast. The Missouri guide skips his lures with 6-pound test high-visibility yellow line that allows him to detect any line movement indicating a bite when the lure falls in the dark spaces of the dock. “One of the key things is to get a line that doesn’t coil up real bad,” says Blankenship, who soaks his spool with line conditioner before a tournament.

A good lure launcher is another key to effective dock shooting. “I don’t think you have to have a high dollar rod but you should have a good feeling rod,” says Morrow. “For me it has to have sensitivity.” Morrow opts for a G Loomis ultralight rod either 5 1/2 or 5 feet long. He prefers a short rod because it allows him to get closer to the docks for shooting into nooks and crannies.

When he was a kid, Blankenship learned he could sling persimmons farther on a longer hickory stick, so he relies on the same principle today with his shooting rod. He uses a 7-foot medium-action spinning rod that has plenty of flexibility for loading up the line like a bowstring yet is stout enough to allow Blankenship to control his shot in close quarters.

Selecting the right targets is also critical in dock shooting. Morrow looks for old docks with fishing cleaning tables and cables, wire or ropes hanging down the sides, which indicates brush piles are planted below the dock. “Even newer docks with the new (encapsulated) foam are good if they have a lot of algae buildup,” says Morrow. He usually shoots inside the wells or under any part of the dock covering the most surface area.

Just like any other form of shooting, firing a jig and skipping it under a dock requires some practice to become proficient. “Starting off you might think this is a waste of time, but if you spend a day doing this you are going to feel comfortable,” says Morrow. “Then it gets to be fun especially when you pull a big one out of something way back underneath that nobody else has even thought about hitting.”

John Neporadny Jr.

Cover - A good dock shooter can reach crappies no matter where the fish are hiding under the docks. (Photo: John Neporadny Jr.)

Top - Barry Morrow loads up his rod to shoot a jig under a dock.

(Photo: John Neporadny Jr.)

MISSOURI STATE PARKS

Construction Will Close Small Portion of Bennett Spring State Park to Fishing This Spring

Missouri’s March 1 trout opener is all about getting excited about fishing. Thus, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff admit there is no good way to tell anglers who enjoy catching trout at Bennett Spring State Park that, because of current construction at the park, a small portion of the park’s fishing area is currently closed to fishing and public access for the foreseeable future.

MDC staff emphasizes the area closed to fishing in Bennett’s Zone 1 and 2 represents a small fraction of the approximately 1.5 miles of stream frontage within the park that is open to fishing.

However, the fishing spots of many anglers at Bennett (as is the case at Missouri’s other trout parks) are based on personal and family traditions that may go back decades. Thus, MDC staff understands the special connections some anglers have with specific spots in the portion of Zone 1 and 2 that is currently closed.

“One thing that makes Missouri’s March 1 trout opener special is tradition. Some people have fished at the same spot for generations,” said MDC Infrastructure Management Branch Chief Jacob Careaga. “We know that and we appreciate everyone’s patience with this construction project. The work currently underway will result in a state-of-the-art fish production facility that will be able to better serve the needs of everyone who loves catching trout at Bennett Spring.”

This closed area – which is clearly marked by signs –stretches from the hatchery intake on the west bank downstream to the Highway 64A stone bridge. As a result, there will be no access to the top of the dam. Anglers can still access the bottom of the dam from the east bank, but will not be allowed to fish from the west bank, below the hatchery office.

At present, it is unclear when this area will reopen to fishing. This closed area is part of the $40 million hatchery renovation project at Bennett Spring being done by Cahills Construction of Rolla. This project includes the installation of a new intake structure, reconstruction of the raceways, water quality improvements, and other upgrades and refurbishments that will improve fish production capability and site resiliency.

One thing that won’t be affected by construction currently going on at Bennett is fish availability. Approximately 6,500 trout will be stocked on opening day to accommodate the nearly 2,000 anglers expected. Because of the disruption the construction has caused to fish production at Bennett Spring hatchery, trout from other MDC hatcheries will be transported to Bennett to support stocking activities on opening day and throughout the year.

“Trout production in MDC’s cold-water hatchery system is a unified effort,” said MDC Hatchery Systems Manager Clint Hale.

“Fish, eggs, and fingerlings are routinely transferred between hatcheries to meet fish production and stocking needs. When there’s a shortage somewhere, one or more of the hatcheries always step up to fill in the gaps. Because we have dedicated staff, our hatchery system has worked well, even when there has been incredible adversity, and it will continue to do so.”

In addition to providing recreational activity, trout produced by MDC for fishing at Bennett Spring State Park also provide economic benefits. Each year, 140,000 people fish at Bennett Spring. These anglers are part of the more than two million visitors the park gets annually, and the economic ripple effect all this activity generates in terms of money spent on meals, lodging, gas, etc. Data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service indicates that money spent on trout fishing in Missouri generates more than $187 million in economic impact each year.

Trout fishing at Bennett Spring has a history dating back to the early 1900s. Currently, MDC manages the hatchery and trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park. The state park facilities are managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

100 Years and Counting

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Missouri Department of Natural Resources. It also marks the 100th anniversary of two of our state parks –Bennett Spring near Lebanon, Missouri, and Mark Twain near Florida, Missouri. While mentioning the anniversary of these two, we can’t forget about the J. Huston Tavern at Arrow Rock State Historic Site. In 1917, the Missouri State Parks system was created, but no properties were added to the system until September 1923.

J. Huston Tavern at Arrow Rock State Historic Site

A landmark of hospitality for more than a century, the J. Huston Tavern started with Joseph Huston in 1834. As the owners changed, the tavern went through a progression of names, finally reverting to the J. Huston Tavern that it is known as today. The Daughters of the American Revolution had a keen interest in the tavern because of its location on the Santa Fe Trail. At the urging of the DAR, the state of Missouri purchased the J. Huston Tavern for $5000 and named the DAR as “custodians” of the building.

Promoted as a “motor mecca” for travelers on the new national highway system, not only was the tavern the first building Missouri preserved with public funds, but it was also the first addition to the state parks system and could rightly be called the birthplace of heritage tourism. Now visitors can stop in the museums, take in a show, shop at the stores, hike the trails and get a taste of history at the tavern.

Bennett Spring State Park

The valley near Lebanon, Missouri, created a place of peace and recreation that has welcomed generations of anglers year after year. One of Missouri’s earliest parks, Bennett Spring State Park, continues to attract families of fishermen and nature lovers seeking to make new memories.

More than 100 million gallons of cool water gush from Bennett Spring and form a spring branch that is stocked daily with rainbow trout. Bennett Spring and its valley attracted settlers where they found the spring-fed streams as ideal locations for their grist and flour mills, and the wilderness around the stream was perfect for hunting.

