Sept. 2007 - Volume 68, Issue 9
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In this issue
NextGEN Departments
Thirty Years for Missouri's Natural Areas continued...
The citizens of Missouri were promised an expanded Natural Areas System in 1976 as part of the Design for Conservation, and proceeds from the conservation sales tax have been used to establish natural areas either through new acquisitions or through an inventory of existing public lands. Over the next 30 years the Conservation Department promises to establish or expand 40 natural areas as part of its promise in TheNext Generation of Conservation.
Missouri’s Living Museums
Our natural areas are storehouses of biological diversity. They support populations of more than 300 plant and animal species of conservation concern, ranging from prairie chickens to pondberry shrubs. In a sense, natural areas are living museums that show what the land looked like prior to the industrial age.
Natural areas contain high-quality natural communities. These groupings of plants and animals and their associated soils and topography have been minimally impacted by humans or have been restored back to a healthy condition. They are an important part of our heritage that we pass on to future generations.
They also are repositories of genetic diversity. The plants, animals and microorganisms found there have high scientific value and may one day have important medicinal or economic value as well.
Natural areas serve as living laboratories and outdoor classrooms for scientists and teachers to use for research and teaching. These areas also are important green space and provide outdoor recreation opportunities including hiking, birding, nature study, photography and, in many cases, hunting and fishing.
Natural Areas Stewardship
Today the natural processes of fire, flooding, native predators and grazers no longer sustain our ecosystems as they did prior to settlement. In many cases, non-native invasive species threaten our natural areas. Land cannot simply be designated as a natural area and left alone forever. Natural areas typically require some form of hands-on land management, such as prescribed burning, to restore or maintain their ecological integrity.
See a Natural Area Today
The best way to learn about our natural areas is to visit one. Some natural areas are remote and require good orienteering skills with map and compass to visit. But many are relatively easy to access and not far from metropolitan areas.
This article includes descriptions of and directions to 10 natural areas owned or managed by the Conservation Department. These areas have parking lots and either have trails or are relatively easy to traverse cross-country.
For more information about designated Missouri natural areas, visit www.missouriconservation.org/8364 or write to the Natural Areas Coordinator, Wildlife Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
About This Article
Author
MIKE LEAHY is the natural areas coordinator for the Conservation Department. He and his wife, Carol Davit, and their son, Jamie, live in Jefferson City. They enjoy hiking, birding, botanizing, gardening and playing in streams.
Photographer
Department of Conservation photographer NOPPADOL PAOTHONG discovered his love and passion for wildlife photography in college in 1995. Born in Thailand, he came to the United States in 1993 to study graphic art before switching to journalism. He has worked as a full-time photographer at the Joplin Globe and the Springfield News-Leader, and has achieved more than 60 regional and national awards.
