Conservation Federation vol 85 no 1

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

The Voice for Missouri Outdoors JANUARY 2024 - VOL 85 | NO. 1

FOUNDERS CIRCLE 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.

Silver Level David Urich-2023

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.

Bronze Level Zach Morris-2022 Mike Schallon-2023 Liz Cook-2023 Gene Gardner-2023 Charlie Wormek-2023 Anonymous-2023 Arlene Segal-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 2

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

Director’s Message

Turning Over New Rocks

H

appy New Year! Hope everyone had a blessed holiday season and is ready to take on 2024 to accomplish their goals - and to get out and enjoy mother nature, even during this colder time of year.

Speaking of getting outside, at my house I often hear this question arise from my four-year-old daughter Mabrey, “Dad, can we go outside and turn over rocks”? One of her favorite things to do is go outside, turn over rocks on our property and see what critters she can encounter. I am not sure how many times she has asked me to do this, and my answer is always, “Yes sweetie, of course we can”.

I have never been able to deny any of my children time outside. Somedays we even turn the same rocks over more than once, just to re-check that certain critters are still there!

It’s entertaining to me how her young mind interprets the things we find. Many times we find worms, crickets, spiders, or a family of roly-poly’s. Sometimes, it's a caterpillar or centipede and even the occasional frog or toad. She is very respectful and does a great job of leaving nature in nature after she has had a chance to properly identify them and give them made-up names.

Her squeals of delight when she encounters a new species make it all worth it.

Of my three kids, she is the kid who loves the outdoors the most. I expect her to re-read this article in precisely 18 and half years with her undergraduate degree in Biology, Entomology, Natural Resources, or something thereabouts. But if she takes a different path in life, well that will be just fine. My only hope is that her excitement and love of the outdoors never waver and is passed on to the next generation, as I am doing with her.

So what new “rocks” will you turn over to try and accomplish in 2024? A few highlights that CFM has on the horizon this year.

Our new strategic plan is underway, and our goals for the next five years are laid out and ready to be tackled.

There are many people to thank for their strong efforts to get this initiative to fruition. Too numerous to name individually, but I especially want to thank the Strategic Planning Committee and the Staff. As well as the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Resource Advisory Committees and many more.

Tyler pictured with his daughter, Mabrey, as they turn over rocks in their back yard. (Photo: Tyler Schwartze)

These individuals who worked hard know who they are, and I am very grateful for everyone who helped shape our immediate direction and future.

Also coming up is the 88th Annual Convention. We will have our Resource Advisory Committee meetings virtual again in the days leading up to the in person gathering, which will be held at Lodge of the Four Seasons this year.

Mark and Terry Drury from Drury Outdoors will be the keynote speakers on Saturday night, so you won’t want to miss out meeting these accomplished hunters, and hearing their amazing story. Be sure to check out the information on pages 18-19 about this exciting annual gathering.

Finally, a new year also brings a new legislative session in the Capitol in Missouri. We will continue to protect our precious resources and preserve our heritage on the various issues arising from each session. Be sure to keep an eye out for alerts as we share them with you and engage in the legislative process. Check out the article about an invasive species bill that CFM will be supporting on page 55. Lastly, be sure to sign up for our Legislative Action Center at confedmo.org/lac.

Thanks for all your support this past year, and here is to turning over new rocks in the new year and accomplishing great things together!

Yours in Conservation, Tyler Schwartze CFM Executive Director, Editor JANUARY - 2024

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CONTENTS

Conservation Federation January 2024 - V85 No. 1

Features

OFFICERS Zach Morris - President Bill Kirgan - President Elect Ginny Wallace -Vice President Benjamin Runge - Secretary Bill Lockwood - Treasurer

42

STAFF Tyler Schwartze - Executive Director, Editor Micaela Haymaker - Director of Operations Michelle Gabelsberger - Membership Manager

34

60

Nick Darling - Education and Communications Coordinator Trisha Ely - Development & Events Coordinator

24

A Swan Lake Tribute

Joan VanderFeltz - Administrative Assistant

28

Real Men Do Cry Sometimes

Emma Kessinger - Creative Director

31

Bounties and Predator Control

34

Sam Potter: Long Time Educator and Fishing Guide

42

CFM's 3rd Annual Photo Contest Winners

45

Gadgets

48

50 Years (and More) of Fun Steeped in Tradition

52

Stuck

56

Upper Current River Theme of Salem Mural

60

Pet Plants and the Golden Rule of Seventy

62

Squirrels in the Woods

Departments 3 8 11 14

Director's Message President's Message Life Members Affiliate Spotlight

Highlights 9 12 17 18 23

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

CFM 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.

Conservation Federation is the publication of the Conservation Federation of Missouri (ISSN 1082-8591). Conservation Federation (USPS 012868) is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September and November for subscribers and members.

Of each member’s dues, $10 shall be for a year’s subscription to Conservation Federation.

Periodical postage paid in Jefferson City, MO and additional mailing offices.

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4

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

Events Schedule Bees & Butterflies Fundraiser CLC Seed Harvesting Annual Convention Conservation Day at the Capitol Governor's Mentor Deer Hunt

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

FRONT COVER Cover Photo was taken by Dan Bernskoetter at Loess Bluff National Wildlife Refuge at sunset using a Canon 5D Mark II, lens Canon EF70-200mm. Settings 1/160 second, f/11 and ISO 200. There were approximately 300,000 snow geese at the refuge on this particular day.

Business Partners

Thank you to all of our Business Partners.

Platinum

Gold Bushnell Doolittle Trailer Enbridge, Inc.

G3 Boats MidwayUSA Pure Air Natives

Redneck Blinds Rusty Drewing Chevrolet Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery Mitico Quaker Windows

Simmons Starline, Inc. St. James Winery

Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc. 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

Dickerson Park Zoo 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

Kansas City Parks and Recreation Lewis County Rural Electric Coop.

Missouri Native Seed Association Scobee Powerline Construction Sprague Excavating Tabor Plastics Company Truman’s Bar & Grill United Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Silver Custom Metal Products Forrest Keeling Nursery Learfield Communication, Inc. 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 Blue Springs Park and Recreation Brockmeier Financial Services Brown Printing Cap America Central Bank Community State Bank of Bowling Green

Your business can benefit by supporting conservation.

For all sponsorship opportunities, call (573) 634-2322.

JANUARY - 2024

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"The Voice for Missouri Outdoors" 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.

Partnerships

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

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

Young Professionals

Conservation Federation of Missouri began

1935

State Wildlife and Forestry Code published

1936

1940

Wildlife and Forestry Act passed

1944

1946

First deer season since 1937

Amendment 4 created Missouri's non-political Conservation Commission

First turkey season in 23 years

1958

1960

First hunter safety program formed

Missouri Department of Natural Resources formed

1969

1974

Urban fishing program formed in St. Louis; first in the nation

Operation Game Thief formed

1976

Design for Conservation Sales Tax passed

1982

1984

Stream Teams formed

1989

Parks and Soils Sales Tax passed

Missouri voters Outdoor renewed Action Parks and Soils Sales Committee formed Tax by 70.8%

Share the Harvest formed

1991

1992

Operation Forest Arson formed

2002

2006

Conservation Leadership Corps formed

2007

2009

Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program formed

CFM Celebrates 85 years

2016

2020

Parks and Soils Sales Tax renewed by voters by the highest percentage to date (80%)

Ways You Can Support CFM Membership

Life Membership

Affiliate Membership

Business Partnerships

Scholarships and Grant Support

Event Sponsorship and Product Donation

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.

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.

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

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

Conservation Federation of Missouri 728 West Main St, Jefferson City, MO 65101 Phone: (573) 634-2322 ~ Email: info@confedmo.org www.confedmo.org

Become a Member today! ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

Description Individual Supporter Individual Advocate Individual Sustaining Youth/Student Individual Lifetime

Price $35.00 $60.00 $100.00 $20.00 $1,000.00

Name: E-mail: Phone: Address: Credit Card #: Exp. Date:

Join online confedmo.org/join

President’s Message

Perspectives on Nature

I

n a changing world, how do we value nature? Rapid technological advancements combined with population growth and political unrest make the world a much different place than it was a few years ago, let alone a generation ago. In the face of so many new challenges, how does the conservation world adapt? Are perspectives on nature changing, and if so, how should we respond?

The conservation community is in a unique position, because we have a solution to many of the issues facing the world today. Extreme weather events? Wetlands can help store floodwaters or buffer against storm surge.

Record temperatures? Urban tree canopies can make our cities cooler and more livable. Poverty and food insecurity? Nature abounds with opportunities to provide healthy food, whether it’s hunted, fished, or gathered.

Through our Share the Harvest program, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, local businesses, and food banks, CFM provides hundreds of thousands of pounds of hunter donated meat to Missourians in need every year. This is a great example of how nature can meet the needs of a changing world, but it is only part of the picture.

To some, nature is a necessity. They view themselves as part of nature, which provides the food they eat along with the air they breathe. But to others, nature is a luxury. Some folks are too busy trying to meet their basic needs to have time to worry about the natural world, even if they do rely on clean air and water, which both come from nature. Let’s not forget the recreational perspective, as many millions of Missourians enjoy hiking, biking, birdwatching, paddling, and a great many other outdoor activities.

Some people view nature as a way to provide for themselves and their families, enjoying the pursuit of fish and game for the table. But that isn’t the only way nature provides. Backyard gardens help feed families all over the state, while teaching a new generation to value nature in their own way. Neighborhood parks provide a safe place for kids to enjoy the outdoors and help families connect with each other. The psychological benefits of nature are well documented. Even a little bit of green space can boost creativity, improve test scores in students, and even help us sleep better.

For every issue facing a changing world, nature can – and should – be part of the solution. At CFM, protecting the unique conservation system that we have in Missouri is one of our top priorities. Missouri citizens set it up this way: a politically independent Conservation Commission with a dedicated sales tax and the authority to spend the money. We also have a sales tax that funds our State Park system and a great many soil and water conservation projects on private property. Continued public support for these initiatives is paramount, not only for the future of conservation, but also for the future of our state.

So as the world continues to change, and perspectives on nature change along the way, how do we make sure that Missouri voters continue to value nature at the ballot box? I don’t have the answer, but I think we can start by making sure that there’s room for every perspective at the table. We need the leaders who came before us to continue giving their guidance, and we need a new generation of passionate voices to chart the path to the future. The future of conservation will require a broad perspective to make sure every voice is heard.

If conservation will continue to be a success story for Missouri, and if nature will help solve our problems, provide for our citizens, and heal our country, we need everyone at the table. We don’t have all the answers, but CFM is committed to the future of conservation. We value all voices, and are working towards a future where all Missourians can safely enjoy nature the way they see fit. I hope CFM will always be a place where folks from different backgrounds come together and share their perspectives, and we can all learn from each other.

However you enjoy nature, I hope you get the chance to share your perspective with someone new. Maybe I’ll see you out there.

Zach Morris President, CFM

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

2024 Events Schedule 88th Annual Convention - March 1-3

Let your voice be heard at the Annual Convention. The event will include meetings, awards, auctions, and so much more. Held at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark.

Conservation Day at the Capitol - April 3

Join conservationists from across Missouri on the radio for a day of celebrating and supporting conservation and natural resources. The broadcast will air from 6 am to 10 am on 96.7 FM or KCMQ.com.

Wild & Wonderful Duck Race - April 13

Join us for a wild and wonderful day of family fun and learning about Conservation Federation of Missouri with some outdoor activities and an exciting duck race.

CFM Life Member Event - June

CFM will be hosting its 4th annual life member only event.

Conservation Federation Banquet: Columbia - July 11

Fish or kayak then eat a fantastic meal while supporting CFM at Bass Pro Shops in Columbia.

Pull for Conservation: Central - August 10

Take your best shot at the 18th annual Central clay shoot at Prairie Grove Shotgun Sports.

Affiliate Summit - September 5

CFM affiliate organizations are invited to network and learn with fellow professionals.

Conservation Federation Online Auction - September 9-20 Enjoy a fun and interactive online auction with many great trips and prizes.

Conservation Federation Banquet: St. Louis - October 17 Join us for a fantastic meal while networking and supporting CFM.

Holiday Online Auction - December 2-13

Bid on many exciting items just in the time for the holidays.

Event dates are subject to change. Please visit www.confedmo.org or follow us on social media for the most up to date schedule.

