What if There Are No Students of Conservation or Nature in Missouri, or Anywhere?

What if there are no students interested in conservation? What if the general public has no interest in fish, forests, and wildlife? I attended the public meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission on Friday, April 25 that was held on the University of Missouri campus in the Monsanto Auditorium of the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center.

I did not see any students in the audience.

YES, there are students interested in conservation. I know there are students of conservation in Missouri. I visited with some outstanding students just last month at the University of Missouri, both in the School of Natural Resources and in the Department of Biological Sciences. On Friday, I waited in the lobby after the meeting was over and saw hundreds of students coming and going from the buildings, especially from the School of Natural Resources building next door.

I visited at the meeting on Friday with Dr. Mark Ryan, Director of the School of Natural Resources.

And within the last month, I met with two new faculty members at the University of Missouri to learn about their research interests and how their work might help fish, forests, and wildlife in Missouri. Dr. Carla Barbieri is working in the area of agri-tourism and Dr. Franciso Aguilar works in the area of forest economics.

YES, Missourians are interested in fish, forests, and wildlife. Surveys, focus groups, and public meetings all have information that shows that Missourians are very interested in the outdoors. The information also indicates they simply don't have time to learn about some things and are not as aware as they'd like to be about the outdoor world.

For specific issues, Missourians are extremely interested. A recent series of surveys and public meetings with Missourians provided over 8,000 comments about proposed changes to deer management regulations.

Nature programs, fishing and hunting programs, public school programs, and volunteer opportunities for adults. The Missouri Department of Conservation has many staff dedicated to producing materials, programs, and support for schools in Missouri, school teachers, and for adults that are interested in the outdoors, nature, and conservation. There are listing of events, places to go, and things to do.

Each one of us can make a difference by telling others about conservation.

Everyone in Missouri can make a difference for both conservation and to help brighten the day of others. Just tell someone else about something interesting you saw today in the outdoors.

• The redbud trees in Missouri have bloomed almost all at once this year and are incredibly purple.


• I told several people yesterday that Wood Duck boxes can mounted with the nest box hole about six feet off the ground when using a cone guard under the box. This makes the box easy to monitor, protects the chicks from being eaten, and the ducks still like it.


• I can tell you that conservation efforts in Missouri have an over $10 billion dollar economic impact, and that just counts the direct recreation spending and forest products industry. There are billions of dollars of economic benefits that we each receive each day from clean water, a healthy environment to live and work in, and the products we use.

Learn one new thing every day about nature. It can be fun to be a life-long student of conservation. You just have to be curious and ask a question about something you don't know.

Take action. Conservation improvements happen because people take action, even if it's learning one new thing about fish, forests, and wildlife. It can happen in your own home or backyard.

You can learn about conservation without going to a meeting. I always learn something new when I attend a meeting of the Conservation Commission. But you don't have to go a meeting to learn something new. Check out the Department's Web pages or look outside!

Awareness of Nature is a Key to a Larger World of Conservation in Missouri

Driving into Jefferson City last week, I noticed the tremendous number of purple flowers along the roadside. There were so many flowers that hundreds of feet of the roadside appeared purple. I wondered about how many people saw the same color and had no idea what caused it.

The flowers are most likely a low-growing plant called henbit. Up close, it's an elegant flower. When I was learning about plants as an undergraduate, I had to make a collection of dried and pressed plants. Two of the plants had to be in the same scientific grouping called a genus.

I selected henbit and deadnettle, in the genus Lamium, the mint family of plants. I had never known what those plants were until I studied them. In the picture here, henbit is on the right and deadnettle is on the left.

Learning about plants, animals, and where they live in Missouri gives me knowledge of what is outside. Then, even with a little knowledge, I can begin to think about how fish, forests, and wildlife improve our quality of life in Missouri and how conservation tasks help each Missourian. You simply have to look and ask questions. What is that plant? What makes that color? There are easy sources on the Internet to find information, including the Department of Conservation Web pages on plants.

