Community Conservation

Taking Action

Greater Prairie-Chicken Recovery

• Group featured: Cole Camp Grassland Conservation Partnership
• Group mission: Restore grassland habitat and educate the public about prairie-chicken recovery efforts and grassland management.
• Group location: Cole Camp; Hi Lonesome and other local prairies.

Hearing the boom of prairie-chickens fade to a murmur has served as an alarm for Cole Camp residents to take action to improve local grasslands. Local citizens answered the call to action by teaming up with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Audubon Missouri to create a unique approach to improving the health and abundance of public and privately owned grasslands. Audubon Missouri will hire a full-time staff person to educate the public about grassland issues, assist landowners to establish, improve and manage private grasslands and implement locally driven ideas that allow businesses and rural residents to tap into sustainable economic opportunities created by a growing eco-tourism industry. Expected benefits include increases in the number and diversity of grassland-dependent wildlife and nature viewing opportunities.

Nominate Now

Honor Missouri citizens who contributed to conservation.

The Missouri Conservation Commission would like to recognize citizens who make outstanding contributions to conservation. Nominations are being sought for the Master Conservationist Award and the Missouri Conservation hall of Fame. The Master Conservationist Award honors living or deceased citizens while the Missouri Conservation hall of Fame recognizes deceased individuals. Those who can be considered for either honor are:

• Citizens who performed outstanding acts or whose dedicated service over an extended time produced major progress in fisheries, forestry or wildlife conservation in Missouri.
• Employees of conservation-related agencies who performed outstanding acts or whose dedicated service over an extended time produced major progress in fisheries, forestry or wildlife conservation in Missouri.

Anyone can submit a nomination, which should include a statement describing the nominee’s accomplishments and a brief biography. Please submit nominations by July 13 to Janet Bartok, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Mo 65102 or e-mail Janet.Bartok@mdc.mo.gov.

A screening committee appointed by the Department’s director meets semi-annually to consider nominees, with the Conservation Commission conveying final approval.