Take Action to Fund LWCF and Maintenance Backlogs

This is a news release from Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, an organization, along with Conservation Federation here in Missouri, that help us protect the public land outdoor resources that we enjoy. Pleas consider supporting these organizations, and please consider contacting your Senators to solicit their support for this legislation.

In a show of bipartisan and bicameral solidarity, Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Gardner (R-CO) and Reps. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) and many other senators and representatives introduced legislation, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), addressing maintenance backlogs on public lands and ensuring full, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nation’s most popular and successful access and conservation program. 

 

GAOA would appropriate the full $900 million annually allocated to LWCF in addition to providing $1.9 billion annually through fiscal year 2025 to address the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Education accumulating maintenance backlogs on roads, trails, facilities and aquatic structures. 

Hunters and anglers rely on access sites funded by the LWCF, which has supported projects in all counties across the United States. As hunter numbers decline nationwide – leading to a corresponding decline in license-based conservation funding – sportsmen and women cite a lack of public access as the single greatest impediment to time afield. We need LWCF to receive full funding to support hunters, anglers, and our $778-billion outdoor recreation economy.  

 

Last year, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation that secures the future of LWCF. Now we have the opportunity to ensure that public land managers have the resources they need to responsively oversee critical lands and waters – and advance conservation and access projects that make our communities more livable, strengthen our economy and uphold our legacy of public lands, waters and wildlife.

 

GAOA is a big win for hunters, anglers, conservationists and other outdoor enthusiasts. Expanding funding allocations to other public land management agencies is essential in gaining broad stakeholder support. These agencies manage the public lands most important to hunting and fishing and face funding deficits due to crumbling infrastructure. We need to repair roads and bridges to enhance access and recreational opportunities on all public lands — not just on our National Parks Service lands.

Please join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in supporting this critical effort. Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to support the Great American Outdoors Act!

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR SENATORS

Long-time conservation agent wins hunter education honor

MDC recognizes Laclede County agent Walt Hutton for teaching efforts.

LEBANON, Mo. – Walt Hutton’s hunter education efforts in 2015 showed that a quarter-century of conservation work has not slowed him down.

Each year, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recognizes hunter education instructors whose efforts exceed regular teaching duties. Hutton, who lives in Lebanon and has been Laclede County’s agent for all but two of his 27 years with MDC, has been named the 2015 Hunter Education Conservation Agent Instructor of the Year. He was recognized for his achievement by MDC on July 12 in Jefferson City.

This past year, in addition to helping to coordinate classes for other instructors, Hutton personally taught eight classes and certified 222 students. Hutton also did 16 radio segments promoting hunter education classes in Laclede County and wrote eight newspaper articles promoting classes in the county. He also made contacts with individuals in the county to make arrangements for teaching sites.

“Through selfless service and dedication, Walt continues to make a positive impact on other people’s lives and on the communities he serves,” said MDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Greg Collier, who helps coordinate hunter education in MDC’s 17-county Southwest Region. “The results of his efforts are citizens and communities with a greater awareness of conservation, wildlife management and a greater appreciation for safe and ethical hunting.”

Missouri’s hunter education program is administrated by MDC and taught state-wide by more than 1,400 instructors. With the exception of exemptions listed in the Wildlife Code of Missouri, all hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967 must complete an approved hunter-education program to buy a firearms hunting permit.

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Cicadas begin their summer sounds in July

Discover nature and learn more about the periodical and annual cicada.

JEFFERSON CTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to discover nature this summer by learning more about cicadas. There are two types of cicadas, annual and periodical. As their names suggest, annual cicadas make an appearance every summer in July, whereas periodical cicadas emerge in 13 and 17-year cycles in late May.

Annual cicadas have dark eyes and greenish bodies, unlike the slightly smaller periodicals which have red eyes and blackish bodies.

After spending two-to-five years underground feeding on root juices, the annual cicada nymphs emerge and begin the search for mates using their raspy hum.