In 1924, the state purchased the spring and part of the surrounding area, creating one of the first state parks. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps contributed much of the present-day character of the park, which can be seen today in the cabins, shelter house, roads, trails, dining lodge and the arched bridge across the spring branch.

Come help commemorate the anniversary at a celebration scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5 at the park, starting at 10 a.m.

Mark Twain State Park

Mark Twain State Park is nestled in the Salt River Hills in north-central Missouri. Through the efforts of Mark Twain Memorial Park Association, the park was created in honor of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, who was born in the nearby village of Florida, Missouri.

The association raised more than $10,000 to purchase 100 acres of land overlooking the Salt River. Additional land was purchased by the state, and Mark Twain State Park was established in 1924. It is the third-oldest state park in Missouri and the first established north of the Missouri River.

With the construction of the Clarence Cannon Dam, the park changed dramatically with the creation of Mark Twain Lake. Construction of the dam began in 1966 and was completed in 1983. The 18,000-acre lake provides for the flood control of the Salt River valley, as well as power generation and recreational opportunities.

Nothing says “Missouri literature” quite like Mark Twain. While visiting Mark Twain State Park, guests should take time to also visit the Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site, where the two-room rented cabin where Clemens was born is on display. Guests can also see the handwritten manuscript of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” The manuscript had been on display since the site received it in 1960, and the team became concerned about the long-term effect that lighting was having on it.

Thanks to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, conservators did repairs on this state treasure at no charge. Since the repairs were finished, the manuscript has been returned to the site and is housed in a new temperature-, light- and humidity-controlled display case to help prolong the manuscript’s life.

Mark Twain State Park plans to hold anniversary celebrations throughout the year. More information can be found at mostateparks.com.

Through the Eyes of Books

In 1942, Aldo Leopold began writing the essays that would later become the classic, A Sand County Almanac. Interestingly, this book almost never happened. As Leopold worked on the manuscript, he shopped it over several years to various publishers and was regularly and ceremoniously rejected. One denial by The MacMillan Company (July 20, 1944) seemed especially harsh when they stated, “…we do not feel that a volume of essays on outdoor topics would find a wide enough market to warrant our use of paper at this time.”

Nevertheless, Leopold would not be deterred and finally would be rewarded when Oxford University Press agreed, on April 14, 1948, to publish his manuscript under the title “Great Possessions.” His deadline to submit the “finally revised manuscript,” as illustrated by Missouri artist Charles W. Schwartz, was October 31, 1948, but seven days later, Leopold would die while fighting a neighbors grass fire near his famously known shack along the Wisconsin River.

Eventually, through the efforts of family and friends, the manuscript would be submitted and the book, under the new title A Sand County Almanac would be printed in 1949. Probably a bittersweet moment for the Leopold family as his writing would be forever memorialized in print but for 20 years would sell poorly. However, as the modern environmental movement unfolded in the late 1960s, the book would emerge to become an enduring masterpiece about conservation, having sold many millions of copies in 15 different languages. This year is the 75th anniversary of this Leopold classic. Of all the books with a conservation/nature theme, there may be none more important or enduring. It is a must read for everyone.

This got me thinking about other books I enjoy because of how they help me understand conservation, nature, and the out-of-doors in ways I may never experience. I thought about assembling a list of recommendations but the task seemed impossible. There’s too many great offerings and I’m too far behind in my own reading to speak with any authority. So, I asked a few friends to help me sample the question: What conservation/nature/ outdoors related books have you read that you would highly recommend to the uninitiated?

I started my inquiry with John Schulz, a friend, former colleague, and one of the most well-read individuals I know.

“A Sand County Almanac and Silent Spring get much deserved attention but they alone can’t build an enduring foundation of conservation and ecological knowledge,” said John. “Man and Nature (Marsh) is credited as one of the first conservation texts, but much of its story can be found in the introduction and final chapter; everything in-between is a good guess for what folks knew at the time. I’ve found the best introductory conservation text to be Nature’s Economy: A History of Ecological Ideas (Worster),” John continued. “He takes a sweeping look at the full breadth of nature/conservation thought ranging from the early Romantic era writers of Longfellow, Emerson, and Thoreau to modern writers/ thinkers in what we’d consider the modern ecological age. Nash’s Wilderness & The American Mind is similar in its sweeping scale of conservation thought about the relationship between people and the natural world.”

Lastly, said Schulz, “I’d suggest Grinnell: America’s Environmental Pioneer and His Restless Drive to Save the West (Taliaferro). Along with telling the life story about Grinnell and his passion for conservation, the book paints a portrait of Western life before, during, and after settlement with an unvarnished description of what White Europeans did to Native Americans.”

Next I checked with Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) Executive Director Tyler Schwartze and his predecessors, Brandon Butler and Dave Murphy.

“From a conservation perspective, Man and Wildlife in Missouri (Callison) immediately comes to mind. I suspect others might say that as well,” said Tyler. “From the recreation/nature perspective, I think Richard Louv's, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder is a good read.

Butler (and also Murphy) offered Meditations on Hunting (Gasset). “Gasset attempts to explain why modern humans continue to hunt,” said Butler. “He delivers the stages hunters go through on their way to a greater concern for all life. This book should make the reader appreciate their fellow hunters more, by understanding we are not at the same place at the same time. Moving through the stages turns hunters into conservationists.”

Murphy responded, “Few are the books I’ve read (and usually loved) from which I’ve learned nothing. A simple fellow like me is invariably inspired by such readings. Among love stories, I suppose A Sand County Almanac and The Singing Wilderness (Olson), or A River Never Sleeps (Haig-Brown). Of local products with global weight, Man and Wildlife in Missouri, The First 50 Years (Keefe), or even Our Margin on Life (Poirot). These I have read repeatedly, gathering gems during each exposure.”

Another friend and CFM President-Elect Ginny Wallace offered Bringing Nature Home (Tallamy), along with A Sand County Almanac.

“These are the two I gave my engineer dad to read to help him understand why I chose a career in conservation,” said Ginny. “Those books changed his thinking and he, in turn, bought copies of both to share with friends and other family members.”

“In Bringing Nature Home, Tallamy makes the connection between native plants, gardens, and biodiversity. He tells the stories of how individual gardeners, collectively, can protect and conserve local biological diversity,” offered Wallace. “For years native plant advocates have been promoting the use of natives in home gardens, but it wasn't until this book that people really made the connection between those plants, pollinators, and the insects birds require to fledge their young.”