Member News

Why I Became a Life Member of CFM: Robert Brundage

I

grew up in an outdoor family.

I hunted, fished and camped. I’ve been an avid birder since the age of 13. I enjoy working on my farm performing timber stand improvement and planting food plots. I’m proud that both my daughter and son are skilled hunters.

Every year, there are legislative challenges to the Commission’s authority and every year the CFM walks the Capitol halls fighting for conservation.

Through the years, CFM has fought in the courts to protect the Conservation Commission’s independence and authority. CFM also fights for Missouri State Parks.

In the last year alone, CFM filed amicus briefs in two critical lawsuits. Both efforts were victorious. Missouri State Park’s authority to purchase land for parks was upheld. But just as important, the Conservation Commission’s authority to decide how to spend the Conservation Sales Tax was also upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court.

My father was an active CFM member participating in the forestry committee. In my late twenties I met Andy Runge who served on the Conservation Commission and was active in CFM. Andy encouraged me to get involved.

Since then, I’ve served on the board for around 25 years and twice served on the executive committee. I believe in giving back and fighting for conservation.

I’m proud of CFM’s accomplishments. Operation Game Thief and Share-the-Harvest come to mind. But the principle reason I am a CFM member is to support the Conservation Commission’s independence and the Conservation Sales Tax.

CFM also fought to preserve the Conservation Commission’s authority to regulate the White-tailed deer. Again, with the help of a CFM friend of the court brief, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the Commission’s authority over Missouri’s premier game species.

I’m proud to be Life Member and lend my support to CFM’s continuing efforts to be the Voice for Missouri’s Outdoors.

In Memory & Honor In Memory of Dan Meyer Mr and Mrs William Koeller Mr and Mrs Edward Svoboda Bonnie Callihan Mr and Mrs Roy Key Mr Arthur Meyers

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

In Memory of John Hensley Adam Neth Marianne Neth Deanna Ronchetti Ruth Tucker Wayne Schmidt Larry Harman

Member News

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 Lynn Barnickol Jamie Barton Michael Bass Robert Bass Don Bedell 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 Robert Brundage * Scott Brundage Bill Bryan Alan Buchanan Connie Burkhardt Dan Burkhardt Brandon Butler Randy Campbell Brian Canaday Dale Carpentier * Glenn Chambers Bryan Chilcutt Ed Clausen * Edward Clayton * Ron Coleman Denny Coleman Rhonda Coleman

Liz Cook 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 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. Johnny 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 Tyler Ruoff Benjamin Runge 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 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

JANUARY - 2024

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Do you want to support the health of our environment and raise money for your organization?

Don't Worry!

We can help!

BEES & BUTTERFLIES FUNDRAISER Make Money for your organization help support cfm build pollinator gardens in your community

Help start pollinator gardens all over your community! www.confedmo.org/pollinators email info@confedmo.org

Member News

CFM Elections Now Open “By voting, we add our voice to the chorus that forms opinions and the basis for actions.” - Jens Stoltenberg

E

lections for CFM Board and Officer positions are now open. Please take the time to go and vote www.confedmo.org/boardelections/.

The Nominating Committee selected the following nominees as candidates in the 2024 board and officer election. Each candidate's bio and short video will be available on the CFM Website.

A request for CFM Officer and Board Nominations for 2024 was made back in July. To develop the slate, the Nomination Committee reviewed, evaluated, and assessed each nominee. CFM members now have a slate of candidates with their nomination bio.

Positions to be voted on: At-Large Board positions (4 open positions) • Katherine Brookshire • Joe Cater • JD Kehrman • Leanne Tippett Mosby • Adam Sapp • Emily Porter Schrader • Katie Wiesehan • Dan Zerr Executive Committee (2 open positions) • Steve Jones • Michael Schallon • Katie Wiesehan

CFM members can read about the roles and responsibilities of each position at www.confmo. org/boardelections/ as well as the preferred (but not required) qualifications and experience for each. The nominee’s bios and short video on CFM’s website will allow voters to hear them express their views.

National Wildlife Federation alternative representative (1 open position) • John Hickey • Leanne Tippett Mosby Vice-president (1 position) • Steve Jones President-elect (1 position) • Ginny Wallace Voting in the 2024 election will take place electronically during the month of January. The results will be announced prior to the CFM Annual Convention. If you have any questions, please contact the CFM office. Please go to www.confedmo.org/ boardelections/ to let your voice be heard.

JANUARY - 2024

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Affiliate Highlights

The Missouri Master Naturalist Program

T

he Missouri Master Naturalist program is a community-based natural resource education and volunteer service program for adults, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the University of Missouri Extension. The purpose is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the state of Missouri.

Since its beginnings in 2004, the program has grown to 12 active chapters throughout the state; training 2,700 volunteers, with over 700 maintaining their certification as active contributors to Missouri’s conservation. Initial training consists of a 14-session course, including a commitment to provide 40 hours of volunteer service, and earn 8 additional hours of advanced training to be certified. To maintain their certification, they are required the same 40 hours/8 hours commitment on a yearly basis.

As of 2022, Master Naturalists have provided over 800,000 hours of volunteer service, ranging from community and youth education, habitat restoration, eradication of invasive plants, propagation and planting of native plants.

Volunteer service efforts are as diverse as Missouri’s ecology. Members from the Osage Trails chapter (Kansas City) have assisted with prescribed burns in Swope Park. And Hi Lonesome chapter (Cole Camp) Master Naturalists have braved the summer heat, digging holes to reintroduce American Burying Beetles into the field.

The Springfield Plateau chapter (Springfield) provides volunteer support for the WOLF School, both in the classroom and on field trips. WOLF (Wonders of Outdoor Learning Facility) is a partnership between Bass Pro and Springfield Public Schools in which 50 students and 2 teachers conduct the full year of the standard 5th-grade curriculum “taught through the lens of nature.”

St. Louis County’s Great Rivers chapter partners with County Parks and other organizations to maintain 3 demonstration pollinator gardens in Creve Coeur Lake Park. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park near Columbia is a primary beneficiary of Columbia’s Boones Lick chapter.

Missouri Master Naturalists are heavily involved in participatory science projects, including MDC’s Eagle Watch Program, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, water quality monitoring, and the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Partnering with International Dark Sky Association, Master Naturalists work with local community and business leaders to reduce the harmful effects of night light pollution. They also provide volunteers for MDC’s Chronic Wasting Disease Monitoring efforts.

For more information, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/ programs/missouri-master-naturalist.

Left - Stream critters at Powder Valley - Introducing stream critters to youngsters at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center (Photo: Barb Cerutti) Top - Master Naturalists from 4 different chapters gathering for a field day at Babler State Park (Photo: Darla Preiss)

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Affiliate Highlights

Affiliate Organizations Anglers of Missouri

Missouri Caves & Karst Conservancy

Missouri Taxidermist Association

Association of Missouri

Missouri Chapter of the

Missouri Trappers Association

Electric Cooperatives

American Fisheries Society

Missouri Trout Fishermen's Association

Bass Slammer Tackle

Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society

Burroughs Audubon

Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Graduate Student Organization

Society of Greater Kansas City

MU Wildlife & Fisheries Science

Missouri Conservation Agents Association

Northside Conservation Federation

Capital City Fly Fishers

Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation

Open Space Council of the St. Louis Region

Chesterfield Citizens

Missouri Conservation Pioneers

Outdoor Skills of America, Inc.

Missouri Consulting Foresters Association

Ozark Chinquapin Foundation

Columbia Audubon Society

Missouri Disabled Sportsmen

Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc.

Conservation Foundation of

Missouri Ducks Unlimited- State Council

Ozark Land Trust

Missouri Charitable Trust

Missouri Environmental

Ozark Riverways Foundation

Deer Creek Sportsman Club

Education Association

Committee for the Environment

Ozark Trail Association

Duckhorn Outdoors Adventures

Missouri Forest Products Association

Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club

Festus-Crystal City Conservation Club

Missouri Grouse Chapter of QUWF

Perry County Sportsman Club

Forest and Woodland

Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation

Pomme De Terre Chapter Muskies

Missouri Master Naturalist -

Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc.

Association of Missouri Forest Releaf of Missouri Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

Great Rivers Chapter

Quail Forever & Pheasants Forever

Missouri Master Naturalist -

River Bluffs Audubon Society

Gateway Chapter Trout Unlimited

Hi Lonesome Chapter

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Greater Ozarks Audubon Society

Missouri Master Naturalist -

Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri Greenway Network, Inc. James River Basin Partnership

Osage Trails Chapter Missouri Master Naturalist Springfield Plateau Chapter

Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership (SRISP) South Side Division CFM Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers

L-A-D Foundation

Missouri National Wild Turkey Federation

St. Louis Audubon Society

Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance

Missouri Native Seed Association

Stream Teams United

Land Learning Foundation

Missouri Outdoor Communicators

Student Air Rifle Program

Legends of Conservation

Missouri Park & Recreation Association

Tipton Farmers & Sportsman's Club

Little Blue River Watershed Coalition

Missouri Parks Association

Tri-Lakes Fly Fishers

Magnificent Missouri

Missouri Prairie Foundation

Troutbusters of Missouri

Mid-Missouri Outdoor Dream

Missouri River Bird Observatory

United Bow Hunters of Missouri

Mid-Missouri Trout Unlimited

Missouri River Relief

Watershed Conservation Corps

Midwest Diving Council

Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc.

Wild Bird Rehabilitation

Mississippi Valley Duck

Missouri Rural Water Association

Wild Souls Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation

Hunters Association

Missouri Smallmouth Alliance

Wonders of Wildlife

Missouri Association of Meat Processors

Missouri Society of American Foresters

World Bird Sanctuary

Missouri Atlatl Association

Missouri Soil & Water Conservation

Young Outdoorsmen United

Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation

Society-Show-Me Chapter

Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative

Missouri Sport Shooting Association

Missouri Birding Society

Missouri State Campers Association

Missouri Bow Hunters Association

Missouri State Parks Foundation

JANUARY - 2024

15

It’s Your

SEASON

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Contact your local Shelter agent to insure your auto, home, life, farming, hunting & fishing gear.

Find an agent near you at ShelterInsurance.com.

Member News

Harvesting Seeds for a Purpose: Supporting Conservation Leadership

O

n October 21, 2023, a group of dedicated individuals came together for a special event that blended a love for nature with the support of the Conservation Leadership Corp (CLC), CFM’s youth education program with a vital mission. The setting was the picturesque property of Tom Westhoff, a valued board member.

Tom's land is home to acres of native plants, creating the perfect backdrop for a day of seed collecting and community building.

The group included two students, a member of the Youth Conservation Advisory (YCA) committee, and several of Tom's neighbors, all eager to be immersed in the beauty of native flora. Armed with collection baskets, plant trimmers, and a new knowledge identifying the target species, they set out to harvest seeds from plants that were in their prime season.

Among the stars of the day were the New England Aster, False Aster, Mountain Mint, and Gentians, each representing a piece of the region's natural heritage.

These seeds held a special purpose. They were gathered with the intent to make a difference. The seeds collected at this event would be sold to PureAir Natives, with the funds generated being donated to the CLC. This financial support plays a crucial role in funding the student Fall Workshop and covering their expenses at the Annual Convention in the spring.

Amid the natural beauty, the group paused for a welldeserved lunch. A local touch was added to the feast with freshly fried fish, providing a delicious, sustainable source of nourishment. Tom's homemade ice cream, a delightful and flavorful treat, capped off the meal and was a highlight of the day.

Beyond the beauty of the day, this gathering had a clear purpose: supporting the CLC's mission. The CLC is committed to educating and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to address environmental challenges in the future.

The funds raised during this seed-collecting event have a direct impact on the CLC's efforts. They enable the program to reach more young minds, foster a love for the environment, and instill a passion for conservation.

By investing in the CLC, the participants were helping to build a brighter and more sustainable future.

As the day drew to a close, the seeds of native plants were collected, and the seeds of knowledge and inspiration were sown in the hearts and minds of those who came together to support a cause that truly matters.

This event celebrated the beauty of nature, the strength of community, and the importance of passing the torch of conservation to the next generation.

The day unfolded under a perfect autumn sky, with the warmth of the sun adding to the enjoyment of the experience. In this idyllic setting, the participants discovered the rewards of both learning and contributing to conservation.

JANUARY - 2024

17

Conservation is our mission, Missouri is our home.