The cicada’s endless drone seems to come from everywhere. Cicadas emit a sound that can reach up to 95 decibels, depending on proximity. That is the equivalent noise level of a Boeing 737 before landing.

Unlike crickets rubbing together parts of their wings to create a chirp, male cicadas rapidly vibrate a piece of their exoskeleton to produce their loud call.

Despite the mild sound annoyance cicadas induce, the insect is a valuable food source for wildlife such as birds and other insects. In other countries it’s common for people to chow down on the meaty bug due to its predictable emergence in the summer. Cicadas pose no threat to people and minimal threats to trees.

While Missouri doesn’t have to worry about a large periodical cicada invasion this summer, states toward the east such as Ohio and West Virginia are dealing with a 17-year brood. The next 13-year periodical will not make an appearance in Missouri until 2024.

For more information on cicadas visit MDC’s online Field Guide at http://on.mo.gov/1Ubs3pQ.

MDC's Community Conservation Grants help urban habitats

Upcoming meetings in Springfield, Joplin will offer information on how to apply for grants.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Good conservation practices don’t only apply to remote forests and prairies. Conservation helps communities, too.

As urban areas continue to develop, it’s important that this growth be compatible with wildlife habitats, streams and other natural features of our outdoors world. That’s because conservation pays by enriching our economy and quality of life.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Community Conservation Grant program promotes urban wildlife habitat improvement, encourages organizational partnerships for land stewardship and supports the training of partner staff to manage natural landscapes. This program is available to government entities and non-profit organizations. The application period for these grants begins in June.

Groups in southwest Missouri interested in applying for these grants can get information at two meetings in June. A meeting will be held 9 a.m.-11 a.m. on June 10 at MDC’s Southwest Regional Office, 2630 N. Mayfair Ave. in Springfield. Another meeting will be held 9 a.m.-11 a.m. on June 17 at the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center, 201 W. Riviera Drive, in Joplin. To register for either of these upcoming meetings, contact MDC Urban Wildlife Biologist Ashley Schnake at 417-895-6881, ext. 1637 or Ashley.Schnake@mdc.mo.gov.

Projects eligible for funding include (but aren’t limited to) stream restoration, prairie or native warm season grass reconstruction, forest management or wetland enhancement. Funding may also be used for the training of partner organization staff. All project applications should have a long-term management plan. Requests for Community Conservation Grants should not exceed $10,000. Preference will be given to projects that involve cost-share or in-kind contributions.

The recipients of this year’s MDC Community Conservation Grants in southwest Missouri are:

• Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center; for natural area restoration at Redings Mill
• City of Springfield; for native plant habitat on South Creek, adjacent to the South Creek greenways trail
• Watershed Committee of the Ozarks; for native habitat improvement at Valley Water Mill Park
• Chert Glades Master Naturalist Chapter; for establishment and maintenance of butterfly garden/Monarch waystation at Cunningham Park
• Ozark Regional Land Trust; for work done at Sarcoxie Cave and Spring natural area.

.Information about improving urban wildlife habitat can also be found at mdc.mo.gov.

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Finding holiday decorations outdoors

Many Missourians consider the red cedar a traditional holiday tree, one they remember from the past or utilize in the present. The dried seed pods, flowers and grasses that linger outdoors in autumn can be shaped into decorations.
Photos by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation

                     

 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave. in Kansas City. The free program is open to all ages and no registration is required.

Nature packs wonder into the shapes and colors found in autumn, such as prairie grasses, wild nuts, berries and seeds. Wonder is part of the holiday season, and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a class on how to make ornaments and decorations using natural materials

   MDC is also a key partner in a metro area holiday tradition, cutting red cedar trees to support volunteer conservation habitat work on public park land. The Kansas City Wildlands 15th Annual Red Cedar Christmas Tree Event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, at Mildale Farm, 35250 W. 199th St., Edgerton, Kan. A $15 donation benefits Wildlands, which is a Bridging the Gap program. Wildlands organizes volunteer workdays at high-quality natural areas such as prairies, glades and forests. Volunteers often remove harmful invasive species such as bush honeysuckle so native plants can thrive. Wildlands operates on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas state line in the metro area.