Having experienced 10 of these titles suggested by friends, I now had enough courage to offer a few others to the list. On the historic side of things, I’ll recommend American Sportsmen (Reiger). This book also gives a nice overview without working too hard and sets the stage nicely for exploring Marsh and Grinnell as mentioned earlier.

Another great conservation story with a historical context, The Big Burn (Egan) will take you back to 1910, the time of a terrible western drought, uncontrollable fire, and the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot. Given today’s issues with climate change, you’ll see some similarities in this terrifying and fantastic recount.

And of course, if Leopold is your thing, his biography, Aldo Leopold (Meine) will take you deep into the mind, life, and influences that created this American icon; an absolutely fascinating read.

Lastly, Murphy suggested keeping a list of books read. “One rekindles good recollections by reviewing such a list. Very pleasant, intensely pleasant for a bookworm.” I like this idea and created a starter list from my inquiry to help you begin your own quest into great reading about conservation and nature. May it lead you to many pleasant thoughts and a greater awareness of this thing we call conservation.

Cover - The author created a starter list from his inquiry to help you begin your own quest into great reading about conservation and nature. (Photo: Dan Zekor) Top - A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold almost never happened. (Photo: Dan Zekor) Dan Zekor

Conservation Federation of Missouri's 88th Annual Convention

The Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) would like to thank everyone who made this year’s convention a huge success.

The Natural Resource Breakouts were held virtually from February 20th-22nd and 26th-28th. On Friday, March 1st, and Saturday, March 2nd, attendees gathered in-person at Lodge of Four Seasons at Lake of the Ozarks. On Friday, we celebrated our Conservation Achievement Awards. It was a beautiful evening filled with amazing people and emceed by Trevor Morgan and Nathan “Shags” McLeod from 96.7 KCMQ’s The Morning Shag. Our educational seminars held on Saturday ranged in topics from Healthy in the Outdoors, Land Trusts, Meramec River History, MoHives, managing your property and critters from the Dickerson Zoo. The Annual Banquet was held Saturday evening with speakers Mike and Terry Drury from Drury Outdoors along with Miss Missouri. There was an astonishing number of silent and live auction items and fun raffles and games. Attendees enjoyed the many opportunities to network and visit with conservation friends through-out the weekend. The Conservation Leadership Corps students gathered and continued their education of conservation in many various aspects for becoming the next generation of leaders through training and networking.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of our sponsors for their financial support. Those included: Bass Pro Shops, Conservation Foundation of Missouri Charitable Trust, Missouri River Bird Observatory, HMI Fireplace Shop, Forrest Keeling Nursery, Ozark Bait and Tackle, Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Brockmeier Financial Service, and National Wildlife Federation.

There were 8 resolutions passed from the hard work of the Resource Advisory Committees, Resolutions Committee and the General Assembly. Everyone’s input is greatly appreciated during this very important process.

A special thank you goes out to all the volunteers for all of their hard work behind the scenes and to all those that brought auction items. We really couldn’t pull off such an amazing weekend without everyone’s help.

Thanks to those who traveled to share in the fun, fellowship, and business of CFM this year. We really appreciate your continued support of our organization.

2024 Resolutions

A critical activity performed by CFM is the monitoring of conservation and natural resource issues and the formulation of an organizational stance or position based on the best available information and/or science. Members and board supported resolutions are frequently developed as a means of expressing CFM support, opposition, recognition, or advice on a particular topic. CFM resolutions are one of the most powerful expressions of our opinion as a conservation organization.

Resolutions were voted upon and approved at CFM's 88th Annual Convention on March 2nd, 2024. These can be viewed online at confedmo.org/listed-resolutions-through-the-years/.

RESOLUTIONS

2024 - 1: Increased Multi-Stakeholder Support for Show-Me Green Schools (Education and Outdoor Recreation)

2024 - 2: Encourage Awareness of Microplastic Pollution in Missouri Streams (Environment and Ecology)

2024 - 3: Repeal Missouri Legislation Outlawing Plastic Bags Ban (Environment and Ecology)

2024 - 4: Support Ethical Box Turtle Racing (Environment and Ecology)

2024 -5: Add Native Plant Species to Annual Fundraisers of the Missouri FFA Chapters (Grasslands and Prairies)

2024 - 6: Support Expansion of the Middle Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge (Public/Private Lands)

2024 - 7: Support the Parks, Soil and Water Sales Tax (Public/Private Lands)

2024 - 8: CFM Supports a Framework for State Authorities to Protect the Missouri Waters (Wetlands and Waterfowl)

Conservation Achievement Awards

The Conservation Federation of Missouri is pleased to announce the recipients of our Conservation Achievement Awards for 2023. These winners are Missourians who exemplify all that CFM stands for and have bettered Missouri's outdoors through personal efforts throughout 2023 and their lives. Congratulations to our award winners who were recognized at the CFM Annual Convention Awards Ceremony on Friday, March 1st at Lodge of Four Seasons at Lake of the Ozarks.

Outstanding Lifetime Achievement – Abe Phillips

Albert “Abe” Phillips has always had an enthusiastic passion for the out of doors. He not only managed to have a very successful career in managing public parks and, at the same time, he was able to pursue a sportsman’s passion as a lifetime contributor to the Conservation Federation of Missouri. During Abe’s career at St. Louis County Parks for close to 30 years, there was a significant growth in the number of parks, total acreage, and budget. In 1958, Abe began a 60+ year association with the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Abe served as the President from 1980 -1981, long-time chairman of the Nomination Committee, and was the Missouri delegate to the National Wildlife Federation for many years. Abe served as Vice-Chairman of the Federation’s Citizens Advisory Committee for the successful campaign of the 1/8 of 1% sales tax initiative to fund the Missouri Department of Conservation. Abe served as a Charter member of “Operation Game Thief” Board of Directors, serving as Chairman of the OGT Board from 1992 until 2021, nearly 30 years.

Share the Harvest – John’s Butcher Shoppee

John Kolisch was recruited by county agents to participate in a program called Share the Harvest. John’s processing shop, called John’s Butcher Shoppee, in Festus is a local landmark in Jefferson County. John, and his sons Tom and Mike, have been faithful, strong and efficient supporters of the program since its inception over 30 years ago.

The Kolisch family are also strong supporters of the CWD Containment program. They are willing to handle the results of the culling program that operate in the first part of the year These deer have been held in storage until the CWD testing results are returned and then donated to Share the Harvest. John has been retired for a few years but has been known to still be of help. If you visit John’s Butcher Shoppee, you will see that Tom and Mike’s enthusiasm for the Share the Harvest program has never faltered and remains at a highly enthusiastic level.

