Missouri Conservationist online

Bruce Palmer is a forestry education coordinator for the Conservation Department, where he has worked for 20 years. He lives in Jefferson City with his wife and two daughters. Bruce lists skiing, hiking and camping as his favorite activities. He was drawn to forestry by the prospect of being able to work outdoors, but his career now anchors him to a desk.

Steve Shifley works at the USDA Forest Service’s North Central Research Station in Columbia. He has inventoried remnant old-growth forests in Missouri to learn how they compare with mature second-growth forests. His current study–how large forest landscapes change over time–is part of the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project.

Sarah Thompson is a student pursuing a dual major in atmospheric sciences and mathematics from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She hails from Sibley and lists her favorite pastimes as stormchasing, horseback riding and karate. She says she enjoys spending time with her fiance and their two pet snakes.

Tom Treiman has been a natural resource economist with the Conservation Department since 1997. When’s he’s not wondering about tree values, he can be found watching birds or weeding his garden.