   Eastern red cedar is a valuable and hardy native tree. However, cedar can become invasive in native prairie remnants and glades. Cedars are fragrant and they make a pretty holiday tree.

   Anyone curious about cedar trees for the holidays is invited to visit the Gorman Discovery Center. A grove of cedars is installed in the lobby with lights and décor using natural materials such as dried wildflowers, seeds and grasses.

   Also, the Discovery Center’s Nature Shop offers books about conservation and other gift items for sale. The popular MDC Natural Events Calendars for 2016 are also available for purchase.

   For information about programs at MDC’s Discovery Center, call 816-759-7300 or visitmdc.mo.gov/node/281.

   For information about the Red Cedar Christmas Tree Event, call 816-561-1061, ext. 116.

MDC says invasive bush honeysuckle vulnerable now

Late fall is a good time to battle invasive species that harms native plant communities

Volunteers for Kansas City Wildlands recently held workdays to cut, pull and spray invasive bush honeysuckle at several parks in the metro area. The volunteer program is a partner with MDC and public park agencies to remove invasive species from high-quality natural communities on park land.

Kansas City, Mo. – Bush honeysuckle remains green as autumn fades and winter arrives, which offers a chance for homeowners to help battle this invasive species. It’s easy to spot in early winter as one of the last shrubs to drop leaves. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) biologists and other public land managers work to reduce bush honeysuckle in the Kansas City area because its prolific growth chokes out native plants valuable for their beauty and wildlife habitat.

   Bush honeysuckle is an import from Asia that produces leaves earlier in the spring and holds on to them late in autumn. Some stands will still be green into December given mild weather conditions, said Larry Rizzo, MDC natural history biologist. That gives it a competitive advantage over many native plants. Plus, the plant’s roots produce a chemical that inhibits the roots of other plants. The shrub grows fast and produces bright red berries in fall that birds eat and then spread the seeds.

   But those berries are not very nutritious for birds, Rizzo said. And bush honeysuckle crowds out plants and trees that are good for birds and other wildlife.

   “It’s like the potato chips of berries for birds,” he said.

   Volunteers recently donated workdays to remove bush honeysuckle at several public parks in the Kansas City metro area. Those projects are a partnership between MDC, the non-profit Kansas City Wildlands, and municipal park agencies. The goal is keeping harmful invasive plants out of high quality natural areas on public lands.

   But bush honeysuckle is also harmful growing in yards and on acreages or farms. It often sprouts up along fence lines and in brushy areas. Once started, it’s hard to stop. Homeowners can help by spotting bush honeysuckle and removing it from their property.

   “It’s really easy to identify right now,” said Erin Shank, MDC wildlife biologist.  “Our native vegetation is not green anymore this time of year so bush honeysuckle really stands out.”

   The plant’s active state also makes it susceptible to treating its foliage with herbicides if it remains green in November.

    “You can do so with minimal to no damage to native vegetation because natives are dormant and won’t uptake the chemical,” Shank advised.

   Foliar spraying of honeysuckle is most effective on young to middle-aged stands that average less than seven feet in height. The most efficient tool for foliar treatment is a mist blower, which is most useful on areas larger than one acre. Foliar spraying can also be accomplished less expensively with simple backpack sprayers. Shank recommends a three percent glyphosate (Roundup) solution with an added surfactant. Coat as much of the foliage as possible. Foliar spray when weather forecast predicts dry conditions for at least four hours after treatment.