Conservation Communicator – Barry Birr

Barry Birr is the host of The Midland Empire Hotline, a long running live call-in talk show on 680 KFEQ Radio in St. Joseph, Missouri. Since the 1990’s, Barry invited a Missouri Conservation Agent, monthly for two hours, to cover conservation and other outdoor topics. Monthly topics include wildlife and conservation issues from invasive plants and regulation changes to turkey research and share the harvest programs. In addition to the opportunity for listeners to ask questions and share their opinions, Barry also invite’s other important people in the outdoor space to join the conversations including biologists, NGO’s, and other researchers. His generosity in providing the time on his show has helped educate the public, creating an appreciation for nature and the outdoors that is crucial to the efforts of conservation organizations and the future of the outdoors in Missouri.

Corporate Conservationist – HMI Fireplace Shops

HMI Fireplace Shops Inc. has been a tremendous business partner with the Conservation Federation of Missouri for 7 years. HMI started as a Business Partnership at the iron level in 2016 and then moved up to the bronze level a year later. Owners Charlie & Cheryl Wormek have been members of CFM for 12 years. Charlie became a life member in 2022, and is a current bronze founder circle member. As an avid outdoorsman, Charlie has a deep understanding of the power of the Federation, and how important it is to preserve and protect our precious resources for future generations.

He, along with his family, friends, and staff attend many CFM events and have been a wonderful supporter of conservation efforts across the state and the nation. Developing relationships and educating our customers is their goal. They want every experience you have to feel like you are calling a friend and you are working with a trusted professional.

Conservation Educator – Kristen Schulte

Kristen is the Education Director for Missouri River Relief (MRR). Her leadership has helped build community among outdoor and conservation educators and showed an inspirational pathway for others through the pandemic. Her vision is pushing MRR to grow its impact in all parts of our community. When Kristen joined the MRR team, she took a step back to review the existing education programs, gathered a group of MRR education partners and volunteers, and proceeded to build on the strengths of existing programs while creating completely new and innovative programs that have now impacted tens of thousands of students, teachers and community members. We seek to build participants’ knowledge and understanding of the Missouri River through hands-on experiences that will deepen their connection and sense of responsibility for its care and stewardship.” Kristen is an inspiring community builder, place-based educator and skilled collaborator representing the best of Conservation Education in the state of Missouri.

Conservation Organization – St. Louis Audubon Society, Bring Conservation Home Program

St. Louis Audubon Society’s Bring Conservation Home Program provides on-site advice to private landowners in the greater St. Louis area for the restoration of native plant and animal habitat on their grounds. With the goal of bringing better harmony with nature in individual home landscapes, the program offers consultations and advice. For a nominal fee, Bring Conservation Home will provide a landscape assessment by trained Habitat Advisors who will create a written report offering simple steps to improve the habitat value of the landscape. These assessments are tailored to the homeowner’s specific goals. As a result of the initial assessment, or a postassessment follow-up visit, the landscape might qualify for one of three certification levels. Once certified, the homeowner has the option to acquire a yard sign that will highlight accomplishments to their friends and neighbors. With this program, we see the everyday results of efforts made to improve and maintain our public areas in the way of parks and wildlife areas.

Feature Story

Forest Conservationist – Hank Stelzer

Hank Stelzer is an Associate Professor with the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources. A considerable portion of his job is to conduct landowner outreach to the nearly 350,000 landowners who own 83 percent of Missouri’s 14 million acres of forest land. He was the driving force in securing a foundational gift and other contributions to the MU Forestry program to help promote the management of upland oak. Stelzer oversees a $1 million-plus grant to eliminate feral hogs in Missouri. Another grant received recently was from the White Oak Initiative to hold and promote landowner field days and events. These landowners were then eligible for a free visit from a consulting forester. The initial round of events resulted in 170 attendees. Forest acres owned by attendees was reported at 12,674 acres. Hank plays a vital role in forestry education at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has worked diligently to ensure courses are scheduled and taught to maintain accreditation with the Society of American Foresters. When he secured funding for the MU Extension position it included job duties to teach critical classes within the forestry curriculum.

Hunter Education Instructor – Jerry Bryant

Jerry Allen Bryant has built a 37-year career teaching hunter education. In 1986, Jerry decided to take what had been a passion of hunting and become a dedicated and active instructor. As a leader he plays an active and compassionate role. He connects with our newest hunters in a way that allows the student to learn in a supportive comprehensive environment. Jerry is active in several hunting organizations where he furthers that passion of teaching the next generation in consumptive use of our natural resources. From turkey hunting to fishing, Jerry is a well-rounded and meaningful Conservationist. Jerry engages and encourages all ages to get involved and meeting them where they are. Jerry puts passion into action by being heavily involved in many Associations and sharing his skills and knowledge. He has worked a lifetime to make hunting accessible and meaningful to new generations. From his classroom commitment to encouraging hunters to be involved in local associations Jerry is truly deserving of this award.

Professional Conservationist – Michael Bill

Michael provides support, leadership, and superior customer service to the programs that he leads for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Michael has a strong desire to build on the leadership skills that he has developed in his personal and professional life that have prepared him for future challenges in the field of natural resource conservation. Michael’s ground breaking work leading the revision and update of the Comprehensive Conservation Strategy where he logged tremendous hours to finalize the document, foster it through the review and approval process with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the US Forest Service.

He hosted more than 20 individual workshops across the state in 2023 alone reaching over 350 department employees. Michael is a trusted ambassador for conservation and the department, working with multiple partnership groups at the local, statewide, regional, and national levels informing them of Missouri’s approach and seeking collaboration to maximize implementation of conservation.

Soil Conservationist – David Haubein

David Haubein is a landowner in Southwest Missouri operating Round Rock Ranch and Haubein Farms Inc. He utilizes no-till, cover crops, and regenerative grazing of his grasslands and cover crops. Native warm season grasses comprise half of his forage acres. He serves on the Farmer Advisory Committee for The Center of Regenerative Agriculture at MU and participated in the design of the CRCL Project. He also appears in many of their informational videos. Dave is a NACD Champion of Soil Health and has attended their Nation Convention to participate in producer forums on regenerative practices. Dave is a member of the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council and has been on several producer panels sharing his experience with growing and grazing cover crops following row crops. In 2020, Dave was the Missouri State Champion of the Indigo Ag Carbon Cup. He sequestered the most measured carbon in a crop field using cover crops and grazing. Estimated 47 tons of carbon per acre. Round Rock Ranch was the first ranch certified for Audubon Conservation Ranching in the US. Now there are more than 100 ranches in the program.