88

th

Annual Convention

February 20-22, 26-28, 2024 Virtual

March 1-3, 2024 In-person LODGE OF THE FOUR SEASONS, LAKE OZARK, MISSOURI

For more information and to register visit: www.confedmo.org/convention (573) 634-2322

Let your voice be heard!

Be a part of the resolution discussions that affect your outdoor passions!

Keynote Speakers MARK & TERRY DRURY

Banquet Awards Ceremony Live and Silent Auctions General Assembly Meeting Networking Opportunities Meet 2023 Miss Missouri Hayley Leach Meet the Conservation Leadership Corps Educational & Entertaining Natural Resource Breakouts

Schedule:

Registration:

February 20-22 & 26-28

Register online at: confedmo.org/convention or mail below registration to:

Natural Resource Breakouts - Virtual Resolution Committee

Friday, March 1

Life Member Reception Social Hour Conservation Awards Ceremony

Saturday, March 2 Keynote Session Education Seminars General Assembly Board & Affiliate Leader Luncheon Young Professionals Event Social, Silent Auction & Raffles Banquet & Live Auction

Sunday, March 3 Board Meeting

Accommodations: Lodging must be made with the Lodge of Four Seasons, at 888-265-5500. “Conservation Federation” room block ends February 9.

CFM 728 West Main St. Jefferson City, MO 65101

Event Registration Closes February 15th at 5:00 p.m.

General Registration Package: Member: All 10 Natural Resource Breakouts, Education Seminars, General Assembly, Awards Ceremony & Silent Auction $50/person Non-Member: All sessions, Awards Ceremony, Silent Auction, and a one-year membership (new or renewing members) $80/person

Saturday Night Banquet Registration Package: Silent and Live Auctions, Raffles, Keynote Speaker, Games and Dinner. $70/person

No General Registration required if only attending Saturday Night Banquet or for youth under 18.

Register now for CFM's 88th Annual Convention Name(s): ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: (______) _______-________ E-mail: ______________________________________________________________

Special Needs: (Dietary, Access, Handicap, etc.):_____________________________________________________ First Time Attendee :

____Yes _____No Quantity

General Registration Package Member- $50/person Non-Member- $80/person Awards Ceremony RSVP Saturday Night Banquet Package- $70/person

Fee

$

$

Smothered Sirloin Chicken Marsala Vegetarian Pasta Primavera Children's Meal (12 & under) - $20/child - Chicken Strips and Fries Table Reservation for 10- $650/table (please choose 10 meals)

Registration Total

No Cost

$ $ $ $ $ $

Credit Card #: _______________________________ Exp. Date: ___/_____ Signature:________________________

Conservation Day at the Capitol

April 3, 2024 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Third Floor Rotunda

Join fellow conservationists from across Missouri in a day of celebration and support for our natural resources and conservation efforts. This is an exceptional opportunity to learn about various conservation organizations and how they collaborate to protect Missouri's natural resources.

96.7 KCMQ partners with CFM to bring The Morning Shag, LIVE: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

For more information, visit: confedmo.org/events

Tune into 96.7 FM

It's important to note that this event is subject to cancellation.

Statement of Ownership

20

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

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.

Member News

Conservation Leadership Corps Hosts Fall Workshop

O

n Friday, September 15th, the Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) traveled down to Camp Clover Point at Lake Ozark State Park to begin working on resolutions for the upcoming year. On Friday evening, we discussed our “Silver Compasses” which are quotes that we have each chosen that mean something to us and that will follow us throughout our journey in CLC to help guide us. We talked about the importance of “Silver Compasses” as conversation starters as well as their purpose in email signatures.

On Saturday, we kicked off working on resolutions with an overview presentation on what a resolution is and its purpose. Following the presentation, we brainstormed conservation issues that we have noticed in Missouri that matter to us. Soon after, leaders were assigned and teams were formed for various issues. We met with our teams periodically throughout the day to begin researching issues and getting in contact with resource professionals.

Shortly after lunch, we took our group photo, where it was announced that CLC won the blue square portion of the Shane McConkey Eco Challenge, which awards various conservation organizations and programs for their work. Additionally, CLC was awarded $3000 to put toward the program from the Shane McConkey Eco Challenge. Then, the officers organized a leadership activity called “Minefield,” which focused on teamwork, efficient and descriptive communication, and listening skills.

After talking about what we learned in the leadership activity we were split off into various groups to learn new skills such as hatchet throwing, using a slingshot, as well as fly tying and casting presented by the Capital City Fly Fishers.

After dinner, we were given a presentation about the importance of advocacy from CFM’s president, Zach Morris. He discussed how we can make an impact by contacting our representatives, making appearances at capital hearings, and giving our “elevator speech”.

To wrap up on Sunday morning each group gave presentations on their resolution work so far and where they planned on going with it in the future. Overall, it was a great weekend of learning, networking, and getting to know everyone!

Abigail Farris

Top - CLC members participating in “Minefield” leadership activity.

Left - CLC members learning how to tie a fly from Capital City Fly Fishers (Photos: Abigail Farris)

22

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Member News

Empowering New Hunters: Missouri's Governor's Mentored Deer Hunt

I

n Missouri, the first weekend of October marks a special event, the Governor's Mentored Deer Hunt. This initiative, co-hosted by the Conservation Federation of Missouri along with numerous other partners, brought together various organizations and partners to create an unforgettable experience for new hunters.

The timing of the event was carefully chosen to coincide with Missouri's early antlerless rifle season, giving participants a unique opportunity to hunt. Across the state, numerous properties, many of which were part of the Deer Management Assistance Program, hosted 25 new hunters and their mentors. These landowners aimed to reduce deer populations on their properties, providing an excellent chance for new hunters to harvest a deer.

Before heading out to the blinds, participants received training on deer biology, hunting safety, and firearm handling. Following this, they honed their rifle skills at the range. They then embarked on an evening hunt with their mentors, with a second opportunity the following morning. When a successful harvest occurred, the new hunters learned how to field dress and process their game.

Tyler Schwartze, Executive Director of the CFM, emphasized the significance of partnerships. He stated, "The Governor's Mentored Deer Hunt demonstrates the incredible results that can be achieved through collaboration. A lot of great organizations came together to plan this all out. This event highlights the strength of our partnerships, showing how working together can provide invaluable experiences for new hunters while significantly contributing to the conservation efforts in the state of Missouri."

Cheyne Matzenbacher of the National Deer Association coordinated the Howell County hunt, with four participants mentored by NDA, NWTF, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and Ozark Mountain Outdoors. Remarkably, all four new hunters successfully harvested a deer on the first hunt. A father-daughter duo celebrated their first deer harvest, while the other two new hunters felt confident enough to venture out on their own the next morning, with one even harvesting two more deer while hunting solo.

Photos: National Deer Association

Organizers eagerly anticipate continuing this annual event, expressing gratitude to the partners, landowners, and organizations involved. This event exemplifies the collaborative spirit within the hunting community, inspiring and empowering new hunters in Missouri.

JANUARY - 2024

23

Feature Story

A Swan Lake Tribute

A

fter days and weeks of blue skies and warm temperatures, the feel was a little different. Heavy gray clouds. An occasional mist carried along by a steady breeze out of the northwest. A ducky day. A few blue-winged teal and pintails cruised past in the distance.

All of it appropriate to the moment.

Not far from the view of Sumner’s infamous Maxie, the crowd on hand at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge was impressive. There were locals, friends, wives, sons, daughters, grandchildren, and at least one dog.

Also in attendance were former Conservation Commissioners (Churan, McGeehan, Blair) and the newest Commissioner (Wagner). There was a healthy sampling of folks who have dedicated their lives and careers to wetlands and waterfowl conservation – Baskett, Bell, Flashpoler, Graber, Helmers, Humburg, LaRue, Seek to name a few. Missing were Milonski, Vaught, and Chambers but I know they were there in spirit.

24

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

So, on a chilly October morning, led by officials from Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Fish and Wildlife Service, we gathered together on a levee road for a corresponding pair of happenings, each highlighting the other – a dedication of a completed North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) project and a tribute to an accomplished leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation, Ken Babcock.

The NAWCA project included the restoration of 780 acres (487 acres of wetlands and 293 acres of native grasslands) and the enhancement of another 1,110 acres of existing wetlands. Together, with the help of many public and private partners, this $3 million wetland project, along with its associated uplands, provides vital habitat for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and many other wetlanddependent species. A national showcase of what is possible for landscape and wetland restoration and conservation.

Feature Story I, however, was there mostly because of Ken Babcock, a colleague, friend, and hunting partner. Over 30 years ago, I would frequently sit in Ken’s office at the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), where he would impart knowledge, wisdom, advice, and a few stories, all with the intent of helping me to do my job better. In recent years, the office is now a duck blind where the lessons continue, the stories flow, the debates are robust, and occasionally, ducks magically fall from the sky.

The rest of you probably know Ken as a key part of the recent Missouri Wetlands Summit, a leading voice and advocate for the newly created Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems at the University of Missouri, and one of the principal authors of the book Waterfowl Hunting and Wetland Conservation in Missouri.

Ken’s career began in Conway, Arkansas where he received his B.A. degree in biology from Hendrix College in 1965.

As the story goes, Ken thought he was destined to become a doctor. Working in a drugstore while in high school for 40 cents an hour, he thought the life of a pharmacist might be good, but he knew the income of the person who wrote the prescriptions might be better. Ken may have also been inspired somewhat by his future father-in-law, who was a local surgeon, or maybe he was just looking to impress someone’s daddy with bold ambition. But all of that changed one day when he encountered some folks at a truck stop hauling cages of Canada geese south out of Missouri from Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Upon learning that you could have a life of adventure and make a living (sort’a) working with wildlife, and after seeing the hard life of a surgeon, wildlife biologist seemed like a better career choice.

After receiving his M.S. degree in wildlife management from Louisiana State University in 1967, he never looked back. He would earn his webbed feet as a waterfowl biologist with Mississippi Game and Fish, and then, after joining MDC in 1970 would serve as a waterfowl research biologist, Wildlife Division Chief, and Assistant Director, retiring for the first time in 1997. True to form, he kept moving forward, joining Ducks Unlimited (DU) where he held a number of titles until he once again retired in 2013 as Senior Director of Conservation. After his final retirement, Ken and his wife Betty Rose migrated back to their farm in Missouri near Jamestown where they live the good life, enjoying time with grandchildren, and navigating the challenges life continues to deliver.

DU officials did a nice job of describing Ken’s lifelong contributions, commitment, and passion for waterfowl and wetland conservation, but his daughter, Kathy McCollum and granddaughter Yumia Robben gave us the details about the person, and the context of that commitment embodied in the words – family, faith, and ducks. And having spent my fair share of time in the marsh with Ken, the priority order does shift momentarily, depending on the time of the year, the weather, and need. But we also know ultimately, family comes first, regardless of appearances.

In a few modest words to the crowd and later in private conversations, Ken told us how much this tribute meant to him without shining too brightly, always deflecting the spotlight to others.

“This tribute was very humbling, especially since so many of the folks in the crowd, in their own way, are deserving of their own special recognition,” said Ken. And in a quote far more nuanced than it’s contemporary meaning, Ken reminded us, "If I have seen further or accomplished more than others, it’s because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.”

On this day, the giants, whomever and wherever, would give a nod of approval to a life and career well done.

In retirement, Ken remains a passionate advocate for wetlands, waterfowl hunting, and the people who enjoy and benefit from all. He is a life member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and The Wildlife Society. Ken and Betty Rose are also DU Diamond Heritage Sponsors, and a member of DU’s Feather Society.

For many in the wildlife conservation profession, it’s often a one and done proposition. Get a degree or two, develop an expertise, work, retire, and move on. But in Ken’s case, the education, degrees, and all of the subsequent jobs and positions became the underpinning of a career that spanned decades. His work would begin in biology and science but would grow into something far bigger than just ducks. Not limited to a single area of proficiency, Ken would learn and practice the arts of collaboration and leadership. And his legacy can be found in a Missouri wetland, in the skies during migration, and in the eyes and stories of others he has helped and influenced along the way.

Dan Zekor Ken and Betty Rose Babcock at Swan Lake (Photo: Dale Humburg)

JANUARY - 2024

25

GOOD FOR LAND. GOOD FOR LIFE.

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Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water - and all kinds of life! Learn how you can make the most of your land with prairie restoration, cover cropping, and prairie strips.

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Scan the QR code to learn more.