   When plants are over seven feet high, cutting and stump treating honeysuckle is necessary. This practice can be done any time of year when the temperature is above freezing though there is some evidence that mid-autumn timing may be more effective. Cut stumps as low to the ground as possible, then treat the stump with 20 percent glyphosate solution using a squirt bottle within 10 minutes. It is crucial to treat the stump quickly after cutting. The low humidity conditions of fall causes stumps to dry enough in a short time to inhibit the uptake of the chemical to the root system. The cut surface of the stump should be lightly coated; herbicide does not need to be dripping off the stump.

    Once bush honeysuckle is gone, what are some good ways to get green back into a yard?

    “There is a whole suite of native plants that are great to replace it with,” Shank said.  She suggests American beauty berry, fragrant sumac, vernal witch hazel, wild plum, and choke cherry to name a few.  An excellent source of native plant alternatives can be found atwww.GrowNative.org.  These plants will also be far more beneficial to native wildlife than the exotic bush honeysuckle.

   Homeowners can help win the war against the invasive bush honeysuckle, and now is the perfect time to attack it.  For more information on controlling bush honeysuckle, go tohttp://mdc.mo.gov/node/5411.

   Kansas City Wildlands program has also developed a Honeysuckle Academy training program to help homeowners associations or other groups battle the invasive species in their neighborhood. For information, call (816) 561-1087.

MDC taps Storybook Forest friends for conservation tales

Families find enchanted trails at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

Kansas City, Mo. – Once upon a time, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center realized children enjoy both nature’s surprises and familiar fairy tales. So do grownups. So on Oct. 3, the staff magically made well-known characters from fables appear. The Nature Center’s paved Missouri Tree Trail became for a day a walk into “Storybook Forest.”

   The free event drew several hundred people for both afternoon and evening presentations. Characters such as Robin Hood, Snow White, Belle and the Beast greeted visitors on their walk through the forest. Snow White’s pals, the Seven Dwarfs, volunteered as tour guides and pointed out wildlife along the way. Meanwhile, the fairy tale heroines and heroes cast spells of attention as they talked about outdoor fun, discovering and preserving nature, how natural life is interrelated with human life, and how some critters that seem scary – like spiders – really are not.

   

Mother Nature provided perfect weather on an early autumn day that was sunny but cool. Parents and grandparents brought youngsters who plucked crayfish from a pool, studied moss on logs and learned how friendly and fun a forest can be.

   “We saw Snow White,” a youngster proudly proclaimed. “Cool,” Belle replied, “I’m having dinner with her later.”

   Keep in touch with future programs at MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center by visitinghttp://mdc.mo.gov/node/280.

   And in keeping with the season, the staff at the Anita G. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City, will present a HOWLoween special event 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. The free fun for all ages will include nature stations along the outdoor trail such as Track or Treat, the Bone Yard and the Bat Cave. For information, call 816-759-7300 or visithttp://mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter.

   MDC connects people with nature year round. For conservation programs near you, visithttp://mdc.mo.gov.

MDC gets $1.1 million in USDA funds for new program for landowners

New MDC Missouri Outdoor Recreation Access Program will expand outdoor recreation activities.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is receiving one of 15 grants announced Monday, Aug. 17, by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack in which USDA is partnering with state agencies to improve wildlife habitat and enhance public access for recreational opportunities on private farmland, ranchland and forest land.

Through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP), MDC will receive $1.1 million from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). VPA-HIP funds will be matched with MDC and partner contributions bringing the total, three-year program investment to $2.1 million.

MDC Private Land Services Division Chief Bill White said the grant will help MDC create a new public access program, called the Missouri Outdoor Recreation Access Program (MRAP). MRAP will expand outdoor recreation activities in the state, such as hunting and wildlife viewing. MRAP will focus on ensuring quality habitat is available on all enrolled parcels of land. Funds will be provided to landowners who provide public access for hunting or wildlife viewing. Applications will be prioritized based on percentage of parcel consisting of wildlife habitat, contract length, outdoor activity selections and proximity to metropolitan areas. MDC’s goal with MRAP is to enroll 10,000 acres statewide during the program’s first three years.

