Healthy Forests

Our Glorious Forests

Poosey CA

• Size: 5,738 acres
• Location: 13 miles northwest of Chillicothe in Livingston County
• Importance: Poosey CA is a designated Important Birding Area.
• Take the fall driving tour: The third Sunday in October
• Find more info: visit our online atlas, keyword, "Poosey".

Fern-draped stone walls, heavily timbered hills and rolling grass expanses make Poosey Conservation Area a must-see in the fall. The annual driving tour occurs the third Sunday in October, when the area’s color usually peaks. More than just a pretty drive, the Poosey driving tour helps visitors understand the link between sustainable forest management and beautiful, bountiful forests. Most of the 15 stops feature a management approach that helps protect the local watershed, increase natural diversity and produce high-quality wildlife habitat and valuable forest products. Other stops, such as the Panther’s Den, give visitors a glimpse into the past when the Poosey area was a vibrant farming community. Best of all, Poosey’s mosaic of upland hardwoods and grasslands creates a masterpiece of fall color.

KC TreeKeepers Class

Six-week course starts at Burr Oak Woods Oct. 2.

The Heartland Tree Alliance announces its fall TreeKeepers Class. Emphasizing community tree health, the course will be held at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. The course’s many topics include tree identification, species selection and diagnosing tree problems. Participants will apply classroom lessons during hands-on field experiences. To register, call (816) 561-1061, ext. 110, or e-mail treemail@bridgingthegap.org. The class is free, but participants are asked to donate 24 hours of public tree-care help in the Kansas City region.

We All Live in a Forest

Don’t move firewood! Help prevent against tree pests.

If you move firewood between campsites this summer, you may be spreading tree-killing pests such as emerald ash borers, Asian longhorned beetles and gypsy moths. These species hide and travel in firewood. In recent years, they have devastated hardwood forests in the eastern United States, and they’re headed to Missouri. While campers are advised not to transport firewood between camps in the state, a federal quarantine makes it illegal to bring firewood in from infested states, specifically Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and lower Michigan. To avoid spreading tree pests, buy firewood from local sources and burn it all before you leave camp. Learn more about reducing threats to Missouri’s glorious forests online.