MDC Runge Nature Center hosts Powerful Pollinators event .

Learn more about Missouri’s butterflies, wasps, and bees with MDC staff July 29

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Runge Conservation Nature Center will host Powerful Pollinators, Friday, July 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. This free event is open to all ages with no registration required.

Start the weekend by learning the important role insect pollinators play in nature. Meet costumed insects along the trails and discover why they are peculiar pollinators. Learn about “beautiful butterflies,” “wonderful wasps,” and “busy bees” at different stations. Enjoy a snack provided by pollinators while participating in a variety of activities.

Nature staff reminds event goers to come with water bottles, bug spray, and hiking shoes. 

For questions, call Runge Conservation Nature Center at 573-526-5544. For information on other upcoming events and programs at the Nature Center, visit mdc.mo.gov/events.

Runge Nature Center is located on Hwy 179 in Jefferson City approximately .5 mile north of Hwy 50. Building hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. The building is closed on Sunday and Monday. The outdoor trails are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

MDC and MU partnership adds wildlife habitat to Columbia golf course

MDC Private Land Services staff have been partnering with staff from the A.L. Gustin Golf Course of the University of Missouri system in the heart of Columbia to incorporate native plants on about 15 acres of the course.

MDC and A.L. Gustin Golf Course staff work together to make land more natural.

COLUMBIA, Mo. –Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Private Land Services staff have been partnering with staff from A.L. Gustin Golf Course of the University of Missouri system in the heart of Columbia to enhance the environment on the 18-hole golf course. From helping to educate golfers on the importance of wildlife habitat and native pollinators to reducing the maintenance workload across the course, staff has been putting in the hours to get 15 acres of the course back to its natural habitat.

"This golf course is my office and populating areas that don't affect the pace of play on the course with native plants that draw monarchs and other wildlife is only going to make this an even better place to play," Gustin Golf Course Superintendent Isaac Breuer said.

MDC staff provided technical assistance and supplied wildflower seed to help enhance established habitats and create two new areas.

"Community conservation efforts like these are incredibly important in educating citizens about the benefits of natural communities and conservation, and illustrate that no matter the situation or site, there's room for conservation," said MDC Private Land Services Biologist Chris McLeland.

The golf course was also the first to become certified by the Audubon Society for its efforts to establish and monitor blue bird boxes—with more than 2,200 blue birds hatched on the course.

Learn more about Missouri monarchs and native plants on MDC's website at mdc.mo.gov.

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.