Celebrating 80 Years of Conservation

How do you measure 80 years?  For many it’s a lifetime.  For this milestone anniversary, oak is the traditional gift.  At 80 years, an oak tree is young enough that it’s only halfway to its highest annual production of acorns.  

In 80 years, the Missouri Department of Conservation, in tandem with citizens and partners, has borne success.   Some of the many yields include the restoration of wetlands and grasslands, as well as deer and turkey.   You can enjoy this bounty today with many options for hunting and wildlife watching.  Nature centers, conservation areas, and hatcheries offer places to fish, hike, and discover nature with your family. 

Volunteers share their skills and knowledge at fishing clinics, hunter education classes, interpretive sites and nature centers.

Partner programs like Missouri Forestkeepers, Stream Teams, and Master Naturalists offer ways you can get involved to help our woods, waterways, pollinators, and others.

Like the oak tree, the Missouri Department of Conservation is still young and growing toward higher yields for future generations.  As our forests, fish and wildlife needed help 80 years ago when citizens came together to form the conservation department, there are new challenges today.  Help shape our conservation future by visiting an open house near you to hear from conservation leaders, share your comments, and enjoy local programs.  The first 80 attendees at each open house will receive a free Trees of Missouri field guide.

Join MDC from 6 – 8 p.m. at the following open houses:

• Aug. 8 at the MDC Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive in Cape Girardeau;
• Aug. 10 at the MDC Runge Conservation Nature Center, 330 Commerce Drive in Jefferson City;
• Aug. 14 at the MDC Northeast Regional Office, 3500 S. Baltimore in Kirksville;
• Sept. 7 at the MDC Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood;
• Sept. 26 at Kemper Recital Hall in Spratt Hall 101 on the Missouri Western State University campus where the MDC Northwest Regional Office is located, 4525 Downs Drive in St. Joseph;
• Oct. 10 at the MDC Springfield Conservation Nature Center, 4601 S. Nature Center Way in Springfield;
• Oct. 12, at the MDC Twin Pines Conservation Education Center, 20086 Highway 60 in Winona; and
• Oct. 26 at the MDC Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave in Kansas City.

Discover more about how you can comment and attend our 80th Anniversary Open Houses.