“The Department has a nationally recognized partnership with NRCS that continues to bring additional Farm Bill dollars to Missouri landowners to improve our fish, forest and wildlife resources,” White said. “With the VPA grant, this money will benefit Missouri hunters and anglers too.”

NRCS State Conservationist J.R. Flores added, “The conservation partnerships in Missouri are second to none. NRCS even shares office space with a number of MDC biologists, who work side-by-side with our natural resources professionals. Connecting outdoor recreation to private lands conservation is good for wildlife, people, and rural economies.”

In evaluating proposals for funding, NRCS looked for projects that would: increase private land acreage available for public use; offer a public access program that gains widespread acceptance among landowners; make special efforts to reach historically underserved or socially disadvantaged landowners; ensure appropriate wildlife habitat is located on enrolled land; strengthen existing wildlife habitat improvement efforts; follow NRCS conservation practice standards; and inform the public about the locations of existing and new lands where public access is available.

In addition to Missouri, NRCS awarded grants for projects in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Nationally, NRCS is providing $20 million to projects in the 15 states.

Interested landowners will have the opportunity to enroll in MRAP in the summer of 2016. For more information on available grant monies from MDC, landowners can contact Chris McLeland, MRAP Program Manager, at Chris.Mcleland@mdc.mo.gov.

Cape Nature Center hosts Voices of Missouri’s Rivers author

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – William Turner, author of Voices of Missouri’s Rivers, will share the background behind his book at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6 to 7 p.m.

“Our rivers are a vital part of our natural landscape,” said Jamie Koehler, assistant nature center manager. “We live right next to them, yet sometimes we know very little about them. This book helps us to understand Missouri’s rivers on a deeper level.”

Turner will discuss why he took on the task of writing about the state’s rivers and what he has learned during his many years of research for the 360-page book. Published by MDC, Voices of Missouri’s Rivers is about Missouri's rich river history and how clean flowing water in our rivers is vital to sustaining the lives of all Missourians. Turner explores the natural and cultural history of Missouri's rivers in vivid, full-color detail. Highlights of the book include the state's river history, basic river science, and a glimpse of the future of river conservation.

Turner writes, "The stories of Missouri's rivers are very much the stories of its people." This is why visitors to this event at the Cape Nature Center are welcome to reveal their thoughts and feelings about Missouri’s rivers, too.

Turner holds a master's degree in aquatic ecology and has taught river science at the college level. He also helped establish and lead a statewide river conservation program in Missouri. Turner had a 30-year career with MDC and retired as the Department's Fisheries Division chief.

The book sells for $19.50 plus tax (and shipping for mail orders) at MDC nature centers, regional offices, and online atmdcnatureshop.com. A book signing session will follow the presentation. More information about this and other events can be found online at mdc.mo.gov/CapeNatureCenter..

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Help band hummingbirds at the Cape Nature Center

The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will host a hummingbird banding event Saturday, Aug. 29, from 8 a.m. to noon. (MDC file photo)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – It’s nearly time for ruby-throated hummingbirds to depart on their annual fall migration to Central America. Before these tiny birds leave the area, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will host a hummingbird banding event Saturday, Aug. 29, from 8 a.m. to noon.

“This event is truly a special opportunity for children and adults to get up close to a hummingbird,” said Sara Turner, manager of the center. “If you’ve not had the opportunity to see these fragile little birds when they’re banded, then this is something that you won’t want to miss.” 

Cathie Hutcheson of Makanda, Ill., will be capturing, banding, and releasing hummingbirds. She will record important information that can be used to track the annual migration of these small birds.

Many people provide needed energy for hummingbirds by growing native plants and hanging out feeders. Participants will learn how to attract hummingbirds as well as how to choose and maintain feeders which give the busy birds the needed boost for their long journey. Those who wish to attract hummingbirds to their own garden will be able to pick up free seeds for native plants that provide the preferred nectar for hummingbirds.  

