Informational meeting planned Aug. 27 at Pershing State Park

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Aug. 25, 2011 -- The public is invited to bring their ideas to an informational meeting on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Pershing State Park near Laclede.  The informational meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the amphitheater at the campground.  

Accomplishments at the park and future plans will be highlighted during the informational meeting. Visitors are invited to share comments on the park’s services and operations. 

This informational meeting is part of an ongoing effort to ensure citizens have input on facilities and services offered in state parks and historic sites.

Pershing State Park is located 18 miles east of Chillicothe or seven miles west ofBrookfield on Highway 36 in Linn County. The park’s campground is located approximately one mile south of Highway 36 on Missouri Route 130.

People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by calling the park office at 660-963-2299 or by calling the Missouri Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

Wildflower hike planned June 4 at Morris State Park

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., MAY 24, 2011 – Discover the wildflowers of Morris State Park near Campbell on a hike June 4. The hike will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and is free and open to the public.

Morris State Park is located on top of Crowley's Ridge, which rises above the Mississippi River floodplain. It is home to many interesting plants not found in the Missouri Ozarks or swamps of the southeastern part of the state.  The morning will be spent searching out some of these plants and learning more about them. During the hike, you will see numerous birds, mushrooms and wildlife, and discuss the processes that created this interesting landform. The nature hike will begin at the parking lot and the hike will be a distance of about 1.5 miles.  Bring your binoculars, cameras and sense of adventure for this fun-filled morning on Crowley's Ridge.

            Morris State Park is located five miles north of Campbell on Route WW in Dunklin County. For more information, contact Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site at 573- 748-5340 or the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

Open house planned May 21 for Montauk State Park

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., MAY 12, 2011 – The public is invited to bring their ideas to an open house Saturday, May 21, at Montauk State Park near Salem.  The open house

will begin at 8 p.m. in the outdoor amphitheater located in the campground loop #4. In the event of rain, the meeting will be moved to the J. Ben Searcy Building across the road from the park’s lodge.

Recent accomplishments at the park and future plans will be highlighted during the informal meeting. Visitors will be invited to share comments on the park's goals and objectives.

The open house is part of an ongoing effort to ensure citizens have input on facilities and services offered in state parks and historic sites.

Montauk State Park is located 22 miles southwest of Salem on Hwy. 119 in Dent County.  People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by calling the park directly at 573-548-2201 or by calling the Department of Natural Resources toll-free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf). For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.co

Natural areas the focus of new MDC book

The latest addition to Missouri’s conservation library is a

guide to 50 fascinating examples of the state’s natural heritage.

JEFFERSON CITY–Anyone who has ever wondered how the Show-Me State looked when it achieved statehood in 1821 will want a copy of the latest book from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

“Discover Missouri Natural Areas” profiles 50 of Missouri’s more than 180 designated natural areas. The book’s author, MDC Natural Areas Coordinator Mike Leahy, chose areas that represent all 16 of the state’s natural communities in all four if its ecological regions. Captivating plant, animal and landscape photos illustrate summaries of the areas’ natural features, plants, animals and points of interest. Examples include:

·        Little Bean Marsh, in Platte County, is one of the few marsh areas surviving from when Lewis and Clark passed that way more than 200 years ago. In the spring, this area is a staging area for a spectacular number and variety of waterfowl and shorebirds on their northward migration. In the winter, it is a hangout for bald eagles.

·        Big Oak Tree, in Mississippi County, has trees so big you might think you have wandered into a stand of sequoias. Bring along binoculars to identify birds like the rare Swainson’s warbler, anhingas and Mississippi kites as you stroll this state park’s trails and boardwalks. The plant and amphibian life are just as diverse and beautiful.

·        Taberville Prairie, in St. Clair County, is one of the last strongholds of the greater prairie-chicken in Missouri. This 1,360-acre area also has nearly 350 species of wild plants, 43 types of butterflies and birds you are unlikely to find outside Missouri’s dwindling grasslands. One of the state’s last intact prairie headwater streams meanders through the area.

·        Alley Spring, in Shannon County, has one of the state’s largest springs, discharging 81 million gallons of water daily. You can hike beneath old-growth shortleaf pines and tour the adjacent historic Alley Spring gristmill.

·        Castor River Shut-Ins, in Madison County, is the only known place in Missouri where water flow has carved a steep channel through pink granite, creating a “shut-ins,” as such places are known. Here, you can take your pick of fishing for smallmouth bass or wading in the cool waters of Castor River downstream from the shut-ins.

·        Hughes Mountain, in Washington County, has one of the oldest landforms on Planet Earth, a 1.4 billion year-old mountain of volcanic rhyolite. The hexagonal columns of the cooled lava poking up from the earth’s ancient bowels here echo those at Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. If you can take your eyes off the geological wonders, check out the glade plants and animals or the spectacular view of the surrounding Ozarks.

·        Pickle Springs, in Ste. Genevieve County, is a geological and biological wonder of a completely different kind. Here, water has carved sandstone into weird shapes called “hoodoos” and created dozens of large and small waterfalls. The area’s cool moist box canyons provide a safe haven for plants left over from the last ice age. Bring along a camera if you visit this area in the spring. Showy rose azaleas bloom along the sandstone valley.

“Discover Missouri Natural Areas” has a table that enables users to compare special features, natural communities and recreational opportunities on all 50 areas. These include trails on 35 areas, boat access to seven and hunting and fishing opportunities on another 34 of the areas profiled.

Also included are sections explaining natural community types, Missouri’s ecological geography, guidelines for visiting natural areas and how to use the book’s features. There is even a glossary to explain special terms and a list of scientific names to help users who want to find more information about natural areas’ inhabitants.

“Discover Missouri Natural Areas” costs $9 plus sales tax and shipping and handling. To order, call toll free 877-521-8632 or visitmdcnatureshop.com.

-Jim Low-