MDC to co-host Eagle Days at Duck Creek CA and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge

Bald eagles are large birds of prey and in winter they follow waterfowl flocks that often settle on southern wetlands in large numbers. Together, eagles, geese and ducks provide a dramatic winter show. Hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Eagle Days event includes wildlife viewing opportunities outdoors and indoor nature programs Saturday, Feb. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pat Holloway, an MDC education consultant, said families and visitors of all ages can expect a fun, adventurous event that will help conquer cabin fever.

”Join us for an outdoor nature experience and discover cool facts about bald eagles, which were chosen as our nation’s symbol in 1782,” Holloway said, adding that visitors are encouraged to dress appropriate for outdoor winter weather.

Staff from Dickerson Park Zoo will present educational programs featuring a live eagle throughout the day. The Mingo National Wildlife Visitor Center will display items related to eagles. Several outdoor spotting scope sites on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Duck Creek Conservation Area (CA) will provide opportunities to view eagles, ducks and geese in the wild. Both Mingo and Duck Creek are expansive areas, so visitors are encouraged to pick up a brochure containing a map of the eagle viewing stations when they arrive.

All Eagle Days activities are free. Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Duck Creek CA are located along highway 51, north of Puxico. For more information about Eagle Days events, call Mingo National Wildlife Refuge at (573) 222-3589 or MDC at (573)290-5730. To learn more about eagles and places to view them in Missouri, visit the MDC website atmdc.mo.gov/events/eagledays.

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MDC hosting prescribed fire workshops in Moniteau, Montgomery, and Osage counties

Learn about methods and techniques for safely implementing controlled burns.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Fire has been used as a land management tool by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for more than 30 years, but it isn’t as simple as dropping a match and watching it burn. To assist landowners who want to use prescribed fire on their own property, the MDC is hosting workshops in three Mid-Missouri counties. Each program will cover all aspects of how prescribed fire can be safely used to

The careful use of prescribed fire can actually
 improve your land's health,
as well as protect life and property.

benefit wildlife and people.

The FREE workshops will be held in the following counties:

• Osage—Friday, Feb. 27, from 9 to 3 p.m., Linn Fire Protection District Station 1, 210 West Main St., Linn. Registration required by Feb. 23. A brown bag lunch will be provided for registered participants. Weather permitting, a small demonstration burn will be held to give participants hands-on experience. Participants are encouraged to bring leather work boots, gloves and clothing that covers arms and legs. For questions or to register, contact MDC Private Land Conservationist (PLC) Seth Barrioz at 573-897-3797, ext. 116.
• Moniteau—Monday, Mar. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m., California City Hall, 500 South Oak St., California. Registration required by Mar. 5. For questions or to register, contact MDC Private Land Conservationist (PLC) Eric Niemeyer at 573-796-0286.
• Montgomery—Saturday, Mar. 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dale Deeker farm, near New Florence. Registration required by Mar. 12. Weather permitting, a small demonstration burn will be held to give participants hands-on experience. Participants are encouraged to bring leather work boots, gloves and clothing that covers arms and legs. For questions or to register, contact MDC Private Land Conservationist (PLC) Jamie Barton at 573-564-3715, ext. 110.

MDC staff will discuss the history of fire on the landscape, benefits from prescribed fire, proper methods and techniques for implementing controlled burns, equipment, and how to use resources from MDC and other agencies. Additionally, other topics that will be covered include creating a burn plan and timing the burn based on your management objectives and landscape, safety considerations, and proper weather conditions for conducting a burn.

To learn more about the benefits of prescribed burns, visit mdc.mo.gov.

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MDC seeks public input for Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area

 Feb. 1 to Feb. 28.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is in the multi-year process of updating Conservation Area Management Plans and is seeking public input on how conservation areas are important to Missourians. A draft plan for the Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area (CA) is available for public review from

To preview the draft management plan and to share comments online, visitwww.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.

The 733-acre Little Dixie Lake CA offers hunting, fishing, hiking, birding and other outdoor opportunities in Callaway County, west of Kingdom City. A centerpiece of the area is the 205-acre Little Dixie Lake, created through the damming of Owl Creek. The lake includes a handicapped accessible fishing dock and fishing jetty, and a boat ramp. Rental boats are available from April 15 to Oct. 15; and outboard motors in excess of 10 hp must be operated at a no-wake speed. The area also has forest, grassland and crop fields that provide habitat and food for wildlife.

 Additionally, MDC operates 22 ponds on the area for fisheries research, including vegetation control, pond stocking rates, fish reproduction, and fish rearing techniques. Both MDC personnel and graduate students from the University of Missouri use the area for research.

Statewide, MDC conservation areas cover almost one million public acres for the purpose of restoring and conserving forest, fish and wildlife resources, and for providing opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these resources. Most Missourians are within a 30-minute drive of an MDC conservation area.

“Missourians care about conservation and use conservation areas for many different reasons,” said MDC Director Bob Ziehmer. “These areas help people discover nature through various activities, and help make Missouri a great place to hunt, fish, and enjoy other outdoor activities. We want to know how conservation areas are important to Missourians. Encouraging public comments on Conservation Area Management Plans is part of MDC’s ongoing efforts of working for and with Missourians to sustain healthy forests, fish and wildlife.”