Learning more about plants helps us understand conservation much like in the Star Wars movie where Luke Skywalker is told by Obi-Wan that he has "taken a first step into a larger world."

Clarity for the Best Long-Term Results for Fish, Forests, Wildlife, and Conservation in Missouri

I spoke last week at the public meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission about how the human dimensions of conservation, that is social, economic, and opinion information, has been used to shape the decision-making and outcomes of fish, forest, and wildlife management in Missouri. By human dimensions, I mean a wide variety of demographic, opinion, survey, participation, focus group, public meeting, and public comment information. It's what a business would call market information; information that can be used to make decisions based on facts.

This week I was reading again parts of the monograph by Jim Collins, Good to Great and the Social Sectors, and I believe many of the ideas in the book show clearly why human dimensions information is so valuable to improve conservation decision-making.

For example, Collins writes that great companies have a "deep understanding of three intersecting circles: 1) what you are deeply passionate about, 2) what you can be the best in the world at, and 3) what best drives your economic engine."

Now consider the human dimensions information that many Missourians participate in nature-related recreation. Many more are interested in Missouri's fish, forests, and wildlife. Add to those thoughts the highly talented Department of Conservation employees who are both deeply passionate about the resources they manage for Missourians and knowledgeable about fish, forests, and wildlife. They can be the best in the world at managing nature in Missouri. Now, as the third ingredient, add the economic engine of volunteers, partnerships, and the sustained funding of the Conservation Sales Tax that Missourians voted to establish in 1976 and I believe we have a recipe to achieve, as Collins writes, "pockets of greatness," for conservation in Missouri.

Human dimensions information also helps Department staff to, in the words of Collins, "attain piercing clarity about how to produce the best long-term results," for nature in Missouri. And this is very important, since the budget of the Department is limited and small, at less than one percent of the total State of Missouri annual budget. I believe that human dimensions information helps the Department to be accountable, to improve its performance, and will continue to be useful in the future.

More information about the success of the Missouri Department of Conservation is available in the 2006-2007 Annual Report.

Census of Agriculture for Missouri Farmers and Ranchers

The Census of Agriculture is being conducted now. Completed forms are due by February 4, 2008. The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years and is a complete count of the nation's farms, ranches, and the people who operate them.

For the first time, producers have the option of completing the Census forms online.

I use the information from the Census all the time to better understand what is happening in Missouri for land use and ownership trends, economics of agriculture, and the characteristics and production practices of farmers and agricultural operations.

The Census is the only source of comprehensive agricultural data for every county in Missouri.

If you have an agricultural activity or operation, you can participate in the Census by signing up on the Census of Agriculture Web pages.

A summary for Missouri from the 2002 Census is available and you can look up summaries for each county in Missouri.

Author Richard Louv at Missouri Natural Resources Conference Speaks About Getting Children and Adults Outdoors

Author Richard Louv spoke today at the Missouri Natural Resources Conference. He talked about the importance of getting children, and adults, outdoors. Louv has more information about his books and efforts on his Web pages. He included as he talked a message of the positive benefits that will result in the future as more people experience and rediscover nature and the outdoors.

Lorna Domke writes about Louv in her blog, Fresh Afield and notes how the Missouri Department of Conservation has programs to help children and families experience nature.

I also thought about the hunter education classes, taught by volunteer instructors in Missouri, that provide hunters of all ages the basic skills needed to go outside and hunt safely.

In addition, I listened to a talk in the afternoon about the Go Fish program of the Missouri Department of Conservation, presented by Denise Otto.

All of these efforts help to accomplish three things that Louv said are important:

1. Get information about nature, the outdoors, and outdoor activities to parents.
2. Encourage and help parents to go outside into nature with their children (this also helps the health of parents).
3. Institutions and organizations must help parents with support and information so they can take their children outside into nature.

