2025 Partners Roundtable

Track 1- Stewarding Missouri

• Advancing Conservation Together: Missouri’s Comprehensive Conservation Strategy in Action
  • Highlights efforts to advance shared conservation goals through habitat management and landowner surveys, with interactive activities to set future priorities.  
• Fostering Bird-friendly Communities: Strategies for Urban Bird Conservation
  • Features an interactive “murmuration” and discussion on hazards, solutions, and collaborative opportunities for urban bird conservation.
• Landowner-Led Cooperatives: Building Conservation-focused Communities
  • Introduces cooperative models for landowners, shares case studies, and guides participants through developing their own co-op framework.

Track 2- Building Connections

• From Spark to Sustainability: Building a Lifelong Conservation Habit
  • Features a discussion on how attendees can nurture and retain their audiences and will explore strategies for developing "next-level" educational pathways.
• Access Through Gear-Lending: Models and Community Impact
  • Presents two community-based gear-lending programs, strategies for reducing barriers to participation, and hands-on activities for designing your own lending model.
• Connecting Conservation Efforts: An Offers and Needs Market
  • A dynamic networking session where participants identify their “offers” and “needs” to foster new conservation partnerships.

Track 3- Strengthening Public Trust

• Partnering for Water Quality: Unified Messaging for Clean Missouri Waters
  • Facilitates collaboration strategies for nutrient reduction and consistent communication across diverse audiences.
• School & Community Collaborations for Conservation
  • Showcase the powerful education partnership model of Show-Me Green Schools to explore how schools and communities can connect students to conservation.
• Expanding Reach, Deepening Roots: Strategies for Meaningful Partnerships
  • Shares real-world lessons from St. Louis regional conservation programs with interactive fishbowl discussions to explore trust-building and engagement strategies.

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Jason Sumners serves as the 10th Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. During his tenure at MDC, Jason has been instrumental in developing the agency’s strategic and operational direction, served as Deputy Director, Chief of Wildlife and Science Branches, led the state’s white-tailed deer management program, took part in Missouri’s elk reintroduction efforts, developed a private lands deer management program, and led the Department’s effort to develop and implement a chronic wasting disease (CWD) management and surveillance strategy. Jason received a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Missouri and a Master of Science in Biology from Mississippi State University. He is a fellow of the National Conservation Leadership Institute, professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club, active member of several regional and national conservation related committees and has been recognized by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for his leadership in science-based approaches to wildlife conservation

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Buddy Huffaker joined the Aldo Leopold Foundation in 1996 as a seasonal intern and has served as Executive Director since 1999.  During his tenure the foundation has grown the Leopold Community by protecting the Leopold Shack & Farm (the inspiration and setting for much of the classic A Sand County Almanac) as a National Historic Landmark, constructing the LEED Platinum Aldo Leopold Legacy Center out of trees planted by the Leopold family, producing the Emmy Award winning documentary GreenFire, and supporting ten different foreign translations of A Sand County Almanac.  The foundation continues the Leopold family’s commitment to stewardship through the restoration and management of the 4,400 acre Leopold-Pines Conservation Area and by using this experience to inform and inspire other landowners to adopt and implement their own land ethic. Buddy’s leadership in the conservation movement includes service on state and federal advisory committees and participation in three White House Conferences on conservation and environmental education.

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Tyler is responsible for implementing CFM’s mission, goals, policies and procedures with respect for Missouri’s rich conservation heritage. He serves as the editor of CFM’s publication, Conservation Federation. He has lived his entire life in Missouri and brings passionate experience and sound judgement in protecting and promoting our wildlife and natural resources.

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Dr. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall BioBSc. Agronomy- University of El SalvadorMSc Forestry- Southern Illinois University-CarbondalePhD Plant Biology- Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleExtension State Specialist and director of the Specialty Crops/Native Plants Program since 2008-2016, 2020 to present.Dr. Navarrete-Tindall promotes native plants for their benefits to people and wildlife through many outreach initiatives including the FINCA project (Families Integrating Nature, Conservation and Agriculture) that provides educational tools to students and the public to learn to identify, grow and market native edible plants and those important for pollinators. She and her team maintain two native plant demonstration areas on the Lincoln University campus including the Finca EcoFarm and the Native Plant Outdoor Laboratory. They also organize outreach and educational events like the Finca Fest, Dining Wild and training of various aspects of native plants and other specialty crops. Usually these facilities, especially the Finca offer a space for students to practice sustainable agriculture skills. She offers seminars and workshops in Spanish and English. Collaborates with non-profit environmental organizations in El Salvador. She has received educational grants from NIFA, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Department of Conservation, and various foundations to increase awareness about native plant species and their potential as specialty crops. At present, the Urban AgLearning Hub is being implemented with funds from an extension NIFA- Capacity Building Grant in collaboration with other extension specialists on campus. In 2008 she received Missouri’s highest conservation honor as she was inducted into the Conservation Hall of Fame as a Master Conservationist. Some of her interests are increasing awareness about protecting natural areas and creating urban green corridors for wildlife habitat, and promoting consumption of sustainably produced foods, including native edible plants.

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Taniya Bethke has a background in wildlife and conservation biology, education, and strategic planning. Taniya leverages her expertise from both the public and private sectors to support the growing cohort of R3 practitioners. She assesses R3 needs nationally and responds to them by providing professional development opportunities, co-facilitating and reviewing R3 planning efforts, designing meaningful R3 implementation and evaluation processes, and assisting with the development of intentional partner engagement strategies.