Youth Conservationist – Lauren Akin

Lauren began her work at Roaring River State Park as a seasonal naturalist. Lauren researched, designed, and presented numerous interpretive programs on topics including snakes, black bears, history, owls, and more. Roaring River’s current park ranger wrote the following about Lauren: “Lauren’s charismatic and compassionate personality makes her very popular with visitors. She can handle a diverse group on a tour or rowdy kids on a field trip; she is truly unflappable. In addition to program development, Lauren has helped with social media posts, care and handling of the nature center ambassador snakes, visiting school field trips, and managing the nature center. However, Lauren’s most impressive interpretive superpower is her ability to improvise. She gracefully handles anything thrown at her and is always willing to take on challenges.” Lauren has already made a significant contribution to conservation in Missouri through her actions and accomplishments, and knowing her as a person is an honor. Lauren is currently studying natural resources with a goal of working as a conservation agent with the Missouri Department of Conservation. She attends Missouri State University.

Water Conservationist – Mike Reed

For over 20 years Mike Reed has worked as a fisheries biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). But his work has included much more than just tracking the populations of fish species and their stocking and regulation and culture. Mike has promoted the use and culture of appropriate native aquatic and wetland plants for MDC managed wetlands and impoundments. He has influenced multiple MDC biologists and wetland managers on promoting desirable native plants for multiple benefits. Mike has pioneered the role of these aquatic and obligate wetland species in wetland reconstructions and pond enhancements for the benefit of both native fish and wildlife. Mike Reed is recognized for his years of outstanding work in our wetland and pond environments. Whether its native game fish, fish species of conservation concern, wetland and stream reptiles and amphibians, and providing the habitat and native plants that benefit these species, Mike has worked tirelessly for all of these on our public lakes and wetlands.

Conservation Legislator of the Year - Representative Peter Merideth

Representative Peter Merideth represents St. Louis City (District 80) in the Missouri House of Representatives. Over his tenure in the House, Peter has been a strong advocate for Conservation, Parks and Trails across Missouri. He has served as the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, the General Laws Committee, and on the Conservation and Natural Resources Appropriations Committee, among others. He recently attended the Rock Island Trail Summit last September and has been a consistent advocate for its development. A graduate of St. Louis University High School, Rep. Merideth studied musical theatre at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. While there, Rep. Merideth developed an excitement for politics and policy, and returned to St. Louis to study law at Washington University. Prior to running for office, Rep. Merideth began his legal career at the firm Husch Blackwell, and in 2011 started his own law practice, GroundUp STL, in the Shaw neighborhood in South St. Louis City. Rep. Merideth still practices some law outside of his legislative duties, and continues to serve on various boards and commissions in St. Louis.

Conservation Legislator of the Year - Senator Jason Bean

Senator Jason Bean represents Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Shannon and Stoddard counties. Senator Jason Bean has been a tireless advocate of conservation during his time in the Missouri Senate. He is the Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the Missouri Senate and is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources. While Senator Bean is a constant voice in guiding positive conservation and natural resource legislation through the legislative process.

He is passionate about connecting the next generation with the outdoors. He and his daughter Claire participated in the 2023 Governor’s Youth Turkey Hunt and have made it his mission to connect his kids with nature. He has previously served as interim superintendent of the University of Missouri’s top agricultural research facility. He was also elected chair of the Advisory Board of MU’s Fisher Delta Research Center, which consists of seven research labs, eight greenhouses and five different research locations designed to help farmers all across southeast Missouri. Senator Bean loves the outdoors and is an avid fisher, hunter and lifetime member of the NRA.

Conservationist of the Year – Susan Farrington

Susan Farrington has worked tirelessly to protect the native plant communities and wildlife of the Upper and Lower Ozarks of Missouri for nearly 15 years. Susan was the Missouri Forest Ecosystem Project (MoFEP) botanist, based in West Plains and trained and supervised the botany crews for many years. During this time, she developed the MoFEP botany manual, referred to as “the Ozark Plant Bible” by the many natural resource professionals from MDC, The Nature Conservancy, Pioneer Forest, U.S. Forest Service, and other professionals who consider it an essential reference. In her “free time,” Susan is an active member of the Missouri Native Plant Society and enjoys learning about new groups of species. For instance, in the past few years, Susan has learned on her own about moths and spends many hours identifying and photographing them at night. She readily shares her excellent photos of plants, insects, and other species with colleagues. She and her husband Dan Drees have painstakingly restored amazing glade and woodland natural communities on their own land in Shannon County that have served as an example site for other private landowners.

GOOD FOR LAND. GOOD FOR LIFE.

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Native Plants Help Fruits and Vegetables Thrive

Did you know native companion plants facilitate pollination of fruits and vegetables?

We depend on pollinators for most of the vegetables and fruits we enjoy from farms and our own gardens. By transferring pollen among the flowers of the same species of fruits and vegetables, fertilization occurs and makes fruit and seed development possible.

n Non-native honeybees are important pollinators of many of our food crops, but numerous species of native bees and other pollinating insects are significant as well. In fact, many native bees—of a variety sizes and shapes—are the only insects that pollinate certain species. For example, squash bees are vital for squash flower pollination.

n Native bees need not only nectar and pollen from fruit and vegetable flowers, but also from many native flowers. You can help support native bees and other pollinators by planting a variety of native wildflowers and native flowering shrubs and trees, including ones listed here.

n Sustaining and increasing native bee populations with native plants helps ensure there are plenty of pollinators for the fruits and vegetables you grow!

This list was created by native bee specialist Mike Arduser for the Grow Native! program

n Photos by Ed Spevak

GARDEN PLANT NATIVE POLLINATORS

strawberries

blackberries and raspberries

blueberries

apples, peaches, pears, and plums

small-medium sized bees

Augochlorella,Augochlora,Lasioglossum, Halictus,Osmia,Ceratina,Andrena

small-medium-large bees

Andrena,Halictus,Lasioglossum, Augochlorella,Augochlora,Hoplitis,Osmia, Ceratina , bumblebees

medium-large bees

Andrena,bumblebees, Colletes,Augochlora, Augochloropsis,Lasioglossum,Osmia, Habropoda,Eucera,Anthophora

medium-large bees

Andrena,Colletes,Halictus,Lasioglossum, Augochlora,Augochlorella

NATIVE COMPANION PLANTS

New Jersey tea, ragworts (Packeraspp.), Phaceliaspp., pale beard-tongue, wild hyacinth, common cinquefoil, golden alexanders

New Jersey tea, indigo bush, hawthorns, wild hyacinth, Jacob’s Ladder, pale beardtongue

redbud, plums, blue star, blue-eyed Mary, wood betony, Virginia bluebells, wild hyacinth, wild geranium, horsemint

major attractions on their own because of their size and conspicuousness

Choose native plants. Find them from Grow Native! professional members. See www.grownative.org for resources.