Louv reminded the audience that many of them probably remember outdoor experiences as a child. I remember going outside as a child. I still go outside for a wide variety of outdoor activities. Those are great memories and experiences that have provided me with lifelong skills and interests. Surely spending all that time outdoors helped my health as well.

There are many ways to experience nature. You can find more information about where to go in Missouri on the Web pages of the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources.

Go outside!

Using Blogs and Social Media to Communicate Conservation Information in Missouri

The Missouri Natural Resources Conference is an annual conference in Missouri that is sponsored by four professional resource management societies.

On Thursday, January 31, 2008, I'll make a presentation at the conference about using blogs and social media to communicate conservation information.

You can view the program and more information on the conference Web page.

In the presentation, I'll show examples of blogs being used in business, government, and conservation. I'll highlight some of the online videos on Youtube from the Missouri Department of Conservation. I'll define a few terms about social media, like what a blog is, and some of the social media services like Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, del.icio.us, Facebook, and MySpace.

Although I'll only mention the growing level of Internet use from recent surveys, this presentation at the Pew Internet and American Life Project has useful and insightful statistics about adult and youth Internet use.

I'm looking forward to the response and questions I might receive after the presentation at the conference.

Planning for Conservation Success in Missouri

Recently, I paid my 2008 dues for several conservation organizations. I pay to support these organizations because of their plans for conservation and for the success they hope to achieve. I believe one of the greatest conservation benefits of these organizations is how communication is enhanced between members and with others. You can help conservation in Missouri and throughout the world by supporting one or more of the many groups that do conservation work.

For example, some groups that I support include:

The Conservation Federation of Missouri
The Missouri Chapter of The Wildlife Society
The Wildlife Society
Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society
The International Association for Society and Natural Resources

Many more organizations that do conservation work are listed on the pages of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the many groups listed as affiliates of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

You can also support conservation in Missouri through the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation or the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Ask a Department of Conservation Expert for the Answer to a Conservation Question

This past week I found a small bird nest along my driveway. It was very small, about 1.5 inches in diameter, and my wife and I first thought it might be a hummingbird nest. It had soft plant material inside and lichens all around the outside.

I asked staff in the Wildlife Division in the Department of Conservation about the nest. They guided me to look up the blue-gray gnatcatcher. That's it! The Department also has an information page about the blue-gray gnatcatcher.

The Department of Conservation has experts that can help answer a wide variety of fish, forest, and wildlife questions. You can ask a question online, or contact your local office. There are eight Department regional offices in Missouri. You can also look up specific staff and subject areas on the Department's media contacts roster.

A wide variety of information that can help answer questions is available on the Department's Web pages and in the online articles from the Missouri Conservationist magazine.

Support Conservation and Make Your Own Statement for Fish, Forest, and Wildlife Management

Do you support conservation activities in Missouri? Everyone in Missouri, or anyone who visits Missouri, benefits from the beauty and economic advantages of healthy fish, forests, and wildlife. Healthy plants, animals, and habitats help keep water clean in Missouri and a long list of other benefits.




You can support conservation and make your own statement at the same time by choosing a personalized conservation license plate. There are three choices, a deer, bluebird, and morel mushroom.

You can view the choices and information on how to obtain the license plate on the Web pages of the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

Or, you can see how your own choice of letters will look on the license plate of your choice on the Department of Revenue's Web pages. On the Department of Revenue page, near the bottom of the page, you'll want to select "Organizational" in the first drop-down box, then Conservation deer, bluebird, or mushroom, and then put in your own personalized letters. Clicking "Submit" will show you how your plate might look.

The basic process to purchase a conservation license plate is to go to any vendor that sells hunting and fishing permits and pay at least the minimum donation to the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation for one- or two-years (depending if you want a one- or two-year license). Then take the authorization permit to the license bureau and tell them what you want, for example, you might ask for a two-year license, on a conservation plate, with the deer. There is also a mailing address.

I took the permit authorization into the license bureau at the same time I renewed my vehicle license this year.

