Community Conservation

Taking Action

Creative Recycling

• Group Featured: Twin Pines Conservation Education Center
• Location: Highway 60, 1.3 miles east of the junction with Highway 19 North in Winona.
• Contact: For more information, call (573) 325-1381 or visit the Twin Pines Web site link listed below.

Trash never had it so good. The creative staff of the Conservation Department’s Twin Pines Conservation Education Center in Winona reinvent toilet paper rolls into bird feeders, milk jugs into handwashing stations, PVC pipe into bird houses and yogurt cups into fishing-bait containers. Some of the center’s garbage feeds composting worms, which might someday star in fishing programs. Items that cannot be directly reused are sent to the city recycling program, and new supplies are made from recycled materials whenever possible. They have also developed an educational program called “The Garbage Monster” that encourages both reading and recycling. Staff read the book The Garbage Monster with children and then lead them through stations that teach them about recycling.

Recycling projects and programs affect nearly every aspect of Twin Pines’ operations, and they’d love to demonstrate how you can have fun, save money and get creative with recycling, too. So visit soon!

2,000 Friends and Growing

Forestkeepers celebrate a new membership milestone.

The Missouri Forestkeepers Network recently enrolled its 2,000th member, Linda McAvoy of Jefferson County.

Linda homeschools her two sons, ages 9 and 11. She is a also a Boy Scout Webelo leader for five boys. She anticipates using the Forestkeepers materials with both her Scout Troop and her boys in the classroom.

The Missouri Forestkeepers Network’s mission is to develop a network of informed citizens working to conserve, sustain and enhance Missouri’s urban and rural forest resources through volunteerism, advocacy and management. This free program is offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation in partnership with Forest ReLeaf of Missouri. It is designed to provide sound scientific information on tree care and management to Missourians. Participants are encouraged to take an active role in the care of our forests through a variety of activities and training. Links to more information on the program and enrollment forms may be found listed below.

Linda will be recognized this spring at the Missouri Forestkeepers annual conference to be held in the St. Louis Regional Office in St. Charles. —Justine Gartner