26

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

JANUARY - 2024

27

Feature Story

Real Men Do Cry Sometimes

I

still remember the day vividly in my mind. It was 1954.

I was eight years old and walking around Grandpa and Grandma’s farm. It was where I was born and grew up.

My Daisy Red Ryder BB gun is in my hand. I had been shooting at a piece of old, rusted tin hanging on a fence post. A plinking sound told me when I hit my target.

28

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Birds were singing and flying around. Even back then, I loved to watch and listen to them. One bird landed on the fence a little ways from me. I swung my BB gun toward it, looked down through the iron sights, and fired.

The little bird fell to the ground. I walked over to where it lay, dropped to my knees, and picked it up. Tears came to my eyes as I held the lifeless little bird. It was the first live animal I ever shot. I told it I was sorry. Tears flowed.

Feature Story My dad heard me and came to see what happened. He told me it was just a bird and did not try to comfort me.

Before walking away, he said, “Big boys do not cry, so quit it.” Even if I did something wrong and he took a switch to me, there was to be no crying. He was like most men back then, and many still today. They believe that real men don’t cry. They believe crying is unmanly.

I grew into a teenager and got into hunting squirrels, rabbits, and quail around the farm. A few times when I first took their life, I almost cried. I had to choke back the tears when we buried our old farm dog Trixie and later Blackie, but the words of my dad in my head stopped me.

I do not remember crying at the funeral of my Grandpa.

I did not dare with all those people there. Dad would not have liked that. The closest I came to crying was when my parents divorced, and I had to move to town with my mom. I loved that old farm and did not want to leave it. It was hard to choke the tears back as we drove away.

After high school, I joined the Navy and had to fly off to boot camp. I did not cry then. I wanted to several times but remembered Dad’s words again -real men don’t cry. I was a real man then.

My dad told me that big boys don’t cry.

(Photo: Courtesy of the Whiteley family)

Later in life, I married, and we started our own family. I remember lying on the bed with our newborn son after we brought him home from the hospital. I told him I would always love him. I did cry a little then.

Young boys and men need to know that there is nothing wrong with showing their emotions. That does not make them any less of a person. There is nothing wrong with showing your feelings. There is nothing wrong with being emotional. There is nothing wrong with crying. They also need to know they are not any less of a man for doing so.

Dad wasn’t around much anymore. The big boys don’t cry, and real men don’t cry, gradually faded away. I am not ashamed to say tears were in my eyes when my sons, grandsons, or a granddaughter caught their first fish. Or when a grandson and a granddaughter got their first deer.

When a son, at forty years old, got his first deer, I cried.

A few years later, away from others, my tears flowed hard when I heard that same son had cancer.

Animals once again brought tears to my eyes. Some tears fell to the ground while burying our family dog, Buffy.

I also cried a little when our son found out one of his beagle dogs had died and was crying. I cried when I lay on the floor with my arm around Memphis. He was the beloved family dog of that same son and his family. I told him how much we all loved him. He couldn’t raise his head, so he licked water out of my hand. I told him his family would be alright. He could close his eyes and go home. If there is a dog heaven, Memphis is there, along with all our family dogs that have touched our hearts.

If you are a believer, and I hope you are, you know Jesus himself cried. If you are not a believer and want to know more, I am not bashful about sharing with anyone what Jesus has done for me and you.

The Bible says in John 11:35 that Jesus wept. He did so when He found out about the death of his friend Lazarus from his sisters Mary and Martha. He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead, but when He saw their sorrow, the tears came to His eyes.

In Luke 19:41 it says Jesus wept before a crowd of men and women over the destruction He knew was coming to Jerusalem. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

There is no shame in a man shedding tears. We men are allowed to have feelings. We don’t have to hide them.

Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.

JANUARY - 2024

29

Feature Story I read a story recently on my friend Brandon’s blog that he wrote about himself and a change he had made in his life. I had been praying for him for a long time. I am not ashamed to say I cried as I read it.

Brandon is a real man. He loves everything about the outdoors and has traveled all over America and even went to Africa on his quest for outdoor adventures. You can hear about those adventures on his podcast and read them on his blog. He also writes for magazines and newspapers. He is also a conservationist involved in protecting the outdoors that God created for all of us.

In his story, he tells how his grandpa was his hero.

Grandpa was an avid outdoorsman, the life of the party, and drank a lot of beer. He wanted to be like him, and he was for many years.

Besides drinking alcohol way too much, Brandon went through a messy divorce, and his cabin was burnt to the ground by an arsonist. It was enough to make any real man cry. Then, his teenage girls moved in with him. That is what finally got him on the right path. He realized what his drinking was doing or going to affect them just like his grandpa’s drinking had affected him. I think he probably shed a few tears through his journey.

He said for the first time in his life, he felt the miraculous hand of God in his life. In the darkness was a light, and God guided him out of that darkness. He encourages everyone to join him on the beautiful path he is now on.

He also encourages others to ask for help if they cannot do it alone.

You can read his inspiring story at www. driftwoodoutdoors.com. You may cry as you read it but do not be ashamed. Knowing that real men do cry sometimes and reading Brandon’s story might change your life.

Larry Whiteley Cover left - Tears of joy flowed when grandkids caught their first fish. (Photo: Larry Whiteley) Cover right - Memphis was a special dog. (Photo: Daron Whiteley) Top - The old BB gun. (Photo: Larry Whiteley)

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Feature Story

Bounties and Predator Control

I

don't remember how I acquired the coyote. I don't remember if I took in the whole carcass or just the ears as was optional.

Whatever evidence I had; I took to the County Clerk in Caldwell County where I lived.

I do remember the check. It was probably three or so by eight or nine inches. Fairly large.

It looked like it was right out of an old Western movie.

It had a banknote-style design and was hand-signed by Mayo J. Anderson, County Clerk, Caldwell County for the sum of $5.00.

It was an official bounty paid by the county for one dead coyote. Mayo had excellent flowing penmanship, even though he was missing all the fingers on his right hand as the result of corn picker accident. I'd give more than $5.00 to have that check today just to have it framed.

It would be a neat piece of Missouri history to have on the wall. My best guess on the year when I collected my one and only bounty check is 1969 or 1970.

The State of Missouri had been waging war against wolves, coyotes and bobcats since 1825 when Caldwell County wrote me a check for $5.00. The state had carried on it’s campaign by allowing county courts to pay bounties on these species, with financial help through legislative appropriations.

In 1936, the Missouri Department of Conservation was created. Wanting to base wildlife management decisions on science, the furbearer research biologist began an annual survey of bountied animals.

Coyote Study. (Drawing by: Kyle Carroll)

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31

Feature Story

By 1973, the State had spent over $2,000,000 to kill slightly more than 200,000 coyotes. The bounties and the 200,000 sets of ears had not caused any apparent decrease in the overall coyote population. Between 1973 and 1976 the Missouri legislature failed to appropriate funds for bounties. By then, and all but a few Missouri counties had discontinued bounty payments for coyotes and bobcats.

Bounties, having been in place over a long period of time, had failed to reduce the number of coyote damage complaints or even slow down the growing number of coyotes in the state and faded into history when the legislature stopped funding them. But coyotes were still around, still killing pigs and chickens and sheep.

For 14 years, starting in 1923, the US Fish and Wildlife Service funded a government trapper program. As with most government programs, it ran out of money and was too slow in assisting with problems. The goal of controlling coyote populations by encouraging the public to kill them hadn't produced the desired results either.

Even the practice of digging up coyotes in their dens and killing the pups for bounties had been encouraged, but still the coyotes persisted and helped themselves to pigs, chickens, sheep and other livestock.

32

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

In 1971, there were 141,000 farms in Missouri. It was estimated at the time that uncontrolled predator losses could run as high as 15 to 25 million dollars annually.

That figured out to be about 2 % of Missouri's overall agricultural production. A problem of some significance.

When the US Fish and Wildlife Service trapping program proved inadequate, a different method was employed for a while. In Dan Dickniete's 1973, A Brief History of Extension Predator Control in Missouri, he says, “For a short time a coyote hunter who used dogs was hired to answer some of the complaints of damage in counties that the government trappers could not service. He would organize interested groups of farmers and sportsmen, locate animals and drive them towards men stationed with guns at coyote crossings. While this technique had much public appeal and afforded a spectacular performance, it failed to reduce reported damage to any significant extent.” I expect a good time was had by all while the hunt was going on. Similar coyote drives were organized by local groups and occasionally involved a big social gathering afterword.

The dog hunters service was provided free for a year and a half, but when it was proposed to share the cost 50/50 with the counties, no counties were interested.

Feature Story During the fur boom of the early 1980's, a good portion of Missouri saw recreational hunting of coyotes with trucks, dogs and CB radios being employed most every weekend when snow conditions were right. A good number of coyotes were taken during this era but eventually, things changed. Fur prices fell, gas prices rose and for a period of years and mange reduced coyote populations along with the efforts at hunting them. Another change was occurring at the same time. Some rural farms were being divided up and more private property owners objected to the running of dogs. Since a dog tracking a coyote, (and the coyote) didn't know where these no-go farms were, it made it harder and harder for a group to run dogs without running into a problem.

The eventual solution in Missouri was to educate any landowner having depredation of any kind, but primarily coyotes, through an extension program, how to catch the animal causing the problem. Instead of waging a war on all coyotes and other predators. The attention was focused on the offending animal. Traps and supplies were made available at cost and the landowner then had the knowledge and ability to control his problems in the future.

In his 1973 paper on predator control in Missouri, Dan Dikniete summed up his findings by saying, “Missouri does have a substantial predator depredation problem aggravated by the extreme views of opposing groups, and some mismanagement of livestock. We have found that bounties, government trappers, and hunters with dogs cannot expect to satisfactorily alleviate damage. From some 27 years of experience and questionnaire results, we know that the Extension trapper system is the least expensive and most effective method of control under Missouri conditions. It enables farmers and ranchers, once trained, to apply control measures promptly when and where they are needed. Control activities are aimed only at that specific predator causing damage and not the overall population, as is the case with bounties and poisoning campaigns.

This fits in well with our philosophy of managing wildlife - allowing the "honest" predator to fulfill his basic role in the overall wildlife community.”

Methods and equipment have changed over the years.

In the 1970’s, coyote trapping involved a large piece of canvas to work on next to your set, A hatchet for hacking out a trap bed, a No. 3 long spring trap and a good length of drag chain with drag hooks plus a sifter and some kind of patch to place over the trap and pan. Plus, some kind of lure. It required some work and some knowledge of how the offending animal was going and coming, but it worked. Today, cable restraints are the most used tool by landowners who need to remove a coyote or other problem animal on their farm.

The extension approach has proven to be much more effective over the long haul than bounties in removing nuisance predators. This approach and a long open season for sport hunting and trapping is the approach still used today in Missouri.

Some states are now experimenting with seasonal targeted bounties on species like raccoons at certain times of the year to reduce those populations just prior to nesting season for birds like waterfowl, quail, and wild turkeys. Time will tell if this new approach to predator control will produce good results. If it does, maybe bounties will make a comeback. In the meantime, if you want a bounty check, you will have to settle for the antique variety.

Kyle Carroll Left - Bounty Check from Montana.

Top - Coyote and trapping tools used in the 1970s and 80's for making coyote sets. (Drawing by Schwartz)

JANUARY - 2024

33

Feature Story

Sam Potter: Long Time Educator and Fishing Guide “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent.

S

am Potter, of Rolla, seems, at first glance, to be a quiet, unassuming man. Underneath that gentle smile, however, is a man of intrigue, talent and belief in the power of educating by example.

A retired school teacher from the Rolla School District after 36 years, Potter has served as a fly fishing guide in the Ozarks for almost 20 years. www.tightline.biz is his business. There is more to a title than meets the eye., however. Potter has guided people from around the world. They come to see the Ozarks as Potter sees it, from the vantage point offered by a drift boat.

Left - Sam Potter, of Rolla, is a long time fly fisherman, guide, and educator both indoors and outdoors. (Photo: Courtesy of Potter) Right - Wild rainbow trout are found in cold, free-flowing streams in nine locations across the state. (Photo: Bill Cooper)

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Potter has guided people from Germany, Poland, Japan, Italy, Ireland, and from Hawaii to Alaska, to Nova Scotia and all over the U.S. Potter still considers himself an educator. “I have lots of opportunities as a fly fishing guide to educate people about the outdoors,” he said. “I love it. The classroom consists of two students, rather than thirty. Too, the attention span of my outdoor clients is much longer. And, there is no comparison to the discipline levels.”