Doors will open at 8 a.m. with banding beginning shortly after. The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is located in Cape County Park North, just off I-55 at exit 99. No advance registration is required for this program. For more information, call the nature center at (573)290-5218.

MDC offers free assistance with native plant landscaping

Native wildflowers add color, help butterflies and provide good wildlife habitat. Visit mdc.mo.gov for information on utilizing native grasses and wildflowers on farms, acreages and in home landscaping.

Kansas City, Mo. – Late summer is a good time to see pollinator insects such as butterflies visiting flowers and plants. But habitat loss is causing an alarming decline in some species, including the beloved monarch butterfly. Planting native wildflowers in home garden plantings or as wildlife cover on rural acreages is a great way to help the pollinators.

   Now is a good time to start planning for establishing pollinator-friendly wildflowers in acreages or in home landscaping, said Lisa Potter, private lands programs supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). For rural acreages, a fall herbicide application is often needed to remove competing vegetation before planting. When planted by seed, native flowers are often more successful when seeded in December through February. Now is the time to evaluate fields and gardens to determine how best to prepare the site for planting.

   “People should plan now so they’ll be ready when the weather and timing is right,” Potter said.

   MDC staff can help property managers plan where to plant native flowers and grasses, how to prepare sites for planting, and what type of equipment might be needed. For example, anyone wanting to plant natives in a field or along the margins or corners of a field will need to decide if they are going to broadcast seed onto the ground or use equipment such as a seed drill. Old pastures with cover such as non-native fescue grass may need herbicide treatments in autumn to reduce competition so the native plants can thrive in the following spring and summer. An MDC private lands conservationist can offer advice on choosing planting sites, where to obtain equipment and what steps are needed to produce desired results.

   Besides helping pollinator insects such as butterflies, native wildflowers are also colorful. The plantings also provide excellent wildlife habitat. Native grasses and wildflowers are a good choice for anyone seeking to boost wildlife on their property.

   “Pollinator-friendly plants provide excellent habitat for ground-nesting birds like bobwhite quail,” Potter said.

   Butterflies and birds can be helped by lawn and garden plantings in urban settings, too. Flowers such as purple coneflower provide colorful blooms and nectar for butterflies. Birds such as American goldfinch often alight on native prairie plants. Native plants also offer advantages in that they can survive Missouri’s climate swings through drought, wet, hot or cold.

   For an excellent primer on how to use native plants in acreages or landscape plantings, visit http://on.mo.gov/1Csdj2b. The Missouri Prairie Foundation offers information and links to helpful sites such as native seed sources at http://grownative.org/.

   MDC provides free assistance for landowners interested in nature and conservation. 

MDC biologists manage habitat to help prairie chickens

Kansas City, Mo. – Hard rains and cool conditions in early summer are not optimal conditions for Missouri’s endangered prairie chickens to nest and raise broods. Unusually wet weather befell western Missouri this nesting season. What’s good for many native prairie grasses and wildflowers can be a hindrance to ground-nesting birds. But Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) biologists are hopeful that habitat improvements in recent years will help the iconic grassland grouse hold their numbers steady.

   Biologists have spotted some hens with young broods at the Dunn Ranch and Pawnee Prairie Conservation Area in Harrison County in northwest Missouri. The Nature Conservancy’s ranch and MDC’s Pawnee Prairie are the heart of a broad conservation focus area called the Grand River Grasslands. Given the weather, finding successful broods is encouraging and signals that the nesting season was not a bust, said Dave Hoover, wildlife management biologist.

   “The habitat conditions have improved in the last five years on public and private lands,” Hoover said. “More of the core conservation area lands are in better habitat for grassland birds. That has probably allowed the prairie chickens to handle the adverse weather conditions better than in previous years.”