Clockwise from top left are a native spring polyester bee (Colletes inaequalis) on redbud flowers, southeastern blueberry bee (Habropoda laboriosa) on blueberry flowers, and a small carpenter bee (Ceratina sp.) in a strawberry blossom.

tomatoes medium-large bees

bumblebees, Augochloropsis,Lasioglossum, Anthophora

peppers medium-large bees

Halictus,Agapostemon,Augochlora, Augochlorella,Melissodesbimaculatus, bumblebees

eggplant medium-large bees

bumblebees, Augochloropsis,Lasioglossum

green beans medium-large bees

Megachile,bumblebees

squashes large bees

squash bees (Peponapis,Xenoglossa), bumblebees, Melissodesbimaculatus

cucumbers medium-large bees

Halictus,Agapostemon,Augochlora, Augochlorella,Melissodesbimaculatus, bumblebees

zucchini and melons medium-large bees

squash bees (Peponapis,Xenoglossa), bumblebees, Melissodesbimaculatus

okra medium-large bees

bumblebees, Melissodesbimaculatus, Ptilothrixbombiformis

foxglove beardtongue, pale purple coneflower, blue wild indigo, wild bergamot, purple prairie clover, germander, leadplant, tall coreopsis, obedient plant

same as tomatoes (above)

same as tomatoes (above)

leadplant, purple prairie clover, butterfly milkweed, common milkweed, germander, prairie blazing star, wild bergamot

leadplant, purple prairie clover, germander, butterfly milkweed, common milkweed, wild bergamot, native thistles, sunflowers, tall coreopsis

same as squashes

same as squashes

ironweeds, prairie blazing star, woundwort, common milkweed, native thistles, sunflowers, tall coreopsis, native hibiscus

Clockwise from left are a two-spotted bumblebee on tomato flowers, a squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa) in a pumpkin blossom, a black and yellow bumblebee on a wild bergamot flowerhead, a brown belted bumblebee on a wild blue indigo blossom, and a long-horned bee (Melissodes sp.) on an ironweed flowerhead.

Dutch Oven Cooking

Our first son was born in 1980. The pregnancy and delivery were miserable experiences for Mrs. Urich. Two subsequent births in 5 years were not any better for her. Consequently, she assigned me cooking duties for the duration of our marriage with the single objective of making every meal better than the last.

After a few decades, this assignment became a significant challenge. But Mrs. Urich was not without compassion and provided me with an excellent and diverse collection of cookbooks. I have ethnic cookbooks, specialty cookbooks and some classics like the Silver Spoon translated from the Italian.

The measurements are still in metric which required some consideration on my part but close is good enough for most Italian recipes. Homemade butterfingers for tiramisu cake are a notable exception. Of course, no cookbook collection is complete without an early edition of the Joy of Cooking. Many of these recipes rely on cream of mushroom soup, but I soon grew beyond this crutch to fine dining.

At gift-giving time, other husbands and fathers got ammunition, electronics, hunting equipment or accessories for the bass boat. I got those kitchen gadgets advertised on the cable channels for $19.95 plus shipping and handling. I have them all. One memorable Father’s Day, Mrs. Urich presented me with an expensive marble rolling board and pin for making pie crusts. I could chill both in the chest freeze to keep the butter in the flour mixture from melting when rolling out the pie crust. Mrs. Urich has a high standard for pie.

All of this cooking experience came in handy when I became a Boy Scout leader. Scout troops frequently camp together and participate in scout skill contests such as fire building, knot tying, first aid, orienteering and Dutch oven cooking, often cobblers. The first time I witnessed a Dutch oven cobbler contest, I was appalled. The scouts lined a Dutch oven nearly to the top with premade refrigerated pie dough and poured in cans of pie filling, usually cherry. This mixture was heated up into a nasty, sticky mess. As a pie master with a significant and welldeserved reputation in central Missouri, I knew how to take the Dutch oven cobbler to a higher level.

On a camping trip, there wasn’t a good alternative to the premade pie crust. In the summer, it is too hot to mix and roll out a pie crust without it melting into a sticky mess. In the winter, mixing up a pie crust with gloves on is awkward. Fresh fruit is a better alternative to canned pie filling. Berries, peaches and other soft fruits don’t travel well in a backpack and can be damaged by weather extremes. Apples are a good alternative. At the time, we had an 80-apple tree orchard on our 40 acres in Moniteau County, producing enough apples annually for thousands of cobblers.

The scouts were divided into teams of four. The first team lined the inside of the Dutch oven with pre-made pie crust up the side about two inches. It is better to make two shallow cobblers than one deep one. The Dutch oven with the crust lining on the inside was placed on hot coals with the lid off to pre-cook the pie crust. As the crust heats up, it will get limp and slide down the side of the Dutch oven into a blob on the bottom, which can be prevented by filling the Dutch oven with dried pinto beans. The pressure of the beans keeps the crust from sliding down the side. Pre-cooking a pie crust is called blind baking.

The second team cored and peeled apples. The third team sautéed the apples in butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves. If the weather conditions permitted, cream would be added after the apples were soft along with some tapioca to thicken the juice. The fourth team made a caramel sauce by heating butter with brown sugar.

The apples and caramel sauce were poured into the Dutch oven. Since the bottom and side crust were already cooked along with the filling, only the top crust needed to be browned. The top crust was brushed with egg white and sprinkled with coarse sugar.

Scouts making Dutch Oven stew while camping on the Lead Mine Conservation Area in Dallas County. (Photo: David Urich)

Then the entire Dutch oven was wrapped in hardware cloth which extended about four or five inches above the lid. Hot coals were piled on top of the Dutch oven and held in place by the hardware cloth. No hot coals were placed under the Dutch oven. A deep layer of coals on top would make the lid hot quickly and brown the top crust in a short time.

When the judges opened the lid and saw the flakey, brown top crust, they knew they were gazing at an amazing Dutch oven cobbler. The scout troop had two entries in this contest. The judges couldn’t decide which was best, so they both got blue ribbons, crushing the competition.

Dutch oven rabbit stew was another contest winner at scout cooking contests. The secret to rabbit stew on a camping trip is precooking the rabbit at home for hours in a crockpot until it is tender and then freezing the meat. The scouts cut up potatoes, carrots and onions in very small pieces so they would cook quickly. The tricky part was the seasoning. Scouts’ bland, undeveloped palates react poorly to spices. So do the judges, and a key to winning cooking contests is understanding what the judges like. I found seasoning the stew with Old Bay was a good alternative, adding some zing, but it didn’t offend the palates of the judges and scouts.