Potter gets a lot of clients who are first-timers on Ozark streams. “I get a lot of clients that come up from Texas,” he said. “The Ozarks are so unique. Few areas in the country have the rivers, streams and gorgeous country that we have. We have such gorgeous country right in our back yard. Unfortunately, we often tend to take it for granted. All we have to do is travel to different parts of the country to see what they don’t have in terms of beautiful natural resources.”

Feature Story Then the Ozarks look extra wonderful after visiting other regions where free-flowing rivers, caves, springs, and lofty hills are nonexistent. Such travels provide an appreciation boost to our conscience and should inspire us to protect our abundant natural resources.

“Guiding is a rewarding business for me,” Potter said. “I love being able to teach people about fly fishing and the places where we go to fish.” There is so much to teach and Potter is a master at it. Fly fishing tackle and flies alone are a tremendous amount of information to pass on. Potter, however, is a gentle soul, full of patience and “If you enjoy the outdoors, there is no better place to maintains an insatiable desire to teach individuals so get outdoors than right here in the Ozarks,” Potter said. that they, too, can enjoy the many benefits of fly fishing.

“Here we are in the Midwest protected from much of the

controversy and other ills that surround us, and that is “Tackle is only one element of the fly fishing adventure,” putting it nicely.”

Potter said. “It’s particularly satisfying to teach clients

about the quality of the water flowing in the streams that The Ozarks remain the largest block of wild lands hold trout and smallmouth bass in the Ozarks. The study between the Appalachians and the Rockies. Missouri of aquatic insects, invertebrates and other life forms that alone boasts several million of acres of forested hills, reside in the rivers that form the basis of the food chain valleys with cold, clear streams and abundant fish that fish need to survive is a study in and of itself. But, and wildlife resources. It is easy enough to find wild people who love the rivers and streams of the Ozarks places, where time seems to have stood till, places that wind it all quite fascinating.” have been protected by concerned citizens for future

generations to enjoy.

Potter has witnessed lots of changes in the public's

attitudes towards Ozark streams and the resources found Potter says he has nine rivers that he can access within there in the last 60 years. “I vividly remember people an hour of his home south of Rolla; the Gasconade, keeping stringers of 10-inch smallmouth bass decades Current, Jacks Fork, Big Piney, Little Piney, Eleven ago. The fish were a food source, and I couldn’t feel badly Point, Meramec, Huzzah, and Courtois. A little further towards them for keeping fish to eat.” are the Big, Black and St. Francis. Additionally there

are numerous tiny spring fed trout streams within the According to Potter matters have changed dramatically region, including Blue Spring, Spring Creek, Mill Creek, over the last 25-to-30 years. “These days you seldom see Crane Creek, Little Piney, Barren Fork, and the North people with smallmouth bass on a stringer. The concept Fork of the White River. of catch and release has really caught on. People like to catch a nice smallmouth, take a photo of themselves with it, and then release it. It’s great to see. Catch and release has certainly helped the resource and it allows one fish to be caught several times by a variety of people.”

Catch and release allows the fun of fishing to be enjoyed by far more people. Too, the quality of fisheries has been expanded by catch and release. Many people enjoy catching a trophy-quality smallmouth bass. One person who keeps a big smallmouth deprives several other people of enjoying the experience of catching that fish.

Potter has been very influential in the world of fly fishing in his lifetime. He’s guided thousands of clients, taught fly-fishing classes and been a member of the Roubidoux Fly Fishers. The club organized Stream Team #1 decades ago. Stream teams now number over 6,000. Potter is the epitome of Vincent’s statement, “Change your thoughts and change your world.” To book Sam Potter for a flyfishing trip go to: www.tightgline.biz.

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Agency News

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION Governor Apoints Ray Wagner to Conservation Commission

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he Missouri Conservation Commission and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) welcome Raymond T. Wagner Jr. (Ray) of Town and Country in St. Louis County as the newest member of the four-person Conservation Commission. Wagner was appointed by Missouri Governor Mike Parson on Sept. 29.

Wagner replaces Barry Orscheln of Columbia whose sixyear term as a Conservation Commissioner expired July 1. Wagner joins Commission Chair Steven D. Harrison of Rolla, Vice Chair Margaret F. (Margy) Eckelkamp of Washington, and Secretary Mark L. McHenry of Kansas City.

“We welcome Ray Wagner to the Commission and look forward to serving with him to protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of our beautiful state,” said Commissioner Harrison. “He brings a wealth of business expertise, valuable public-service experience, and a love of conservation.”

Wagner has also served as chief legal counsel to Missouri Governor John Ashcroft, and after that, served as the Missouri Director of Revenue. He has also been an attorney in private practice and served as the senior vice president of global government and public affairs for Enterprise Holdings, the rental car company.

Wagner has also served as the municipal judge for the city of Ballwin for six years, as a commissioner of the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners, He was also on the United States Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from March 2018 until he joined the Missouri Office of Attorney General in January 2023.

Wagner holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, an LLM law degree from Washington University School of Law, a Master of Business Administration degree, and Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, both from Saint Louis University. He also was an adjunct professor of law at Washington University School of Law.

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Wagner has been an avid outdoorsman all his life, actively supporting conservation issues. Wagner presently serves on the board of directors for the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation and is active with the Great River Habitat Alliance. He is also a lifetime member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, and a member of Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever.

“All these activities continue to fuel my love for the outdoors and conservation advocacy,” Wagner said. “My interest in wildlife and conservation has never wavered.

The outdoors and conservation-related activities have long been my passion and I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Missouri Conservation Commission.”

Wagner and his wife, U.S. Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), have three children and four grandchildren.

Agency News MDC Welcomes 16 New Conservation Agents During 2023 Graduation

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he Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates 16 new conservation agents upon their graduation from MDC’s 2023 Conservation Agent Training Academy.

The agent class of 2023 took the Conservation Agent’s Oath during a special graduation ceremony Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City.

MDC Deputy Director Jason Sumners reminded agents they’re the frontline ambassadors of conservation and have a critical role in maintaining the public’s trust.

“Humanity, transparency, capability, and reliability are all key when building relationships within your community and carrying out the Department’s mission,” Sumners stressed. “It’s all about those relationships – with your community, with one another, with staff and partners. And it only matters if you take care of yourselves and each other.”

The new agents spent the past six months housed at the Highway Patrol Academy in Jefferson City. They received more than 1,200 hours of intense instruction both in and out of the classroom throughout the state. Agents received training in criminal investigations, defensive tactics, firearms qualifications, and technical instruction in fish, forest, and wildlife management. Training also included courses in legal studies, communications and conducting education programs, and First Aid/First Responder and CPR certification.

Upon successful completion of this training, agents are issued a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) license from the Missouri Department of Public Safety. The conservation agent training program is also certified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship.

MDC Congratulates 16 new Agents upon their graduation from 2023 Agent Training Academy. (Photo: MDC)

The 16 new agents joining the 200 existing MDC agents in protecting Missouri’s fish, forest, and wildlife include: Luke Armentrout, Claire Burch, Brandon Cotter, Austin Davis, Kaitlyn Davis, Zachary Durbin, Jobe Edwards, Juvenal Escobar, Ty Garrison, Kelsey Gillenwater, Breeann Hamblin, Sierra Page, Justin Ralph, Jacob Sieve, Dakota Sweeney, and Gil Turk.

The new agents have been assigned their counties.

However, they will be involved in field training operations and special assignments while under the supervision of veteran agents for a six-week period during which they will acquire vital field experience.

Left to Right: Austin Davis, Jacob Sieve, Claire Burch, Kaitlyn Davis, Jobe Edwards, Gil Turk, Luke Armentrout, Breeann Hamblin, Kelsey Gillenwater, Sierra Page, Dakota Sweeney, Zachary Durbin, Brandon Cotter, Justin Ralph, Juvenal Escobar, and Ty Garrison

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Agency News

MISSOURI STATE PARKS Come to the “Park Side of the Moon”

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etting left in the dark is not always a bad thing. Take for example, eclipse lovers. Their moment in the sun (well, actually the dark) is coming up on April 8, 2024. On that Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada.

This will be the nation’s biggest eclipse event since Aug. 21, 2017, and it won’t happen again in the U.S. until Aug. 23, 2044. If you’re looking for a special place to view this celestial event, check out the events at Missouri state parks and historic sites. While only 20 parks and historic sites in southeast Missouri will experience totality, the whole state will feel the effects of the eclipse, with portions of the sun covered by the moon ranging from 84.9 to almost 100%.

Just what is a total solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets in the way of the sun, turning day into night. People who view the eclipse from locations where the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun are said to be in the “path of totality” and will experience a total solar eclipse.

The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, viewers along this path will see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the sun. This darkness will last for nearly four minutes in some locations.

Fourteen states, including Missouri, are in the direct path of totality. While most of the state will experience only a partial solar eclipse, the path of totality stretches across the southeastern section of the state.

Safety first!

Never look at the sun without eye protection!

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It’s never safe to view the sun with the naked eye, and it’s really not safe to do it during an eclipse. You can, however, watch the moon’s silhouette gradually block out the sun if you use special eclipse-viewing glasses.

Tested and approved glasses and viewers block the harmful, invisible solar rays. These glasses must be certified to meet the requirements listed in ISO123122:2015. Sunglasses do not meet these requirements.

Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera, binoculars or telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.

Several indirect-viewing methods exist, such as pinhole projection. This includes making a pinhole camera with a piece of paper, cereal box or even your hands. With your back to the sun, allow the light to shine through a small hole and project an image onto the ground or piece of paper.

What to expect What you can see during a total solar eclipse depends on the weather and your location.

Weather: Clear skies are a must to have the full eclipse experience with a clear view of the sun and moon. But if it’s cloudy, don’t fret; the eerie daytime darkness is still evident with cloud cover.

The sun will be extremely bright, but watching from totality means that you’ll see day turn to dark for a few minutes. The sky will get dark and the horizon will glow.

Temperatures will drop about 10 degree Fahrenheit (depending on humidity and cloud cover).

Location: To see all of the eclipse’s stages, you need to view it from along the path of totality, or locations where the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun. Be sure to visit https://mostateparks.com/events to find out what parks and historic sites are hosting viewing events.

To find the path of totality in Missouri state parks, visit https://mostateparks.com/2024-eclipse.

Agency News Scott Joplin’s Influence on American Music

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he Scott Joplin House State Historic Site sits unassumingly on Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis near an auto repair shop. Among the humility of the working-class neighborhood sits a pillar of art, a place where one of ragtime’s pioneers made some of the most influential music in American history.

Scott Joplin, born in Texas, moved to Sedalia in 1899 before moving to a modest St. Louis apartment inside what we know today as the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, where he would live from 1901-1903.

Almetta Jordan, superintendent of the site, said the building is one of the rare working class house museums in the United States. Unlike the Lincoln home in Springfield, Illinois, containing 12 rooms spread over two floors, the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site puts on display the artist’s tiny one-room apartment containing only a bed, a chair and a desk.

During his time in St. Louis, the ragtime pianist wrote such hits as “Elite Syncopations” and of course, “The Entertainer,” known by many as the “ice cream truck song.”

Ragtime set itself apart from other styles of American music with its combination of European and African influences, along with its use of syncopation, usually on a solo piano arrangement. Syncopation is the practice of putting emphasis on weaker beats in the measure, giving the music a sort of unpredictability, making it more danceable.

Pulling influences from both European and African music, the left hand would keep the rhythm, playing the down beats, mimicking marching music. The right hand would play patterns --- influenced by African music, cake walks and even minstrel music --- that emphasized weaker beats.While this rhythmic style was used in previous musical genres, ragtime brought it to the forefront. And not everyone was comfortable with it. At the time, some members of the public looked down on the genre because the artists were predominantly Black, and the music resembled that played in brothels and saloons.

Despite the ire the genre drew at the time, ragtime’s style of rhythm would go on to influence genres such as jazz, rap, drum and bass, funk, rock and pop music. And its popularity can be traced back to Joplin. Ragtime was pioneered in the 1890s by artists like Irving Berlin and Fats Waller, but it wasn’t until Joplin released the Maple Leaf Rag in 1899 that the genre rose to prominence.

Royce Martin talks about how Scott Joplin’s music and working at the state historic site influenced his career.