   Missouri once had hundreds of thousands of prairie chickens on vast open grasslands and areas with a mix of scattered trees and prairie plants. Today, because of prairie habitat loss, less than 100 prairie chickens remain in two main flocks, plus a few scattered birds in areas that once had flocks. That number includes prairie chickens netted and translocated from Kansas and Nebraska to Missouri in restoration efforts.

   MDC biologists counted 40 prairie chickens on five different leks, or mating grounds, this spring on the Missouri side of the Grand River Grasslands. Part of the cooperative grassland effort is in adjacent Iowa. Also this spring, biologists released at Dunn Ranch 19 males and 20 female prairie chickens translocated from Nebraska. The 20 hens were given small radio collars, which assists biologists tracking birds to find nests and broods.

   Tracking prairie chickens with radio telemetry has helped biologists learn about the different types of habitat useful for prairie chickens and other ground nesting birds. They need grassy areas of boot-high vegetation for nesting in spring and areas of boot- to knee-high vegetation for brood rearing in late spring and summer. Hens with broods prefer a mixture of grasses and wildflowers that are open at ground level so chicks can move easily. Prairie chickens also favor feeding and loafing in these same areas where they can easily survey their surroundings but also duck into cover if predators appear.

   Biologists do not have radio collars on prairie chickens this year in the Upper Osage Grasslands in southwest Missouri. But they have used radio telemetry in past years to monitor hens translocated from Kansas to the Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie and the MDC’s Taberville Prairie Conservation Area, both north of El Dorado Springs, Mo.  The flocks appear to be holding steady at about 50 birds in that area based on spring lek surveys, said Max Alleger, MDC grassland coordinator.

   “We’ve kept our habitat in good shape,” Alleger said. “Our crew does a stellar job of prairie management. We feel like the translocation project successfully stabilized our population there.”

   Biologists won’t know how well prairie chickens have reproduced at Wah’Kon-Tah in a rainy summer until birds are counted on leks next spring. Predators and winter conditions also affect population numbers.

   In spring and early summer, the cold and wet conditions are a threat to newly hatched prairie chickens because they cannot self-regulate their body temperatures, said Tom Thompson, MDC resource scientist. Also some nest sites may be in low areas that flood. Bobwhite quail may attempt two or even three nests during summer, which helps hedge against chick mortality. But prairie chicken hens usually only go on nest once.

   “Prairie chickens are susceptible to everything, and everything eats them,” Thompson said.

   Conservation partnerships, especially with private landowners, have benefitted prairie chickens in the Grand River Grasslands and Upper Osage Grasslands. MDC offers private lands expertise and can connect property managers with cost share grants for practices that benefit livestock, water quality and wildlife.

   For information about prairie chickens on your property, visit http://on.mo.gov/1IqKVP8. That web page will also link to other information about prairie chickens in Missouri.

   Property owners in the Grand River Grasslands area seeking information about MDC programs can call 660-726-3746.  For MDC assistance in the Upper Osage Grasslands, call417-876-5792.

   A rainy summer is not all bad for grassland birds. The grasses and wildflowers that provide food and shelter for birds are having a banner year. Although growth that’s too dense inhibits movement by birds that feed and roost on the ground. Tools such as grazing, timely haying and prescribed burns can help manage grasslands to the benefit of birds and cattle. Grasslands birds have needed help from good habitat this summer.

   “In one period in May and June, out of 38 days 35 saw some rainfall,” Thompson said. “That’s where it gets really tough for ground-nesting birds to pull off broods."

Federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly found on new site

The federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly was recently found in a new area in Missouri. This marks the 20th site in the state known to be habitat for the imperiled bug. (Missouri Department of Conservation photo)

This makes the 20th site in Missouri known to host the imperiled bug.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces a new site where the federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly is found. This marks the 20th site in Missouri known to be habitat for the imperiled bug. Landowner Gregg Hohl said finding the Hine’s emerald dragonfly on his land verifies that he did the right thing when he bought it in 2013.