Conservation Area Management Plans focus on natural resource management and public use on conservation areas. The plans do not address regulations on hunting, fishing and other area uses, which are set by the Conservation Commission and enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. MDC will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the responsibility of managing areas for the present and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife, and people. Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into area plans and on how to best incorporate them will be based on the property’s purpose, its physical and biological conditions and capabilities, the best roles of the property in its local, regional and state-wide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.

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Eagle viewing at Montauk State Park in February

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Guests can watch as the eagles glide across the skies above the Montauk valley on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 at Montauk State Park. The events are sponsored by Missouri State Parks and will be held at 9 a.m. on both days. Participants should meet at the CCC Stone Picnic Shelter for the free, public programs.

The park naturalist will lead a group to view the eagles, including an active eagle’s nest in the park. A spotting scope and binoculars will be available, but guests are encouraged to bring their own binoculars and cameras. Participants should also dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.

Montauk State Park is located 22 miles southwest of Salem on Hwy. 119 in Dent County. For more information about the event, call the Montauk State Park at 573-548-2225 or 573-548-2201. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Apply for MDC spring managed turkey hunts

Online applications run through Feb. 28.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri youth, archery, and firearms turkey hunters can apply online for managed hunts during the 2015 spring turkey season beginning Jan. 9 to Feb. 28through the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) website atmdc.mo.gov/node/11252. Managed hunt details and application procedures are outlined on the webpage. Application results will be available beginning March 13.

Spring turkey hunting youth weekend will be April 11 - 12 with the regular spring season running April 20 - May 10.

Detailed information on spring turkey hunting will be available in MDC’s 2015 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available online at mdc.mo.gov in late January with printed booklets available from permit vendors and MDC offices and nature centers around the state beginning in mid-February.

Conservation makes Missouri a great place to turkey hunt. To learn more, go online tomdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/turkey-hunting.

Missouri Forest Health Update: 2014 Summary

As we cope with the frigid weather at the start of the new year, here is a review of some of the major forest health events from warmer times in 2014. The December 2014 edition of ourMissouri Forest Health Update newsletter, along with previous issues, is now available athttp://mdc.mo.gov/node/12746.

Topics in the new issue include:

• Emerald ash borer & its known locations in Missouri
• Thousand cankers disease & recent survey efforts
• An update on rapid white oak mortality research 
• Updates on other insects & diseases

Rapid white oak mortality pocket at Huzzah Conservation Area in Crawford County, Missouri. Photo: courtesy of MDC.

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Love nature? Become a Master Naturalist with MDC

Missouri Master Naturalist volunteers support conservation efforts and natural resource education in their local communities.

COLUMBIA, Mo.— Missouri Master Naturalists mix science with service. They engage Missourians in the stewardship of our state's natural resources through science-based education and volunteer community service. To get started as a volunteer, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), along with the University of Missouri (MU) Extension, will be holding Master Naturalist training sessions in Columbia and Camdenton.

MDC will offer the following Master Naturalist training in Columbia:

• The Columbia Boone’s Lick Chapter is offering a training class beginning Mar. 3. Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday’s from Mar. 3 to May 12 at the MU Family Impact Center, 105 E. Ash St., Columbia. Individuals interested in learning more about the program should attend an orientation from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the MU Family Impact Center.
• Participants must register by Feb. 16 and the enrollment fee is $95.

MDC will offer the following Master Naturalist training in Camdenton:

• The Lake of the Ozarks Chapter is offering a training class beginning Feb. 23. Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday’s from Feb. 23 to May 18 at the MDC Camdenton office, 783 Thunder Mountain Rd., Camdenton. Individuals interested in learning more about the program should attend an orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2 at the MDC Camdenton office. 
• Participants must register by Feb. 9 and the enrollment fee is $100.

“The intent of the Master Naturalists program is to better connect people to the environment and nature,” said MDC Volunteer & Interpretive Program Coordinator Syd Hime.  “There are a lot of people with an interest in nature who are looking for opportunities to develop their skills as a naturalist and use those skills in volunteer service. We provide that through a community-based natural resource volunteer and education program.”

Master Naturalists are given special training regarding nature in the region where chapters are based. Members help out MDC and conservation partners through public events, educational demonstrations, and stewardship projects. To become a certified Master Naturalist, participants must complete an initial training course and eight hours of advanced training. They must also contribute 40 hours of natural resource-related volunteer service through a local chapter.

The Master Naturalist program is a partnership between the MDC and MU extension, and the volunteers who serve in the program.

For more information about the Columbia Boone’s Lick Chapter contact Kent Shannon, MU Extension, at shannond@missouri.edu or 573-445-9793; or Suzanne Wright,frontdesk@pwarchitects.com or 573-445-9793. For the training in Camdenton, contact Jackie Rasmussen, MU Extension, at rasmussenj@missouri.edu or 573-346-2644; or Jodi Moulder, MDC private land services specialist, Jodi.moulder@mdc.mo.gov or 573-346-2210 ext. 233.

Information about the Master Naturalist program is available at http://extension.missouri.edu/masternaturalist/.

For information about all MDC volunteer opportunities, visit mdc.mo.gov.

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