Gnomon is an indicator. If you are interested, the "gnomon" is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow so you can determine the time of day. I liked the many meanings of the word "gnomon," in that the health of fish, forests, and wildlife is like an indicator, and the human dimensions information I work with is an indicator of the expectations and satisfaction of Missourians for the Department of Conservation.

National Hunting and Fishing Day Highlights Conservation Success

National Hunting and Fishing Day was September 22. The day designates the importance of the support from anglers and hunters to conserve fish, wildlife, and habitat and the personal benefits of being involved in the activities of fishing and hunting. Individuals and families can create a lifetime of memories by going fishing and hunting.

The Web pages have a wide variety of information about events held in most states, information about the history of the day, and facts about the participation and economic impacts of fishing and hunting.

Even if you don't fish or hunt, or if you missed the events on September 22 this year, the fall weather is a great time to be outdoors. Go outside!

You can learn more about a wide variety of outdoor activities and how you can be involved in conservation efforts on the Web pages of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Walk or Run to Support Conservation in Missouri

I like to walk. And apparently, many other Missourians like to walk also. In a 2003 survey conducted for the Department by the University of Missouri, 76 percent of Missourians said they had walked in their neighborhood in the last 12 months. Fifty percent said they had hiked in the outdoors. And 27 percent said they had run or jogged.

I support conservation efforts for animals and plants in Missouri. And most Missourians feel the same way. More than three-quarters of Missourians agree that “the Missouri Department of Conservation should make an effort to restore animals that once lived here or are currently very rare in Missouri” (79 percent) and that the Department “should conserve and restore rare and endangered plants” (79 percent).

We can walk, or run, and show support for conservation at the same time. The 2007 Endangered Species Walk/Run, co-hosted by the Department of Conservation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Health and Senior Services, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department, will raise money to help restore habitat, conduct research, and support education projects for endangered animals and plants in Missouri. It will be held October 13, 2007 at the North Jefferson City Pavilion, in Jefferson City, Missouri. The pavilion is near the Katy Trail at the intersection of Highways 63 and 54.

If you can't make it to the event, you can still learn more about the endangered animals and plants in Missouri on the Web pages of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The event is also one of the many ways that the Department of Conservation is accomplishing its goal to encourage and support partnerships between communities, local governments and developers to reduce the impact of Missouri’s growth upon our fish, forest and wildlife resources.

I can't attend this year to walk, but the shirt looks cool, and the registration information indicates that I can make a $25.00 donation and receive a shirt to show my support for conservation in Missouri.

Fence Lizards, Flying Squirrels, Annual Crops, and Agriculture Data for Conservation in Missouri

Producing sustained annual crops. We have a new "crop" of fence lizards on our stone wall near the garage. And although I have not seen them yet this year, I'm sure we have another "crop" of flying squirrels that are gliding about in the trees near the house. For most of the late summer, I've been watching the growth of two young deer as I see them near the garden or along the driveway.

These are just some of the "annual crops" produced near my home. The fields of corn I pass by on the way home are what many people commonly think of as an annual crop. Wildlife and many other natural resources can be sustainably produced each year and we can think of that production as an annual crop.

Agriculture data and economic information for Missouri. There is a tremendous amount of agricultural data about annual crops and farm production in Missouri which is available from the USDA Agricultural Statistics Service. I routinely use this information to learn more about Missouri crops and the economic impacts of agriculture.

For example, this overview from 2006 shows that there are 105,000 farms in Missouri and the average farm size is 287 acres. Overall in 2006, there were 30.1 million acres in farms in Missouri, which is just over two-thirds of all the acres in Missouri. In the current estimates pages, the overall cash receipts for crop production in 2006 are listed as over $2.5 billion dollars and for livestock production as over $2.8 billion dollars. Agriculture is an important part of the Missouri economy and farmers and landowners are important partners with the Department of Conservation to manage lands for conservation benefits.

