Missouri Conservationist online

Barbara Baird writes a weekly column for the St. James Leader-Journal about interesting folks, customs and sites of the Ozarks. She also writes for several bluegrass magazines. She says she is learning to fish, hunt and shoot, activities that make her feel like a kid again.

Dale Humburg is a native of Iowa who loves waterfowl hunting. He has been a wildlife research biologist with the Conservation Department since 1977, specializing in waterfowl and wetlands. He represents Missouri on the Mississippi Flyway Technical Section and recommends annual hunting regulations for ducks and geese.

William Mabee lives in Columbia and particularly cherishes opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. He is a fisheries research assistant with the Conservation Department. He has studied aquatic invertebrates, water quality and fisheries of Missouri for 17 years.

Norman Murray is a natural history regional biologist in the Conservation Department's west central region. He formerly was biodiversity coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. His special interest is prairies and prairie restoration. Norman, his wife, Sheila, and their two young sons are restoring a small glade and savannah near their house.

Linden Trial is employed in the Fisheries Research Section of the Conservation Department. She has worked primarily with aquatic invertebrates that are used to monitor the water quality of streams in the state. Over the last four years, Linden started collecting adult dragonflies to determine how many species live in Missouri.

Larry Vangilder of Columbia has been the Conservation Department's wild turkey expert for many years. From 1985 to 1998 he was a wildlife research biologist with responsibilities for wild turkey research and population management. His recommendations helped set hunting season dates and limits. He now works as a wildlife research supervisor.