Scouts have a short attention span for monitoring a Dutch oven stew but they can play for hours with a campfire. Consequently, the Dutch oven was surrounded with hardware cloth or small mesh chicken wire about three inches out from the Dutch oven and held in place with short metal electric fence rods. The space between the wire and the Dutch oven was filled with hot coals from an adjacent fire using a shovel. The scouts could entertain themselves in the adjacent fire and shovel coals into the wire frame around the Dutch oven as the stew cooked. This amount of heat would soften the vegetables and bring the stew to a boil in about 20 minutes without needing to stir the mixture.

Years later, I made Dutch oven rabbit stew for a Missouri Prairie Foundation event on the LaPetite Gemme Prairie in Polk County. I added more interesting vegetables including parsnips, okra, leeks, lima beans and peas, five vegetables all Boy Scouts hate. I also added chopped figs and dates plus my special mixture of Moroccan spices. I explained the process for making this rabbit stew to over 80 people assembled under a big tent. Only two had eaten wild rabbit and most didn’t even know wild rabbit was edible. I watched as most cautiously dipped a meager amount into a bowl but they all came back for more. Fortunately, I made two batches. In subsequent years at other prairie events, I made this Dutch oven stew using pheasant and venison.

David Urich cooking Dutch oven pheasant stew on Pleasant Run Creek Prairie, Vernon County. (Photo: David Urich)

Biscuits and gravy were another Dutch oven favorite. The key to making biscuits in a Dutch oven is placing 4 evenly sized rocks about an inch tall in the bottom of the Dutch oven. The bottom, cut out of an aluminum pie plate, is placed on the rocks. The space between the bottom of the Dutch oven and the aluminum pie plate transforms the Dutch oven from deep sided fry pan into a convection oven. The biscuits were placed on the aluminum pie plate bottom. One of the scouts figured out attaching a dowel to the center of the aluminum plate bottom made lifting the biscuits out to flip much easier. Usually, the scouts used refrigerated biscuits but if the weather conditions permitted, they sometimes rolled out baking powder biscuits on a piece of plexiglass.

The gravy was made in a separate Dutch oven. When the sausage was cooked, I assembled the scouts to look at the amount of grease in the bottom of the Dutch oven. They all had to decide if cooking oil should be added or sausage grease removed and how much flour was needed to make a roux. The older scouts were good at these estimates after a few sessions. In the 11 years I was a scout leader, the troop never lost a cooking contest thanks to Mrs. Urich’s due diligence in transforming me into her resident, gourmet chef.

My latest kitchen gadget gift from Mrs. Urich was an instant pot. I didn’t think I needed one plus the directions are long and complicated. There are pages of warnings about how I could blow myself up with this device. But I learned the instant pot was excellent for cooking and tenderizing rabbits and pheasants. After decades of cooking rabbits and pheasants, I had driven the taste for these out of my family, our friends and their friends. But if I cooked them in the instant pot, I could add the meat to casseroles, tacos and other dishes. Of course, I had to process the rabbits and pheasants when Mrs. Urich was gone or the aroma would give me away.

I recently made a sauerkraut casserole using pheasants from a South Dakota hunting trip cooked in the instant pot. Mrs. Urich fished a lone round shot out of her casserole and dropped it on the table next to my plate while casting a suspicious and disapproving eye on me.

I responded with my shrug of innocence which I have deployed frequently during our marriage for reasons I’ve never completely understood. We continued to eat our meal in silence. Incidentally, the casserole was excellent.

Cover - David Urich, center in brown hat, serving apple cobbler to the scouts. (Photo: David Urich)

Left - David Urich serving Dutch Oven rabbit stew to Missouri Prairie Foundation members on LaPetite Gemme Prairie, Polk County. (Photo: David Urich)

David Urich

9814 Pleasant Hill Rd Jefferson City MO 65109

www.mowildflowers.net

mowldflrs@socket.net

573-496-3492

The original seed source of our plants is from wild populations found growing in Missouri. Our plants are as “wild” as we can possibly keep them.

3 Flowers, Grasses, Trees, Shrubs, Vines, sedges, pond plants.

3 Plants for full sun, full shade and anywhere in between..

3 Seed, seed mixes, and custom blends.

3 Expert advice. Missouri Wildflowers Nursery

David A. Risberg Memorial Grant and Affiliate Luncheon

The Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) has awarded the annual David A. Risberg Memorial Grants during a lunch program at our 88th Annual Convention. These grants honor the memory of David Risberg, who was passionate about conservation, by making conservation projects possible across Missouri. These grants are only available to CFM affiliate organizations.

“Thanks to the generosity of John and Mary Risberg, we are in our 7th year awarding these grants for boots-on-the-ground conservation work across our landscape and waterways in Missouri,” said Tyler Schwartze, CFM Executive Director.

CFM is continuously raising funds to grow this important endowment to support many more of our partners' worthy projects and better our natural world.

The 26 CFM Affiliates who received a share of the $34,130 distributed this year through the annual David A. Risberg Memorial Grants are:

• Capital City Fly Fishers

• Dark Sky Missouri

• Duckhorn Outdoors Adventures

• Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri

• Greater Ozarks Audubon Society

• James River Basin Partnership

• Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance, Inc.

• Mid Missouri Prescribed Burn Association

• Missouri Disabled Sportsmen

• Missouri Environmental Education Association

• Missouri Grouse Chapter of Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation

• Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation

• Missouri Prairie Foundation

• Missouri River Bird Observatory

• Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition (dba Stream Teams United)

• National Wild Turkey Federation

• Outdoor Skills of America

• Ozark Fly Fishers

• Ozark Trail Association

• Saint Louis Audubon Society

• Student Air Rifle Program

• The Open Space Council for the St. Louis region

• Wild Bird Rehabilitation

• Wild Souls Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation

• wildHERness

• World Bird Sanctuary

If you are interested in donating to the Risberg Memorial Grant Fund, you can do so by confedmo.org/donate and selecting "Risberg Challenge," in the dropdown menu.

Down By the River: A Floaters Guide to the Show-Me State

When the name of your state roughly translates to “the people of the wooden canoes,” you know you live in a special place. Rivers have always shaped Missouri’s landscape as well as its legends. From our state’s original inhabitants to the fur traders and logging industry, our rivers were the lifeblood of our state. Although they are no longer the main driver of commerce and trade, the importance of our rivers has not diminished, especially when it comes to outdoor recreation.

For many Missourians, experiencing a float trip is a rite of passage and most make floating an integral part of their summer season. An invaluable resource for anyone wanting to explore our streams is "A Paddlers Guide to Missouri," which is a thorough atlas covering over 58 floatable rivers and streams within the Show-Me State. You can pick up a copy for $9 at multiple MDC Nature Centers as well as MDC's online store.