(Photo: Courtesy Missouri State Parks)

Royce Martin, a pianist and former employee at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, said ragtime music offers an interesting juxtaposition between its sound and the time period in which it was popular. Despite the difficulties of living in the 1800s, faced by Black people like Joplin and his contemporaries, there’s almost nothing sad about ragtime, Martin said.

“It’s like a manifestation of what you hope to be, a projection of what you want,” Martin said. “There’s something really dreamy about that.”

Over the course of his career, Joplin would branch outside the ragtime genre, writing waltzes, serenades and an Opera called “Treemonisha,” released in 1911. Set in the South in 1884, “Treemonisha” is about a freedwoman of the same name who leads and educates her community against the influence of conjurers who prey on ignorance and superstition. The opera, like much of Joplin’s work, received critical praise at the time, but failed to reach a mass audience and receive widespread recognition until the early 1970s when musician and musicologist Joshua Rifkin released an album of Joplin’s songs entitled “Scott Joplin: Piano Rags.”

In 1976, Joplin was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his contributions to American music. While the ragtime composer’s music was experiencing a renaissance, it came long after his death. Joplin died at age 48 on April 1, 1917, in a mental hospital after developing symptoms of dementia caused by neurosyphilis. He was buried in a pauper’s grave, which remained unmarked for more than 50 years.

The Scott Joplin State historic site is located at 2658 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, call the site at 314-340-5790.

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NATURE is Healthy

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Get healthy in nature this year.

mdc.mo.gov/places–go

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.

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Feature Story

CFM's 3rd Annual Photo Contest Winners

Best in Show: “Camouflaged” by Crystal Shoults. This photo captures a small frog poking out from behind the flower buds of a milkweed plant. Shoults recalls that she was checking the milkweed for monarch eggs, but was surprised to find this instead!

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Feature Story

Missouri Plants & Animals: “A Regal Experience” by Joshua Marshall.

Joshua took this picture in Putnam County of a Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia). Once found throughout the state, the Regal Fritillary is now a species of conservation concern mostly confined to the northern tallgrass prairies of the state.

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FM would like to congratulate the winners of our 2023 Photo Contest. The public voted on 29 different entries to determine our 5 winners. All photos were taken in Missouri, and are a testament to the wonderful natural resources we have in the state.

Thank you to all our participants and voters. With your help, we were able to raise over $1,200 to support CFM’s mission.

CFM would also like to thank the Land Learning foundation for sponsoring this contest. Learn more about the Land Learning Foundation on the next page.

Missouri Waterways: “Stormy Mirror” by Clare Holmes. “I woke up to go run with my crosscountry teammates and I saw the most magnificent sunrise I have ever seen. Taken July 31, 5:58 AM. My mom had a sign in our kitchen for years that said ‘If you are lucky enough to live on the lake, you are lucky enough.’ It is so true. I love where I live and I am truly blessed.” -Clare Holmes JANUARY - 2024

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Feature Story Contest Sponsor: Thank you to the Land Learning Foundation for being our title sponsor of this event! Prizes were awarded to our contest winners through a generous donation from LLF. We appreciate their partnership and their continued generosity toward CFM and our mission to protect Missouri’s outdoors.

Land Learning Foundation is committed to fostering stewardship through outdoor experience, education, and conservation. Learn more at: www.landlearning.org.

Missouri Landscapes: “Sunset Over Lake Oz” by Kyna Iman. Kyna was able to snap this photo of the sun setting behind the Lake of the Ozarks during the 4th of July weekend. As Kyna points out, “With a view like this, who needs fireworks?”

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Nature in Your Backyard: “Together is Better” by Judy Ash. This picture captures two hatchling wrens hanging out on the photographer’s patio. Judy recalls, “What a great experience watching the mother wren build the nest, lay the eggs and raise these baby wrens in the wall mounted flower box on our patio. We wanted to keep the flowers alive to provide cover, so we continued to water the flowers a safe distance from the nest.”

Feature Story

Gadgets

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his one will probably rub some folks the wrong way but have no fear. I make no laws. I am no threat to anyone, because in the final analysis, I am a man in charge of nothing except my own thoughts, and even then, I sometimes lose control.

I want to talk about gadgets. Huntin’ and fishin’ gadgets.

Now this is an old topic. As old as the history of humans. Some of you may remember when Yarg and Mog, both purists, were horrified when Zok threw a spear at a bear rather than jabbing the animal up close and personal as was tradition. Unfortunately for Zok, he did not practice enough, judged distances poorly, and well, the bear ate him. But this simple act was enough to get younger members of the cave clan thinking about how many more bears they could kill if everyone hunted by throwing their own spear. Design improvements were made, a company was formed, Zok signature spears were marketed, and soon every cave wall in the land had pictures of rugged, stylishly adorned caveman hunters in a deep stare, throwing spears and posing with their trophies.

This would all change, of course, about 72,000 years later when the hunting world was once again turned upside down by the advent of the bow and arrow. The United Spear Throwers Association immediately condemned this method stating that using a bow with a gut string to fling an arrow denigrated the hunting experience.

The Bow and Arrow Association rebuffed the criticism while proclaiming how this new method would enhance hunter recruitment and retention by creating expanded opportunities.

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Feature Story Much later, the atlatl, confined mostly to backcountry mastodon hunters, would have a similar impact even as the Atlatl in the Schools Program ultimately failed because schools hadn’t yet been invented. Timing is everything.

The point of this deeply researched, factual recount is to say change is inevitable, but with each invention or modification, something along the way is lost. The greatest pleasures are often the simplest. Everything else is a distraction, and each distraction pulls you further away from the basic experiences and maybe the reason why you do it in the first place.

When I think about such quandaries, I often turn to Aldo Leopold. He didn’t have all the answers, but he certainly knew how to frame the argument and call the question.

In his essay, Wildlife in American Culture, from A Sand County Almanac (1949), Leopold pitches the idea that outdoor recreation like hunting (and I’ll add fishing), “…are essentially primitive, atavistic; that their value is a contrast-value; [and] that excessive mechanization destroys contrast…”.

In other words, the acts of hunting and fishing take us back in time, to something basic and fundamental to our existence, and each layer of modernity added pushes us further away from those feelings and experiences.

He goes on to say, that outdoor journalism “…no longer represents the sport; it has turned billboard for the gadgeteer.” And wildlife agencies spend their time stocking the shelves rather than worrying “about the cultural value” of hunting and fishing. He also acknowledges not knowing where the line should be drawn but suggests the trajectory we are following is destined to “destroy the cultural value of the sport…”.

A never-ending debate. And the fact this debate persists tells me there’s something more to it than just a quarrel between the older nostalgia-driven folks and youthful newbies.

I recently talked to a wildlife agency official about a proposed regulation change allowing for another newfangled waterfowl hunting gadget. He thought the change was likely because of the slippery slope in trying to regulate personal hunting ethics.

A puzzling mindset given the fact hunter ethics are embedded in some way in many regulations. I then asked an avid duck-hunting friend his thoughts about this particular gadget. He gave me a terrifyingly detailed description about the slow death he would prefer before he would ever use such an abomination.

Unfortunately, the barn door was left open long ago and you’ll never get the cows back inside.

Mechanized decoys have forever changed waterfowl hunting in most places. And so, my agency contact was right about ethics. It really is mostly a personal choice. And preserving the cultural value of the sport really comes down to the limits we place on ourselves. I’m not hopeful.

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Feature Story There was a time when using a tree stand for deer hunting was considered taboo. They gave too much advantage to the hunter, said many. Diminished the idea of fair chase. Now they’re everywhere, ranging from the simple homemade to elaborate mini cabins in the sky.

Compound bows shook the world in the 1960s.

Crossbows nudged that controversy off the radar. Simple to use and extremely accurate, crossbows make deer hunting more accessible to more people. I recently saw a picture of a 14-year-old girl posing with a very large buck she killed with a crossbow. I could hear the “real hunters” howl. It’s not fair, it’s too easy, she killed my deer, I could hear them say.

Trail cameras have further revolutionized hunting.

Sitting in my tree stand early one morning, I received a text message on my satellite communication device.

The message was from a friend who hunts neighboring land. He was at home, checking his phone because he heard the ubiquitous buzz alerting him to an incoming communication. The message he received came from his trail camera. The message he sent me was a video of a large buck possibly heading in my direction. I watched the woods a little more intensely for the next couple hours, but the buck never came.

Of course, fishing is not immune from the tech infection.

One contraption getting the attention of the freshwater angling world these days is the real-time sonar known as LiveScope. Now you can watch your fish finder, live, as well as your retrieve and the reaction of the fish to your presentation. Anglers now watch screens like they’re playing a game on X-Box. Find a fish and drop a lure on its head. Find a musky and beat the water until the fish takes the bait out of annoyance. Find a pile of fish and attack with extreme prejudice.

I can’t deny the fascination and how tech makes fishing more interactive, and for those with attention issues, maybe more interesting. But it hurts my head to think about what we’re doing to the sport. A big part of fishing is knowing how. The exciting part of fishing is not knowing. But none of that matters anymore. Fishing is no longer the reason. Only catching matters. Just wait until they find a way to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) – you know it’s coming!

And as the gadgets permeate, other tech is filling in the gaps to provide faux social praise and acceptance.

Another friend recently bemoaned a young deer hunter who hunted his property. As warm blood still trickled from the fatal wound, the hunter was posting grip and grin pictures on social media.

Text and post and, having met the objective, charge home. Forget the post hunt conversations and socialization, the contemplation and camaraderie.

Creating memories and sharing stories. The box has been checked; the pixelated evidence secured. Time to move on to some other gratification. No other commitment necessary.

Leopold points out “…our tools for the pursuit… improve faster than we do, and sportsmanship is the voluntary limitation in the use of these armaments.”

Further suggesting that we use “…mechanical aids, in moderation, without being used by them.”

Unfortunately, I fear that ship has sailed for many.

Hunters and anglers want less uncertainty, more guarantees, less failure. We want shelves stocked like a grocery store. Guaranteed success. Nothing too difficult.

Failure is not an option. And what of the future?

Holographic decoy spreads? A Klingon cloaking device for duck boats? AI-informed apps to tell you what, where, when, and how?

Somewhere in the fog and ether there remains a little hope. I watched a video posted by an influencer on social media. He helped a young boy rig his little Zebco closedface reel, imparting some knowledge along the way. A bobber over a baited hook. Just simple fishing and the surprise of success. The boy caught a monster bass, and I’m betting he’ll remember that fish and that spot on the shore of that lake forever. What will your memories be like?

Dan Zekor Left - The acts of hunting and fishing take us back in time, to something basic and fundamental to our existence, and each layer of modernity added pushes us further away from those feelings and experiences.

(MDC Photo Archives)

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Feature Story

50 Years (and More) of Fun Steeped in Tradition

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issouri State Parks predates Missouri Department of Natural Resources by more than 50 years, which has given visitors plenty of opportunities to create long-standing family traditions. Yearly traditions with families enhance involvement and strengthen bonds.

These don’t need to be formal, fancy or expensive or even revolve around the holidays – you can partake in a family tradition any time of the year.

But we have entered the peak seasons for some of the more common family rituals. From watching Thanksgiving football games to taking a First Day Hike at a park or historic site, every family celebrates their traditions in their own ways.

Telling their stories

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Take, for example, Madison Fellers of Lebanon, Missouri.

Fellers, now in her 20s and married, recalled growing up near Bennett Spring State Park. Although the park is known for its trout fishing, she enjoyed her own unique tradition.

“That park has always been my happy place and my homeaway-from-home. I have walked every single trail multiple times, and some of my fondest memories have been made there,” Fellers said. “For years, my dad and I would spend every Super Bowl Sunday walking the trails with our dogs while everyone else was at home watching the game.

Typically, we were the only people there.”

The park system formed on April 9, 1917, and in 1923, the state acquired the historic J. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock, Missouri.

Feature Story This just happens to be Columbia resident Brian Flowers’ favorite piece of Missouri history. Flowers is an avid outdoorsman and history buff. He even does historical skill presentations occasionally as part of his job.

“I love Arrow Rock State Historic Site. We’ve been camping there for years,” Flowers said. “It’s got some great history, and to see the J. Huston Tavern, the first property added to the park system, is exciting.”