Fish, forest, and wildlife results equal agriculture receipts. I can use information from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation to learn about the economic impacts of fish, forests, and wildlife in Missouri.

The preliminary numbers from the 2006 National Survey show that anglers, hunters, and wildlife viewers spent, in one year, over $3 billion dollars on wildlife-related recreation. These numbers do not include the contributions from forest and wood products that are produced each year. And the dollar amounts do not count the overall natural resource benefits produced in other sustainable "annual crops" like fence lizards, flying squirrels, deer, turkeys, hummingbirds, prairie chickens, fish, and a wide variety of other plants, animals, and habitats on the land and in the waters of the state.

Conservation benefits are important in Missouri. In my thinking, recreation spending, wood products, and fish, forest, and wildlife production are pretty awesome "annual crops" and are obviously on par with the dollar amounts from livestock and agriculture crop production. Conservation results and activities are an important part of the Missouri economy.

Learn more about conservation in Missouri. You can learn more about conservation activities in Missouri on the Department's Web pages, both what you can do to enjoy the outdoors and what the staff of the Missouri Department of Conservation are doing to manage fish, forest, and wildlife resources in Missouri.

Or you can read about interesting aspects of conservation on the Department's blog, Fresh Afield or in the monthly magazine, free to Missouri residents that request it, the Missouri Conservationist.

Using the Internet for Conservation Communication and Information in Missouri, to Infinity, and Beyond

The Internet has changed many ways of doing business. The first things I purchased through the Internet were two rubber chickens from the company Archie McPhee in 1998. It felt odd then to type in a credit card number into the online form to order an object I could only see in a picture. Now I conduct most of my banking and bill paying through the Internet. For several years, I considered a newsletter or weekly e-mail to communicate about the human dimensions of conservation but rejected those methods either because of the amount of work to format a newsletter or the problems of keeping an e-mail list current. Now, I use this blog approach as one way of communicating conservation information.

A blog works to communicate conservation. In a blog, I can communicate my observations and facts about conservation as fast as I can type. And nobody is bothered with it unless they want to find it and read the information. In addition, as the character Buzz says in the movie Toy Story, the information can be used by anyone in Missouri, anyone using the Internet, or "to infinity, and beyond."

Read about conservation online. You can read more about conservation, using the Internet, at a wide variety of Web pages and blogs. Here are just a few of my favorites:

• Missouri Department of Conservation
• Fresh Afield blog by the Missouri Department of Conservation
• Conservation News blog by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
• Outdoor Industry Foundation research and reports
• State fish and wildlife Web sites at Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Conservation Federation of Missouri
• Southwick Associates, a fish and wildlife economics and statistics company
• Fish and wildlife management offices in the United States
• National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
• USDA Forest Service

Surveys are Useful for Fish, Forest, and Wildlife Management in Missouri

All surveys have error and some surveys are useful. A statistician I know that works for the Missouri Department of Conservation frequently reminds me that all surveys have error. And he says in the same sentence, that some surveys are useful. The key for usefulness is proper design, careful attention to details, and appropriate analysis and reporting. Proper design and implementation of a survey reduce the level of error so the survey information is useful.

Managing by facts. The reason surveys need to be useful, and we want to eliminate error, is to have information to guide conservation decisions. The words "using the best scientific information" are used in several of the "Results we want to achieve" statements of the Department of Conservation's strategic plan, in addition to "increased availability and use of conservation-related information."

Over seven decades of best-in-class work. The staff in the Missouri of Department of Conservation started on a journey of best-in-class research and science soon after the Department was established in 1936. That research and information gathering continues today to produce accountable information that can be used for conservation decisions.

The human dimensions of conservation. In the 1970s, Department of Conservation staff began to use surveys and other public input methods very frequently to learn about the expectations, participation levels, and satisfaction of Missourians for fish, forest, and wildlife activities. These "human dimensions" of management are now included in almost every aspect of conservation work.

