News and Almanac

Apply for Managed Deer Hunts

Managed deer hunts will be held on selected areas statewide from October through January.

Applications for all managed hunts must be submitted between July 15 and Aug. 15. Successful applicants will be charged a $3 processing fee.

Descriptions of the hunts, including modern firearms, archery and muzzleloading hunts, can be found in the "1997 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Information" booklet, available from permit vendors, and on application cards available at Conservation Department offices in Jefferson City, St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia, as well as at the sites of the hunts.

Hunters permanently confined to wheelchairs will automatically be allowed to participate in managed hunts at Fleming Park (East side), Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Shaw Arboretum, James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, Burr Oak Woods, August A. Busch, Caney Mountain, Drury-Mincy, Forest 44, Peck Ranch and Whetstone Creek conservation areas. Applicants must fill out a separate application form, attach a supporting licensed physician's statement and include the $3 processing fee.

Hunting opportunities for people with disabilities are also being offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Smithville ((816) 532-0174), Mark Twain ((573) 735-4097) and Truman ((816) 438-7137) lakes and by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge ((816) 856-3323). Contact areas for more information.

Compromise key to state fish honors

Gov. Mel Carnahan's recent signing of a bill designating the state fish and the state aquatic animal was a lesson in politics and compromise for a group of elementary school students and a southwest Missouri 4-H club.

The Mid-American 4-H Wildlife Club of Elkland asked Conservationist readers in April 1993 to choose their favorite mammals and fish. Because the paddlefish proved so popular among state residents and because the fish is native only to Missouri and has survived since the time of the dinosaurs, the club formally requested that it be named our state fish.

Students at Howard County Elementary School in Glasgow, meanwhile, were promoting the catfish as the state fish, citing its popularity with both commercial fish culturists and anglers.

A compromise was finally reached when the 4-H group agreed that the catfish could be named the state fish, if the paddlefish would be named the state aquatic animal.

Stream team summary released

A recent summary of Stream Team activities reported that during 1996, 881 Stream Teams recorded 51,336 volunteer hours performing 21 different types of labor on behalf of Missouri streams.

Stream Teams are groups of people brought together by their mutual concern for Missouri's waterways. They volunteer their work and expertise to maintain or restore the health of our rivers and creeks. The program is sponsored by the Conservation Department, the Department of Natural Resources and the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

Litter pickups and water quality monitoring consumed most of the hours worked by Stream Teams. The volunteers also spent thousands of hours teaching people about streams and their problems at fairs, workshops and meetings.

Mapping streams, planting trees and inventorying species were also high on the list.

During 1996, more than 200 Stream Team members completed Level I training in water quality monitoring, bringing the number of trained volunteers to more than 1,000.

Officials expect the number of Stream Teams to surpass 1,000 in 1997. For more information about the Stream Team program call, toll-free, (800) 781 1989.

Grants fund outdoor classrooms

In the first year of a new program, the Conservation Department awarded more than $110,000 in grants to 35 elementary, middle and high schools around the state to fund outdoor classrooms.

The Show-Me Conservation Outdoor Classroom Grants are designed to encourage schools to develop and maintain outdoor learning sites on school grounds or at a nearby location so that students can learn about outdoor-related subjects.

In addition to the grants, teachers at the 35 schools can attend workshops and obtain one-on-one assistance from Conservation Department education consultants to help plan and implement their projects.

For information about developing outdoor classrooms or for more information about the program, write to the Conservation Department's Office of Environmental Education, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, 65102 0180, or call (573) 751-4115.

Environmental conference set

The 2nd Annual Conference on Environmental Education "Hands On the Environment" will take place Oct. 24-26 at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach.

The conference is coordinated by the Conservation Department and the newly formed Missouri Environmental Education Association.

Teachers, school administrators, naturalists, youth leaders, agency resource people, community educators, parents and concerned citizens can learn about innovative environmental education efforts throughout Missouri.

Registration fee is $125 before Oct. 1 and $150 on-site. The fee covers conference registration and all meals, except dinner Oct. 25. Lodging is not included in the fee.

For registration packets or exhibitor information, write to Office of Environmental Education, Missouri Department of Conservation. Box 180, Jefferson City 65102-0180, or call (573) 751-4115, ext. 370.

Register for YOUTH WATERFOWL clinics

11- to 15-year-olds are reminded to enroll early for waterfowl education clinics. This will be the third year the clinics have been offered. They are designed for youngsters who have a desire to hunt waterfowl but do not have anyone to teach them the basics of the sport.

Participants will learn the ethics of waterfowl hunting, wetlands and waterfowl appreciation and hunting strategies and will receive wing shooting practice. Youngsters who participate in the clinic may apply for a guided waterfowl hunt during the fall season. About 65 percent of the kids will be drawn for a hunt.

Registration starts Aug. 1 and closes 10 days prior to clinic dates. Class sizes are limited. A guardian must accompany the youth to the clinic. For more information or to register for a clinic, call one of the conservation offices listed below. In some cases, registration is through a district office and not the area hosting the clinic.

• St. Joseph Conservation Service Center Oct. 4 (816) 271-3100
• Fountain Grove Conservation Area Sept. 27 (816) 646-6122
• Schell-Osage Conservation Area Sept. 27 (417) 876-5226
• August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area Sept. 20 (314) 441-4554
• Ted Shanks Conservation Area Sept. 27 (573) 248-2530
• Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area Sept. 27 (573) 884-6861
• Duck Creek Conservation Area Oct. 4 (573) 290-5730