On Oct. 17, 1924, Big Spring State Park became Missouri’s first state park. Later, that park, along with Alley Spring and Round Spring state parks, became part of the National Park Service’s Ozark National Scenic Riverways. By 1925, the state park system had grown to 23,244 acres in eight parks. By the 1974, the park system had grown to include 53 state parks and historic sites. Today, 93 parks and historic sites comprise more than 160,000 acres.

Keeping the tradition alive Missouri is one of eight states that does not charge entrance or parking fees. To help keep the parks and historic sites with no entrance fees and affordable for all, the park system began looking for other revenue sources for state parks and soil and water conservation efforts. In 1984, Missourians passed a 1/10 of 1% sales tax for these efforts. The support continued with 2/3 Missouri voters in favor of it in 1988, 1996, 2006 and 2016. While much has changed since 1923, one thing remains the same - Missouri state parks remain free, David Kelly, director of Missouri State Parks, said. Only eight states don’t charge entrance or parking fees, allowing families to make priceless memories and traditions.

“Going out exploring the parks are some of my family’s favorite times,” said Lindsay Webster-Dillon, an avid park guest from Camdenton, Missouri.

“It’s what keeps everything in perspective for me. We don’t realize how incredibly lucky we are to be able to enjoy so much land for free with really no obligation on our end. Camping, fishing, hiking and boating are some of my favorite pastimes and I’m lucky to live in a state that supports it.”

Making more memories As more guests take advantage of the park system, improvements and expansions continue. Revenue bond projects include upgrading campsites, adding fullservice cabins, camper cabins and yurts, and enlarging existing campgrounds. In addition, funding from the American Rescue Plan Act will help enhance drinking water, wastewater and sewer systems, including building or upgrading water systems, lagoons and wastewater treatment facilities.

The parks are evolving with technology, too. Years ago, guests reserved campsites by calling the park. Today, users make their reservations online. WiFi was unheard of years ago, and now several campgrounds have it. Soon visitors will be able to tour a historic site via a computer or tablet, via the MO Virtual Heritage project. This keeps guests connected by providing 360-degree tours of historic sites, highlighting artifacts normally seen at the site, providing the viewer with an up-close, detailed view and description about their history and significance.

The park system has stepped up its efforts to allow everyone the opportunity to make memories. The purchase of three action track chairs allows visitors with mobility challenges access to the more rugged trails.

Visitors with limited mobility are also encouraged to check out our beach chairs at our swimming beaches, where they can enjoying floating and splashing with family and friends. Elephant Rocks State Park boasts a Braille trail for those with vision difficulties, and new this year, American Sign Language interpreters were available at various programs throughout the state.

New recreational opportunities are surfacing as well.

Memories are now being made on disc golf courses, rockclimbing areas and new trails. “We’re dedicated to making the park system sustainable and vibrant for years to come.

We’re pretty proud of what we’ve done over the years and invite you to come see for yourself,” Kelly said. Remember, you are always welcome in Missouri State Parks!

Photos: Courtesy of Missouri State Parks

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Feature Story

Stuck

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or reasons I never completely understood and were obviously not my fault, I’ve gotten my truck stuck many times on hunting trips. Periodically getting stuck in unfamiliar locations is one of the hazards associated with finding new places to hunt, especially after bad or wet weather. Despite my best efforts to think through possible grim outcomes before making the decision to drive rather than walk, I’ve gotten into some tough situations which consumed much more time and effort than walking in the first place.

When our sons were teenagers, we annually made a three to four day rabbit hunting trip between Christmas and New Years to west central Missouri to hunt on prairies owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation or Missouri Prairie Foundation. Mrs. Urich complained we were gone during important family time so I was always careful to invite her to come along. She never did.

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One memorable trip was to the Osage Prairie Conservation Area in Vernon County. We arrived early in the morning after a night of heavy rain. The map showed a gravel road across the middle of the conservation area, but actually, it was a dirt road now very muddy. I started cautiously on the road to test for traction and it was slick. Then our oldest son blurted out, “You can make it, Dad. Don’t be a wimp. Gun it.”

As I pressed on the accelerator, my little voice in the back of my mind screamed no. But I kept going and the mud was splattering on the windshield, a sure sign I was making a bad decision. My little voice chimed in again asking why I was taking advice from a teenager who didn’t have a driver’s license and had no experience driving on a wet, muddy road. I was thinking this was an excellent question when the road started to go downhill.

The flowing water at the bottom of the hill was over the road so I stopped thinking there was no way we would get across. Of course, we were stuck.

Feature Story I was pulling a homemade trailer made from a 3/4-ton pickup truck bed. In the trailer were six beagles, a basset hound, a Labrador, and a Vizsla, all in dog boxes. We took the dog boxes out, unhooked the trailer and pushed.

Fortunately, our two oldest sons were on the football and weightlifting teams and were strong. We had to push the trailer over 200 yards to a spot where we could get it off the road. Then I backed the truck over a quarter mile to the paved road, turned around, and back up again on the muddy road to the trailer.

I had tied the beagles to the outside of the dog boxes thinking they would appreciate being out during the several hours it took to turn around. Unfortunately, all the dogs chewed through their leashes and started the rabbit hunt without us. Locating noisy beagles is easy and we rounded up all but two. These two were on a double snap leash and had gotten stuck on a small tree or bushes somewhere on Osage Prairie. They had laid down silently waiting for help. It’s a big prairie and the search could have taken hours but fortunately the Labrador was good at tracking down silent beagles.

I went for several years without getting stuck again on a hunting trip. I was with two friends for a quail hunt on the Brush Creek portion of the Truman Conservation Area in Benton County. Once again it had rained and we were driving on an abandoned road I had traveled many times. The road had some significant potholes filled with water which I skillfully avoided. After a successful quail hunt, we headed back because it was getting dark.

Navigating around the potholes in the failing sunlight was more difficult and one of the rear wheels dropped into a deep hole.

The truck tilted to the side lifting the drive wheel off the road. We were stuck with the tailpipe under water making a gurgling sound. One of us had to walk out to find help since cell phone coverage was spotty in this portion of the county. While I waited for help to arrive, I realized if I had carried a big chain and come along winch, we could have easily pulled the truck out of the hole. This unfortunate situation was another fine example of how I typically learn important life lessons the hard way.

Two years later, I had the opportunity to use the chain and winch. I finished up a quail and pheasant hunt in northwest Missouri with another hunter. The weather deteriorated significantly during our hunt starting with freezing rain and progressing to snow. There wasn’t much snow but with the freezing rain on the gravel road, the truck did not have enough traction to get up a hill.

We hooked the chain and winch to the truck and the base of a metal fence post near the road edge which provided enough extra traction to move the truck forward. We winched the truck almost a quarter of a mile, 60 feet at a time, repositioning the winch to the base of another fence post.

Years later I was stuck on another hunting trip but this time it was not my fault because I wasn’t driving. I was in central Kansas hunting pheasants and quail in a snowstorm. It didn’t occur to me the driver would try to plow through a nearly hood-high snow drift several hundred feet long. When the truck hit the snow, we were blinded by the exploding snow and were instantly stuck.

I had upgraded to an 8-foot box trailer which was carrying six Labradors and a French Britany. We had to unload the dogs and boxes and push the trailer back several hundred yards to get it off the road. Our efforts to dig out the truck were going slowly when a coyote hunter appeared in the adjacent field driving a ¾ ton diesel flatbed pickup. On the flatbed was an enormous dog box filled with 12 greyhound - wolfhound crosses each weighing 80 to 100 pounds. These dogs were excellent ballast to help pull the truck out of the snow with a chain. The coyote hunter recommended driving on the fields not the roads when it was snowing and blowing since the roads trapped the snow in drifts. This was another life lesson learned the hard way.

Cover - Kirk, David, Aaron and Tim Urich stuck on Osage Prairie Conservation Area in 1997. (Photo: David Urich) Left - David Urich stuck in eastern South Dakota while pheasant hunting in December 2018. (Photo: David Urich)

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Outdoor News I managed to go many years without getting stuck again for two reasons.

First, I upgraded to a 4-wheel drive truck. I knew if I got this truck stuck, I was in serious trouble. Second, I was older and better at thinking through the consequences of my actions. Taking time to think before acting impulsively has advantages.

Mrs. Urich claimed responsibility for this gradual transformation telling me she had finally molded me into the husband she always wanted and deserved, although it took longer than she anticipated.

I make an annual trip to South Dakota to pheasant hunt with our sons after Christmas. This is the only time our oldest son can take time off from work as a school principal.

The weather can be brutal at this time of year but we have the whole state to ourselves. Generally, there are three types of blizzards on this hunting trip including the arrival storm, the hunting blizzard and the departure storm. In a good year, we will experience two out of three. In 2022, South Dakota was blasted with a bomb cyclone two days before Christmas producing 30 inches of snow. Our contact recommended we not come but at my age I can’t afford to miss many hunting trips because I don’t have many make-up years left. We made the trip anyway.

There was no way to get the truck stuck on this trip because we could only drive on plowed roads. This was not the case four years earlier when we arrived in a blizzard. The next day was sunny and 15 degrees below zero. Hunting was excellent because pheasants were confined to the cattail marshes. All the fields were blown clear of snow, but the roadside ditches were packed which meant we had to walk.

Finally, on the fourth day, I pulled up to a field road entrance I knew had a culvert, and the snow was not as deep. It was a mile walk to a wetland we wanted to hunt if we got out of the truck and walked. Then our oldest son blurted out, “You can make it, Dad. Don’t be a wimp.

Gun it.” These were the same words he used nearly 30 years ago.

Digging the truck out of a snow drift in western Kansas during a blizzard in January 2005. (Photo: David Urich)

My foot hit the accelerator as my little voice screamed no in the back of my mind once again. We got about 15 feet before the snow was packed under the truck lifting the wheels off the ground. I handed the shovel to my son and said, “You can dig this truck out. Don’t be a wimp.”

He was making poor progress because snow was packed under the truck. It was like chipping away a glacier. But a tractor came along and pulled us out.

Like the coyote hunter years ago, the tractor driver offered a good winter driving tip about avoiding the roadside ditches in the deep snow. If we had done some shoveling first, we would have saved time in the long run he told us. Another life lesson learned the hard way.

I minored in math in college, pounding a huge number of abstract concepts into my head, which, for the most part, have evaporated after 50 years. Now I can hardly spell math without help from my computer. But those life lessons learned the hard way are seared on the inside of my skull for quick and permanent reference.

I started hunting upland game birds in the Midwest in 1980. On average, I’ve gotten stuck on a hunting trip at about 6-year intervals. Since I’ve slipped into my mid70s, my goal is to not get stuck ever again. I think I can achieve this goal if I don’t listen to any driving advice from our sons. My little voice is much better at driving guidance than any of our kids.

David Urich

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Outdoor News Missouri Legislation Filed to Halt the Sale of Five Invasive Plants

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ocally and globally, invasive plants and animals are the second leading cause of native biodiversity decline and also threaten the economic stability of the forest product, livestock, and outdoor industries. In addition, Bradford pear, sericea lespedeza, and other non-native, invasive plants are costly and time-consuming for Missouri landowners and suburban and urban homeowners to control.

Of the state’s 142 invasive plants, as assessed by the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP), many continue to be sold in Missouri, contributing to their future, unintended spread across the landscape.

On December 1, 2023, Representative Bruce Sassmman (District 061), took action to help protect the state from invasive plants by filing legislation to halt the sale and intentional distribution of five invasive plant species: burningbush (Euonymus alatus), Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana and its cultivars, including Bradford and Chanticleer), climbing euonymus (Euonymus fortunei; also commonly known as wintercreeper); Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata).

Once passed, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is expected to be the agency tasked with enforcement of the legislation, issuing violations if any of the five plants listed above are found to be sold or intentionally distributed.

Because of the investment that nursery owners and other plant sellers must make before many shrubs and trees are large enough to sell, two species on the list of five— burningbush and Callery pear plants—acquired by a licensed Missouri wholesale or retail plant nursery before January 1, 2025, shall be exempt from enforcement until January 1, 2028.

The legislation also provides for the creation of a Missouri Department of Agriculture “Invasive Plant Watchlist,” comprising more than 70 species, which, if sold, must be labeled as such.

“This legislation does not penalize the presence of the five invasive plants on the landscape,” said Representative Sassmann, who is Chair of the Missouri House Natural Resources Committee, “only the sale and/or intentional distribution of the five species.

Sericea lespedeza, a highly invasive plant that can infest grasslands, pastures, rights-of-way, and other areas, is one of five species whose sale would be halted with the passage of Rep. Sassmann’s legislation filed on December 1, 2023.