You can read more about how the human dimensions of conservation has been used in decisions about fish, forests, and wildlife, in the Missouri Conservationist magazine. A recent article, "Your Opinion Counts" was in the January, 2007 issue and another article, "When Missourians Speak" was in the February, 2000 issue.

Impress Your Family and Friends by Identifying Birds, Wildlife, and Plants in Missouri

There goes an "lbb," what?. When I enrolled in a class on ornithology (the study of birds) as an undergraduate, I had three obstacles to overcome. First, my brain was not quite functional at 5:30 a.m. when the lab began. Second, at that time, binoculars that would work well with my glasses were fairly expensive and I could not afford them (the ones with fold-down eye cups to get the binocular closer to my glasses). Third, somehow I seemed to always be in the middle of the group, or towards the back, and the comments and the birds were gone by the time I heard them or got close enough to see. I was left with "there went a little brown bird" or "lbb" identification which was not useful on the tests.

An encouraging example. The teaching assistant was Dave Murphy, now Executive Director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Dave was full of energy and his enthusiasm helped me to stay interested and I actually did learn to identify many more birds than I thought possible.

It's easy to learn about birds and other wildlife in Missouri. It actually is really easy to identify birds, the different kinds of wildlife, and the plants of Missouri. You simply learn about one at a time.

Impress your family and friends. You may find that learning more about the natural world has a social benefit in that you can impress your family and friends with your knowledge of cool birds, animals, and plants. Besides that, it's fun. Learning about natural resources helps us understand how the natural world is the foundation of our economy and how we fit into the world.

Learn more. You can learn more about the birds, all wildlife that lives in Missouri, and the many kinds of native plants in the state on the Web pages of the Missouri Department of Conservation or read the many articles in the Department's monthly magazine, the Missouri Conservationist, also available online.

Find an encouraging person to help. Dave Murphy still encourages me through his efforts to support conservation in Missouri. You can learn more about the efforts of Dave and the Conservation Federation of Missouri on their Web pages. If you need someone to help identify birds, wildlife, or plants, then look up some of the programs on outdoor skills at the Conservation Nature Centers located throughout the state or check out the many educational opportunities for Missourians of all ages.

You can join one of the over 3,400 Stream Teams that have knowledgeable individuals. Or you could join one of the many fishing, hunting, or conservation groups in the state. Look at this list on the Federation pages or look for a group in the online conservation directory of the National Wildlife Federation.

You can also contact your local office of the Missouri Department of Conservation or use the online comment form to ask a question of the Department's Ombudsman.

Talking Fish, Forest, and Wildlife Conservation in Missouri

Want to talk about and communicate conservation messages? The results of several focus groups suggest some useful tips. Ongoing surveys continue to support the following observations.

The general public does not have an adequate understanding of conservation terminology and is not influenced by conservation messages directed to them. Respondents were asked to give their level of understanding of a list of 13 conservation terms:

most said they understood: conservation, natural resources, and water quality;

1/3 said they didn't understand: technical assistance, wetlands, and stewardship;

1/2 or more said they didn't understand: biodiversity, locally led conservation, best management practices, sustainable agriculture, watershed, nutrient management, and nonpoint source pollution.

Public understanding of conservation issues is largely based on popular opinion of the day.

Consumers generally don't think in terms of private land conservation or associated benefits.

Respondents liked the statement 'Conserving natural resources for our children and future generations.'

The statement most liked by respondents was 'Helping citizens become better stewards of natural resources in their own backyards.'

Respondents recommended the primary focus be on local government involvement with state and federal support.

Respondents said that nature-oriented messages and appropriate graphics have strong appeal.

Respondents were concerned about the potential negative impact conservation efforts may have on jobs and business success.

Emphasize water quality in communication efforts, as it is a well understood and important issue.

Use the phrase natural resources freely as it is a well understood term.

Use the term conservation in communication efforts, but provide some explanation. This explanation must emphasize conservation on private lands because consumers today generally limit their interpretation to that of preservation related to public lands.

