Up Front With Sara Parker Pauley

Back in the day, I was a competitive tennis player. So, when I would spend time on Granny Elma’s farm, she would make sure I continued to train, including a 5-mile daily run down to the lake and back. On one particularly busy day, the sun was beginning to wane before I’d had a chance to start my run. But my Granny wasn’t one for excuses, so she told me I’d better get to it before dark. And so, I did.

On my return from the lake, the light was fading fast and darkness was settling in. Then I saw the headlights of Granny’s old Duster coming to my rescue. Well, not exactly. “Keep running,” she yelled out the window. “I’ve come to guide you home!” She turned the car around and drove behind me, providing much needed light. The best part of this story was yet to come. As we got closer to home, I saw the headlights drawing closer, then a honk of the horn and a yell that I will remember the rest of my life. “Sprint it on home, sister. Sprint it on home!” And so, I did.

In reading the Annual Review on Pages 11–27 with all the amazing conservation work accomplished this past year, including our partners providing much needed light to our path, I thought of this story. As the sun set on 2018, we tried our best as your Department of Conservation to sprint it on home. And so, we did.

Sara Parker Pauley, Director
sara.pauley@mdc.mo.com