During CFM's 2024 convention, a resolution in support of such legislation will be reviewed.

(Photo: MDC)

This legislation is not intended to pose a hardship to any plant grower, but to benefit all Missourians from the many threats that these five invasive plant species pose to the state.”

Since 2021, MoIP has invited more than 90 groups in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, and conservation, as well as the general public, to indicate their level of support for or opposition to the inclusion of specific plants from MoIP’s list of 142 invasive plants in potential legislation to halt their sale.

Over the summer of 2023, MoIP Vice Chair Matt Arndt and a subgroup of MoIP members carefully analyzed stakeholder input, MoIP assessment data, and sales availability, and generated a tiered list of species proposed for inclusion in this potential legislation. This tiered list was provided to Representative Sassmann at his request.

“MoIP is grateful to the many Missourians who provided feedback on this idea to help prevent the future, unintentional spread of select invasive plants and to Representative Sassmann for introducing this legislation,” said MoIP Vice Chair Matt Arndt. “MoIP is eager to assist with modifications to the legislation to optimize its positive impacts and to create a final version that can garner broad support from the public and across stakeholder industries.

We urge all Missourians, including legislators, to support final legislation to benefit Missouri.”

Carol Davit Chair, Missouri Invasive Plant Council The Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) is an interdisciplinary networking and advocacy group administered by the Missouri Prairie Foundation. MoIP aims to bolster statewide efforts to identify and control the invasive plant species that severely impact several sectors of the Missouri economy and native biodiversity. Find many resources on the identification and control of invasive plants at moinvasives.org.

JANUARY - 2024

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Feature Story

Upper Current River Theme of Salem Mural

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River Runs Through It is the name of both a 1992 movie and the 1976 novel the film is based on.

It also is the phrase that comes to mind when viewing the new mural that wraps around three sides of the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center (ONCRC) in Salem. The Current River, one of the best float streams in the country, is the star of the mural, which features the river from its headwaters near Montauk State Park to its junction with Sinking Creek, which flows past Echo Bluff State Park.

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The stunning mural, which has totally transformed what was a rather drab building, is designed to highlight Salem as the northern gateway to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The hope is to attract visitors to the center, making it their first stop when exploring the region.

Scenes from the Salem area, such as the Dent County Courthouse and a barrel cooperage, also appear in the mural.

Feature Story

Jacob Stotler, a longtime Salem resident and administrator of the Facebook group, Salem Over Time, was on hand at the celebration in October when the community was invited to see the completed mural, meet the artist and tour the center.

“This mural is fantastic,” said Stotler, “and just what Salem needs. Salem is a fascinating town but has been a bit neglected. Hopefully, the mural will give it a boost.”

The mural process began in spring 2022 when Roger Still, who was then Executive Director of the L-A-D Foundation, asked David Spear, an artist from Columbia, to meet with him and local representatives to brainstorm ideas. Many of those ideas ultimately made their way into the mural, which incorporates both the natural and cultural aspects of the Current River.

“This is my largest work to date,” said Spear, “and it is also the first with windows.” To solve the window challenge, he came up with the idea of painting on a transparent film that would cover the windows and blend into the mural theme, while still allowing light to pass into the building.

Spear is a part-time exhibit designer for the Missouri Department of Conservation and also has his own business, AlleywayArts, in Columbia. He worked full time and then some on the mural this past summer, putting in 14- to 16-hour days and coping with many 100+-degree days.

When you stop by to see the mural, go inside the center and pick up the free brochure that shows the entire mural design with numbered identification of the various elements. Be sure to browse the many exhibits and to select free maps and guides to the Salem area to help you explore the upper Current River.

The ONCRC is at 202 South Main Street (on Highway 19 across from Casey’s). Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 573-729-0029. Admission is free.

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann Cover - The mural wraps around three sides of the building.

(Photo: Barbara Gibbs Ostmann) Top left - Paddling a canoe on the Current river.

(Photo: Barbara Gibbs Ostmann) Top right - A hunter takes aim at a deer near Montauk, near the headwaters of the Current River. (Photo: Barbara Gibbs Ostmann)

JANUARY - 2024

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Feature Story

Pet Plants and the Golden Rule of Seventy

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ver the years, there have been special plants that linked me to a particular place, food, or person. In my youth, most of them were not native plants, as native landscaping wasn’t as popular when I was younger as it is now. There was the ‘Lodi’ apple, which a friend turned into the best applesauce ever. A bleeding heart that emerged from the ground like bolting asparagus.

The rhubarb of my childhood, whose leaves grew into giant elephant ears. A daisy that I dug up for my mom in fifth grade. The cheery daylily given to me by a dear old gardener friend. These are some of the plants that I have gardened with for decades, and will continue to care for in my gardens. They are conduits of happiness and fond memories, and therefore loved dearly.

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These pet plants are not unlike the seven cats that have appeared at my door over the years: Claude, Willy, Sally, Persimmon, Fang, Huckleberry, and Domino. They needed my regular pats, food, and shelter; and I needed their soft fur, affirming purrs, and the attention they lavished on me. Makes me wonder if some plants and cats are in the same boat. Wandering the seas, in wait of someone to take care of them, to dote on them. Is it possible that certain species are adapting to cultivation and couch life? Probably.

Feature Story I digress. These aren’t all of the plants that have stumbled into my life, after all, I’m a plant guy. But they are the first few—a powerful few. Fortunately, I continue to gather plant-based memories; new plants continue to pour into my life.

Nowadays though, most, but not all, are native plants.

So, what is a native wildflower expert to do with daylilies and daisies? Will my reputation tarnish?

Will my butterflies head for greener pastures? Will mouths go hungry?

I don’t think so, and I certainly hope not, not on my watch. My wife Abigail and I planted 19 native trees and shrubs this spring at our new house. Because we inherited many non-native plants from the previous owner, we are trying to increase the ratio of natives to non-natives primarily by increasing the number of natives, but also by decreasing some of the nonnatives. Here’s why.

Doug Tallamy and his graduate students discovered that 70% native/30% percent non-native is the minimum ratio for successful bird nesting. This means that at least 70% of the leaf volume in our neighborhood gardens needs to be from native plants. It also means that when this number drops below 70, baby bird numbers decline.

Currently, the amount of native leaf tissue in our yard is about 50%, thanks to two maples and a river birch. We have a ways to go to get to 70% and beyond, so we are busy planting.

I’ll add that birds and wildlife of all kinds depend on plant diversity, so planting many types of native trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, and grasses is as important as the 70% rule. Plant diversity promotes insect diversity, which supports many types of birds. Also, convert as much lawn as you can manage, to diverse native gardens.

We have way too much lawn, and it’s an easy opportunity to get closer to 70.

I will always remember my first plant loves and will likely keep space in the garden for them. I believe that’s ok. In most gardens that I encounter, native plants are mixed with non-native plants. As long as I strive to increase the number of native plants, and keep Tallamy’s rule of 70 in my sight, I am moving in the right direction. Will I evict the peony, the daylily, and Dutch iris of which I’ve grown so fond? Chances are no, because they are like beloved pets. Will I continue to adopt native plants, now that I understand their incredible value to wildlife? You bet ya’!

And I will love them too, with all of my heart.

Happy gardening y’all!

Scott Woodbury

Scott Woodbury was the horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve for 30 years and stepped down from that position in June 2022. He continues to work on contract for Shaw Nature Reserve to carry out native landscaping education and has launched his own business called Cacalia: Native Garden Design and Wilding. Find suppliers of native plants, seeds, and services at the Grow Native! Resource Guide: www.moprairie.org.

Photos courtesy of Scott Woodbury

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Feature Story

Squirrels in the Woods

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ooler air temperatures and changing leaf colors take me back to my youth when I walked in the woods, including scanning the tree limbs for squirrels. I loved the hunt, but more importantly, my family needed the succulent meat.

Squirrel was welcomed and one less portion of meat to purchase when money was not exactly flowing. Besides, my mother or grandmother could fry up squirrel golden brown and absolutely delicious.

I know many of you might not understand how we could eat this kind of meat, but the truth is we loved it. We were poor, but no, we didn’t eat road kill, possum or raccoons. But squirrel was welcomed and an occasional rabbit.

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Shotgun shells and .22 rifle rounds cost considerably less than today and were cheaper than buying meat at the store. A box of ammunition could have been considered an investment. We only carried five rounds on a hunt and were expected to bring back at least three squirrels.

There was no target practice or plinking back then, only meat hunting. Three squirrels easily made two meals for a family of four with potatoes and some vegetables mom canned in the summer.

Wild game meat is healthier than store-bought varieties of meats. We didn’t know that then, but everyone lived to old age including me.

Feature Story I still remember walking in the October woods about 55 years ago, enjoying the cool fall air and amazing fall colors. We had an apple tree with the sweetest fruit, and I picked a couple to carry on the hunt. Just sitting on an oak ridge in the fall made me happy to be alive and in that spot. Sit long enough and you’ll see squirrels come out from hiding and wander around or chase their kin folk up and down a tree. This is the moment when you wait for a chance to shoot.

Again, we were limited on ammunition, so every shot had to count. Hang around a timber where squirrels reside and one will eventually move in close enough for a clean shot. I once sat facing a fat old oak and shot five squirrels with my five .22 rounds. Each shot would frighten the squirrels into hiding and ten minutes later they returned.

Later, I hunted with an old hillman who owned a squirrel dog. The little mutt would chase squirrels up a tree and they would perch and bark at the pesky dog. This often allowed the old man to get a clean shot on the squirrel.

So why didn’t the rodents hide in a nest or tree hollow?

Because they were focused on the predator chasing them.

Squirrels may not seem very smart at times, but they actually are intelligent creatures that do dumb things.

For example, squirrels run under moving cars instead of staying safely in a yard or up a tree. There are no nuts or other squirrels in the street, just a two-thousand-pound car moving in their direction. They are quick enough to occasionally escape this fate while a few become a flattened-out squirrel on the road.

Why do squirrels run in front of automobiles or trucks in the first place? Squirrel’s view oncoming cars as huge predators, and as part of their nature the furry rodents panic and run into the road. Then they freeze and run out of the way at the last minute or miscalculate and become squirrel pizza.

During my youth in Northwest Missouri, we had big, red fox squirrels and seldom saw a gray. Today mainly gray squirrels inhabit our trees, flower beds and roads with seemingly fewer fox squirrels.

Fox and gray squirrels generally live in the same area and occasionally inner breed, creating an almost black squirrel that actually is a dark gray. Albino gray squirrels are rare. Mammalogists estimate that the odds of a female gray squirrel giving birth to an albino offspring are one in 100,000. I have only seen a couple.

Last winter a friend called to say a squirrel had climbed into her car’s engine and was chewing up the wiring.

This actually is common for a number of reasons. A car engine just coming off the road is warm. This, too, is a dark, confined space where squirrels feel safe, ideal hiding spots in the winter. A squirrel when you drive off will endure different results—you guessed it, either welltraveled or flattened.

Biologists claim that squirrels are highly intelligent and show quite a bit of cognitive ability. They store food away for the winter, show exceptional problem-solving abilities, and have a complex communication system.

They use both sound and scent to chatter with other squirrels about danger and food sources. Personally, I still think they are little dummies that run under my car.

But one thing is certain, a young fried squirrel is still delicious. Many younger people simply will not try this meat that no doubt provided native Americans and pioneers with good meals. Any meat is good when you are hungry. Besides, the squirrel is healthy to eat.

Chef Paul Wedgwood of Edinburgh, England’s Wedgwood Restaurant has cooked with squirrel for many years. “I use grey squirrel meat for several reasons; it's healthy, nutritious, very low in fat and actually really delicious.”

So, if you want to try friend squirrel, here you go: Rinse the jointed squirrel under the tap and pat dry with kitchen paper. Dunk each piece in beaten egg, then flour, then beaten egg again and finally in breadcrumbs.

Get the oil or butter really hot, then place in the pieces and leave along for 3-4 minutes until they have turned a crunchy golden brown. Turnover, cooking the other side until the meat is cooked through. Bear in mind that the shoulders will need less time in the pan than the saddle or legs.

The only thing left for you to do is invite me over for dinner.

Kenneth L. Kieser The author and his buddy loved squirrel hunting throughout their youth. (Photo: Lester Kieser)

JANUARY - 2024

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