Letters

From Near and Far

I have enjoyed the Conservationist since I was a young boy, but never more than the last two months. I am currently serving as a science and technology advisor for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and there is not a lot of nature to be seen where I’m stationed. Seeing the beautiful photographs of Missouri’s natural resources sure makes me thankful for what we have.

Kenny Light, P.E., Rolla

Ombudsman’s Note: Thank you for your service and for taking the time to send us your comments. We are delighted that the magazine is appreciated by Missourians who are far from home. As we begin to enjoy springtime here,we should remember those who are serving us in distant lands. We hope that you will soon be back safely to enjoy Missouri’s outdoors in person. —Tim Smith

I love MDC! E-Permits are SO easy to buy, your managed ranges are awesome, the staff and volunteers are great, and I love the Conservationist — awesome pictures! I am proud to live in Missouri because of your work.

Jon Kimerle, via Internet

Heavenly Response

I was excited to see the feature on the upper Jacks Fork River in the April issue [To Heaven and Back on the Upper Jacks Fork]. The upper “Jacks” has always been my favorite float stream. I used to paddle/camp it along with my brother and some friends during the off-season months, November until April, when the “river dorks” were nowhere to be seen or heard!

Now I live in the heart of “Canoe Country” near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northeast Minnesota. The upper Jacks Fork is still my favorite place to wet a paddle. Doug Turner, Grand Marais, Minn. Thank you for Brett Dufur’s beautifully written article about floating the Jacks Fork River. Phrases like “geologic jambalaya” and descriptions of birdsong, flowers, and the work of tiny drops of water on rock made me feel the magic of the place and imagine what it was like.

Mary Lee, Smithville

Just have to say how happy I was to see you all thoroughly enjoyed the jewel known as the Jacks Fork. It is without a doubt one of, if not the, most favorite place for my family and myself. Our two boys (4 and 7) have accumulated together over 700 miles in a canoe on Ozark rivers and a great deal of them have been on the Jacks Fork. Thanks for sharing your experience in the Conservationist, for we can truly relate to the power of that place.

Jody Miles, Co-Executive Director, Earth’s Classroom, Rosebud,

Wild Recipes

When I was a child, the magazine had recipes for wild game and fish. Why were they removed?

Keith Stevenson, Hannibal

Editors’ Note: The magazine has gone through many redesigns over the years, and during those makeovers we try to adjust our content to better fit our readers’ needs and requests, as well as our Department’s goals. Due to limited space, sometimes segments are removed. We really enjoy wild game recipes, too, so we understand your disappointment. While we do run them occasionally as part of other articles (see Page 24), we are not able to make them a regular item at this time. However, you can still access many of our wild game recipes online on our “Cooking” page at mdc.mo.gov/node/3500 and in publications available through our Nature Shop (at select centers and online at mdcnatureshop.com).

Reader Photo

Photo Balm

Eltjen Flikkema, of Springfield, captured this photo of a single ox-eye flower in a field of wild bergamot during a walk at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Springfield Nature Center. “After retirement, I resolved to increase my exercise regimen by walking frequently at the nature center,” said Flikkema. He enjoys taking pictures of anything interesting, beautiful, unusual, or intriguing. “In this picture, I found the solitary yellow flower in the midst of the purple flowers most interesting,” said Flikkema. “When I walked through the area a day later, it was gone, but I had it in my collection!”