“I bought this property with the intention of preserving wildlife and to have a place where we could take our kids and enjoy nature,” Hohl said.

He and his wife, Lauron, have two children, Madison, age 16, and Gavin, age 12.. He said the 228-acre property is dedicated to wildlife habitat development, but it’s also a place for the family to “play, roam and explore together.”

So far, they’ve seen a wide range of wildlife on the property, including bobcats, deer, predatory and migratory birds, turtles, fish and snakes. Finding the Hine’s emerald dragonfly has taken their explorations of nature to a deeper level, he said.

“Now I’m sending the kids out with a bowl and telling them to bring back bugs and leaves and then identify what they found.”

The family is now learning more about the dragonfly species and about its habitat type, the fen.

“I’m digging deeper to find out what this is, how can I encourage this and help wildlife even more,” Hohl said.

The Hine's emerald dragonfly is an extremely rare insect and the only dragonfly on the federal list of endangered species. The largest known breeding population occurs in Door County, Wisconsin. The only other known populations occur at small wetlands in northern Michigan, northeastern Illinois and in the Missouri Ozarks. It has bright emerald-green eyes and a metallic green body, with yellow stripes on its sides. Its body is about 2.5 inches long and its wingspan reaches just more than 3 inches.

Bruce Henry is a natural history biologist with the MDC. Henry verified the presence of the dragonfly on Hohl’s property after the landowner worked with a private lands conservationist to improve the habitat on his land.

“It’s exciting to report a new site for the Hine’s emerald dragonfly, because that means we’re closer to keeping them around in Missouri,” Henry said.

“One of the first things I did when I bought the property was contact the Conservation Department to find out what I could do to improve habitat,” Hohl said. “I just couldn’t be happier about partnering with them.”

When Hohl and the private lands conservationist, Jeremy Pully, thought they may have identified potential Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitat, they notified Henry, who evaluated the property and verified the presence of the species.

“We spotted two males flying their typical territorial patrol,” Henry said. “It’s exciting to see them utilizing a previously unknown area. If it wasn’t for our private lands program, we wouldn’t be as successful in conserving the species.”

Adult males defend small breeding territories, pursuing and mating with females who enter. The female lays eggs by repeatedly plunging the tip of her body into shallow water. Later in the season or the following spring, immature dragonflies, called nymphs, hatch from the eggs. The nymph lives in the water for two to four years, eating smaller aquatic insects and shedding its skin many times. The nymph then crawls out of the water and sheds its skin a final time, emerging as a flying adult. The adults may live only 4 to 5 weeks.

To complete its life history and reproduce, this species requires a specific type and level of surface water. This is the reason they live in fens. A fen is a shallow wetland continuously fed by spring water. In the Missouri Ozarks, fens are found in the valleys, primarily in privately-owned hay fields and pastureland. Along with rare insects, fens also host a certain group of unique plants such as marsh fern, wild sweet William, fox sedge, bristly stalked sedge and orange coneflower.

Dragonflies play an important role in nature. They catch and eat smaller flying insects, including mosquitoes, biting flies and gnats. In its immature stage, called a nymph, a dragonfly is an important food source for larger aquatic animals such as fish.

“Every species of wildlife plays an important role in our ecosystem,” Henry said. “From large species like bears, to the smaller insects, they all contribute an important piece of the puzzle.”

For the landowner, finding this piece of the puzzle encourages him to keep looking for more. Henry and other conservation employees are working with Hohl to improve the fens on his property to benefit the dragonfly and other wildlife.

“I’m so pleased to have this partnership with MDC so they can help bring the reason I bought this property, to promote wildlife habitat, to fruition,” he said. “It’s already happening with finding this dragonfly and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

More information on Hine’s emerald dragonflies and how to improve wildlife habitat can be found at mdc.mo.gov.