When using the locally-led conservation concept make sure to explain what it means.

Identify partnership entities who have an interest and ability to communicate similar messages.

Work the volunteer element into outreach efforts.

Don't make the public choose between conservation and business success.

Specify the benefits of private land conservation, such as wildlife habitat, water quality, air quality, tourism, aesthetics, and recreation (fishing and hunting).

The National Association of Conservation Districts coordinated the research in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Marketing Horizons, Inc., of St. Louis, conducted the research during July, 1997, and prepared the final report.

Increasing Your Conservation "Mileage" in Missouri

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." In the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones tells the leading lady, Marion, "it's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." One of my vehicles has traveled well over 250 thousand miles and is still meeting my objectives for reliable transportation.

It's not the acres, it's the results. This phrase could be applied to managing land in Missouri for fish, forest, wildlife, and people. About 93 percent of Missouri is privately owned. This means that "it's not the acres, it's the results" is appropriate when thinking about land management in Missouri. And each landowner and Missourian can have different expectations about those results.

In the Department of Conservation strategic plan, The Next Generation of Conservation, there is a goal category for helping private landowners advance conservation. The goal statement is:

"The Conservation Department will expand efforts to help private landowners and address the key factors limiting the ability of some to effectively manage their land— knowledge, time, money and equipment."

These words are used to describe the importance of the goal:

"Improving conservation efforts on the privately owned lands that constitute more than 90 percent of the state is essential to the overall well-being of Missouri’s fish, forests and wildlife. Landowners, whether they have large agricultural tracts or small residential parcels, need access to timely information and professional assistance. This will help farmers and landowners implement practices that benefit natural resources and serve their own needs. In some cases, landowners may require specialized equipment or a helping hand from several sources to achieve their objectives in a manner beneficial to conservation."

A focus on results. The picture of success for this goal is in the "Results we want to achieve" statements:

• Private landowners and farmers actively managing their land for natural resource and financial sustainability.


• Landowners working together to achieve conservation successes on a larger scale.


• Landowners effectively using state, federal and private conservation assistance programs and technical support.

Manage your backyard or learn more. Whether you have a backyard to manage, hundreds of acres, or simply want to know more about how the land can produce natural resource benefits, you can find answers and access to assistance at the Department of Conservation Web pages about private land.

Here is information about improving your backyard for wildlife or how native plants can improve your property;

more information about how the Department of Conservation can help your community;

information about improving a pond, stream, or wetland on your property;

and information about improving the trees and forests on your property or in your community.

The Hike, The Missouri Constitution, and The Vision of Conservation

The Hike. An article in the August issue of High Country, the publication of the Philmont Staff Association, was titled "The Hike." The article begins with the words that "Actually, it is about The Hike. Not 'To Hike"...that is a verb. The Hike is more of a state of mind."

The article explains that "The Hike" is the author's way of describing the bigger picture of the Philmont experience for the Philmont Rangers, the staff that provide training and lead groups of Scouts into the mountains of New Mexico at Philmont Scout Ranch for backpacking treks. The Hike is not just about walking, but about helping others grow and succeed, about connecting with nature and the backcountry, about teaching, learning, friendship, and fun.

Making the vision of conservation bigger. I have never been a Philmont Ranger, but I have been to Philmont and hiked. And Using "The Hike" to describe a bigger picture of success for backcountry walking is similar, I think, to using the words in the vision statement of the Missouri Conservation Department to describe what is written in the Missouri Constitution about conservation of fish, forests, and wildlife.

The Missouri Constitution in Article IV, Section 40(a) starts with the words "The control, management, restoration, conservation and regulation of the bird, fish, game, forestry and all wildlife resources of the state..."

The words of "The Vision" of the Missouri Department of Conservation describe a picture of success for conservation with a bit more passion than the words in the Constitution:

"To have healthy, sustainable plant and animal communities throughout the state of Missouri for future generations to use and enjoy, and to have fish, forest and wildlife resources in appreciably better condition tomorrow than they are today.

