Missouri Conservationist online

Joe Dillard (far left) left the Conservation Department to direct the Missouri Watershed Information Network in Columbia. His daughter, Lisa, lives in Columbia, and works as an accreditation specialist.

Karen Kramer has been with the Conservation Department for eight years and now works as natural areas coordinator. Karen lives near Hartsburg and lists her three dogs, her horse and her collection of Wizard of Oz paraphanalia as her favorite things in the world. She says she works for fun; she also plays volleyball, hikes and rides her bicycle.

Kyle Reno (far left) is a fisheries management biologist working out of Chillicothe. Vaughn Walters is a conservation agent assigned to Daviess County. The authors say fishing is for them both work and fun.

Dale Smith is a freelance writer living in Columbia. His last article for the Conservationist was about Dean Wilson, who crafted hunting bows from wooden staves. Dale is a fan of fens and seeps and other soggy places. His backyard is in a Zone B floodplain. After writing about Eagle Bluffs, he has regularly revisited the area to watch birds.

Devona Weirich is a student in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She worked for the Conservation Department as a fisheries biologist from 1986 to 1997 and directed several beautification projects involving the planting of aquatic and terrestrial plants and trees for Columbia area public lakes.

Wildlife Regional Supervisor Dave Young has worked for the Conservation Department for 25 years and currently oversees land management in the 13-county West-Central Region, which includes Four Rivers Conservation Area and Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie. He lives in Windsor with his wife, Judith, and likes to hunt, fish and play softball.