Feature Story

The Crown Jewels

Some of Missouri’s rivers are so spectacular that three have the distinct honor of being among the first in the country to be federally protected: the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (the Current and Jacks Fork) and the Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Two of America's clearest and most beautiful spring-fed rivers make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the first national park area to protect a wild river system. The 138-mile Current River and 44-mile Jacks Fork River wind through a landscape of rugged hills and towering bluffs, showcasing the astounding natural beauty of Missouri’s Ozarks. In addition to these two famous rivers, this area is home to hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails and historic sites such as Welch Spring, Pulltite Spring and Alley Mill. Paddlers also can camp overnight along the gravel bars for a truly memorable Ozark experience.

Eminence, Mo. is the best place to start for making arrangements to float both, the upper Current or the Jacks Fork. Carr’s Canoe Rental (next to Round Spring), Windy’s Floats, and Harvey’s Alley Spring Canoe Rental (both in downtown Eminence) can take care of all your floating needs. Jadwin Canoe Rental in Jadwin specializes in float trips on the upper Current and is conveniently located across the road from The Outpost General Store where you can load up on juicy cheeseburgers and homecooked meals after your float. You can overnight at Big Rock Candy Mountain in Jadwin or Echo Bluff State Park, Shady Lane Cabins and Motel, and Alley Spring Campground, all in or near Eminence.

Along the middle section of the Current, The Landing in Van Buren, Mo. offers float trips as well as a massive, newly-renovated lodge and restaurant. And, just below Van Buren is the must-see Big Spring, which is the largest spring in the state and widely considered the largest in America.

For the lower section of the Current near Doniphan, Mo., KC’s on the Current offers tube, raft, canoe and kayak rentals for a day on the water and Current Situation at Southern Comfort Cabins and RV Park offers guests tent camping along with four rustic log cabins and an expansive RV park, all overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Current.

The Eleven Point National Wild & Scenic River consists of 44 miles of breathtaking natural beauty and some of the prettiest wild springs in the state. Highlights of the Eleven Point include Greer Spring, Turner Mill, Boze Mill Float Camp and The Narrows. The Eleven Point has several gravel bars for camping and seven designated float camps managed by the Mark Twain National Forest. Additionally, over six miles of this cold, fast river border the famed Irish Wilderness, the state’s largest protected wilderness area. For floating the Eleven Point, Hufstedler’s Canoe Rental near Alton, Mo. is the best game in town.

The North Fork of the White River is another gem of an Ozark stream. While not federally protected, the North Fork is nationally renowned for its wild population of rainbow trout. Like the Current and Jacks Fork, the North Fork is a large freestone river similar to what you’d find in the Rocky Mountains and begins near Mountain Grove, Mo. and flows to Norfork, Ark. Sunburst Ranch near Caulfield, Mo. and Dawt Mill Resort near Tecumseh, Mo. both offer float trips and a wide array of lodging options for their guests.

More Spring-fed Beauties

The Big Piney is a highly-regarded fishing and recreation river. The 85-mile stretch of the Big Piney features Ozark hallmarks like limestone bluffs and lovely natural springs. Peck’s Last Resort in Duke, Mo. provides multiple float trip options as well as camping and cabins. Devil’s Elbow River Safari, in the town of Devil’s Elbow, offers tent camping and a 5.5-mile float that is about as pleasant of a float as one could hope for.

The Gasconade River is affectionately known by locals as the “most crooked river in the world” and runs for nearly 300 miles, all within the confines of Missouri’s border. The most popular floating section of the Gasconade lies largely within Pulaski County. Boiling Spring Resort in Dixon, Mo. and Gasconade Hills Resort in Richland, Mo. offer multiple float options as well as camping spots and charming cabins.

The Meramec River runs for nearly 200 miles and provides fantastic floating water from just above Meramec Spring Park in St. James to Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Mo. This 66-mile stretch runs along Meramec Spring Park, Meramec State Park and the famous Meramec Caverns. The most popular stretch is likely the 5.5 miles between the state park and Meramec Caverns.

Both Meramec State Park near Sullivan, Mo. and Meramec Caverns provide float trips for their guests as well as overnight lodging in cabins, motels or campgrounds as well as on-site restaurants.

The Niangua River is a spring-fed river that stretches roughly 80 miles from Buffalo, Mo. to Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Camdenton, Mo. The 30 miles of river between the Moon Valley Access and Leadmine Conservation Area receive the most float traffic and flows along the periphery of Bennett Spring State Park. Many paddlers appreciate the one-stop convenience of Hidden Valley Outfitters, Niangua River Oasis (NRO) and Big Bear River Resort, which all provide multiple float options as well as camping and cabins.

LET’S GO!

Planning Your Trip

Once you have an idea of where you would like to float, making a call to one of the local outfitters is the best way to plan your trip. They will walk you through what to expect, the best times to be on the water, and can provide much-appreciated guidance to ensure your trip is an enjoyable one. All outfitters will provide boats, paddles, lifejackets, mesh trash bags and shuttle services. Many also have camp stores so you can purchase any necessary items you might have forgotten at home.

What to Bring

Other essential items include drinking water, swimwear, water shoes (sandals or old tennis shoes will do), a good cooler for cold beverages and snacks (NOTE: No glass containers are allowed on any Missouri river), a dry bag or dry box for your phone and/or keys. If you have young ones coming along, goggles and a snorkel are a great addition, too; they’ll enjoy watching the minnows and crawfish play in the shallows.

The Rule of the River

Nothing quite ruins a float trip like a terrible sunburn, so sun protection is critical. Make sure to pack (and wear) sunscreen, a brimmed hat and long sleeves.

Always leave a stream better than you found it. In other words, be sure to pack out more than you pack in.

Kyle Wayne Stewart

Photos Courtesy of Kyle Wayne Stewart

A program of the

Engaging youth in sustaining the conservation of our natural resources Developing the next generation of conservation leaders and future CFM members www.confedmo.org/clc

Sign up for CFM's Legislative Action Center to have your voice heard on legislation affecting Missouri's outdoors. www.confedmo.org/lac

Planning Your Future?

Include the Conservation Federation of Missouri in your estate plans.

Leave a legacy for the natural resources and traditions you have valued throughout your life. Make CFM a beneficiary of your will, trust, life insurance policy, or retirement plan. Any amount helps preserve Missouri’s resources and natural history for generations to come. What will your legacy be?

Call 573-634-2322 to find out more information.

PROUD PARTNER

Bass Pro Shops® is proud to support the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Since 1972, we have remained committed to conserving and caring for the great state we call home.