To have all Missourians understand the relationship and value of plant and animal communities to our social and economic well-being.

To have citizens and government agencies work together to protect, sustain, enhance, restore or create sustainable plant and animal communities of local, state and national significance."

Missourians certainly seem to support what is described in "The Vision." In a 2003 survey, 91 percent agreed with the statement "It is important for outdoor places to be protected even if you don't plan to visit the area." Almost all Missourians, 92 percent, agreed that they "enjoy observing wildlife," nearly three-quarters of Missourians, 74 percent, indicated that they personally worry a fair amount or a great deal about "the loss of natural habitat for wildlife," and 84 percent worry a fair amount or great deal "about pollution of rivers, streams, and lakes."

The vision, a picture of success. The words in "The Vision" describe a picture of success for conservation in Missouri. That picture of success implies exemplary service by the staff of the Department, accountable and efficient practices that are based on facts, and strong partnership, education, and information efforts to connect Missourians with the outdoors through a variety of methods. The vision is not just about fish, forest, and wildlife management, it's about the bigger picture of success in making conservation real for each one of us.

Learn more about it. You can read more about the vision for conservation in the Department's plan for future actions in The Next Generation of Conservation.

And you can learn more about places to go, things to do, and the Conservation Department in general on the Department's Web pages.

Want to learn about the different kinds of plants in Missouri, then click here; to learn more about fishing, here; hunting, here; or to learn how you can manage your property for your own objectives and to enhance conservation benefits, then click here.

Blogs are Good for Business and Conservation Information in Missouri

The Wall Street Journal has an article that describes how blogs are good for several businesses.

Nothing really new in the article, other than the specific examples.

When I was growing up, if it was in the Wall Street Journal, and good for business, it was generally an acceptable thing to do.

A company that has a great blog approach is Edelman; I particularly like their listing down the left side of their "Speak Up" page with a photograph of the employee and title of the blog.

A recent blog in Missouri is about the Missouri State Fair, the Fair Fan Blog.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has a conservation news blog that has articles about all 50 states, national news about fish and wildlife, and links to state news.

And don't forget the new Missouri Department of Conservation blog, Fresh Afield.

Conservation Information Arrives Faster and Is Easier to Obtain in Missouri

Using human dimensions to learn about human dimensions. A news release this week from the company FusionPR about a survey of journalists and their use of technology information prompted me to consider how conservation knowledge has become much more available and easier to obtain in Missouri.

Their survey results show that for technology journalists:

78 percent read Blogs;
67 percent cite Blogs;
and 35 percent maintain their own Blog.

Blogs did not exist a few years ago. This is a new way that these technology journalists are obtaining and distributing information. The complete survey results are described in the press release as being available later in September.

The results made me think about conservation information and how it is more available and easier to obtain in Missouri. Conservation information is delivered much faster than in the past, both by journalists and by conservation workers. And it's far easier to obtain, through print, radio, television, and the Internet, including Blogs.

In a conservation survey in 2003 (where over 6,000 responded with an adequate return rate of 39 percent), 71 percent of Missourians indicated they could use information about places to enjoy the outdoors close to them. On the other hand, in the same survey, 74 percent indicated they had obtained no information about conservation from the Department's Web site.

There is an incredible amount of information delivered to the news media and individuals through a variety of methods by the Department of Conservation and particularly through Web sources. There is more information about conservation on the Web every day. The Department's Web pages receive high levels of visits and the frequency of use continues to increase. Missourians are obviously using the Web pages, Blogs, and other Internet sources to find and obtain conservation information much more than in the past. I'll be very interested to see how Missourians respond about their use of the Department's Web pages in future Department surveys.

If you want to know more about places to enjoy the outdoors, use the Department's online Conservation Atlas, or visit the Department's Web pages to learn more about conservation, read about interesting items on the new Department Blog, or learn more about places to go and the many Conservation Areas in Missouri.