What does the outdoors mean to you? That’s one question we asked more than hundred Missourians ages 25-40 in a series of focus groups in 6 cities across the state. The answers were as diverse as the people who live here. Freedom, peace, escape, adventure, enjoying beauty, family fun, recreation, exploration…all these things were part of what they value about getting outside. And “nature” is the one word that summed for most of them in the most positive way the life that makes up the outdoors.
Fortunately, there are places in Missouri where you can enjoy all this—and it’s free, safe and clean. (Safe and clean/litter free were features several people mentioned they wanted in their outdoor experiences). Conservation Nature Centers and Education Centers are scattered across the state—and serve more than a million visitors each year. But there are still plenty of Missourians who don’t know they exist. That’s why I’m mentioning them here—whether you want to enjoy time in nature alone or spend time with your kids.
When Missourians voted for the 1/8 of one percent sales tax in 1976, they set in motion a way to strengthen support for the Missouri Department of Conservation and some of the most diverse conservation programs in the U.S. The nature centers are just one of many programs. They offer walking trails, ponds, fields, forests, naturalist-led programs and exhibits on our wild animals, plants and outdoor recreation skills. As I post this blog with a morning temperature of -3 degrees, the photos I’m using to illustrate this doesn’t exactly reflect what a trip to one today would look like…but seeing a little green right now seems like an antidote to winter.
P.S. Ironically, I was just about to post this entry and got a call that a pipe had burst in Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center (the one picture above) and they’re closing the building today (1/15/09) since water is flooding a hallway. So even more reason to think ahead to the joys of less frigid weather.
In the next week or two, someone will be spreading native grass and flower seeds on almost 20 acres that a we’re trying to convert to prairie. (They used to be covered in fescue—a tough grass that takes a beating, but one that doesn’t provide much in the way of good food or places for wild things to live.) We were fortunate to work with a Missouri native seed grower to design just the right mix of plants to get the height of grasses and types of flowers we want there.
We’re also fortunate to have been working for many years with a person who does work for individual landowners—whether it’s thinning the woods, converting fescue to prairie plants or conducting controlled burns of fields and forests.
Many years ago, people who lived in the countryside also did some of their own farming on the land. They’d have a tractor and maybe their own chainsaw, too. Nowadays, though, people are moving from cities into the country—and they have neither the tools nor the skills to improve their land for wildlife, for future timber harvests, for getting rid of invasive plants or adding more native ones.
The note on the Natural Events Calendar for Dec. 23 was “beavers feed on sapling reserves.” Well, they must not have put enough aside where I live because it looks like a river birch massacre around the shallow ponds we call “the swamp.” Although beavers do store some food to eat later, they’re active in Missouri throughout the year, which is painfully obvious.
In the 1970’s my father-in-law wanted to attract woods ducks to nest, so he created 7 shallow pools of water. The woods ducks came and nested, a patch of corkwood he planted thrived and river birches grew along the water’s edge. For several years a goose nested on a small patch of raised earth that formed a small island. Muskrats periodically messed the dams up though not seriously. A prothonotary warbler nested a year or two.
But only with the arrival this year of beavers did things really get disturbed. First they took over the island and created a lodge. Then they dug a hole through a dam that caused a steady leak of one pool. Then they created muddy “canals” through the lotus pond for easier access through it. And now…good-bye birches.
Someone called a few weeks ago who wanted to do some fur trapping, which we were happy to oblige. Unfortunately, it looks like they didn’t get to these pools yet. The trapping season is in full swing, so at least the beaver harvested will be of value for their prime winter fur. I’m just thankful that some people are still trapping. It’s an important tool to keep some wildlife populations in balance with what people will tolerate. In Missouri, the beaver trapping season in 2009 runs two months longer than the general furbearer season which ends Jan. 31. That’s an indication of the serious challenge of keeping their numbers at a tolerable level. (There aren’t many predators left in Missouri besides people that can bother an adult beaver.)
Living in a place rich with diverse wildlife is a wonderful thing. But at this point, with the dam in jeopardy and the trees falling right and left, I’d rather only see beaver down on the creek nearby. At least then the lotus pools and trees would have a chance to thrive.
As I sat in front of the fireplace last weekend and listened to winds gusting in a 2 degree day, I tried to imagine what it was like to live in Missouri 4,000 years ago. Using a rock shelter may have cut some of the wind, but that frigid air would have been tough. You imagine wood fires—sure they’d be gathered around them. But then you think…no chainsaws, no metal tools to get those tidy logs. And then you think about the food that you’d have had to gather or catch. And you wouldn’t have those nice warm boots to face the elements. Most of us are really wimps now in comparison—or at least a lot more comfortable.
Then I looked outside at the birds gathered at the feeders: bluejays, cardinals, finches. No culture comforts for them. They’ve been making it (or not) through winters as they always have. I called Brad Jacobs, one of our bird experts, today for some ideas on how the birds do it.
“They maintain core body temperatures by having most of their blood flowing under their feathers where their muscles are. The legs are mostly ligaments and bone so there’s less to freeze and it needs less blood flow. In the Arctic where it’s really cold, birds like rough-legged hawks have feathers down their legs.”
“The truth is that birds that overwinter in Missouri tend to have more young since they’re more likely to lose some to winter. Birds that migrate to the tropics, in contrast, might lay 4 eggs versus 6-8 for a bird like a Chickadee.”
“The big killer is icy weather. A lot of our birds can still find food even with snow, but they can’t get through the ice,” he said. “Usually there will be enough natural food, but feeding when it’s icy it can make a difference.”
It’s the tough weather when I see quail come to feed on scattered seed and corn.
I asked about water, and Brad said that’s always going to attract birds. When there’s snow, they get moisture from that, but the ice locks it up. I used to have a heater to keep the water from freezing but it broke. It’s time to replace it!
It’s time to get out and find just the right tree for the holidays. I haven’t given in yet to buying a fake tree, although some of my siblings and in-laws have. Maybe if I had to go down and purchase it in a lot somewhere it would hold less pleasure. I know they like just pulling one out of the closet—already decorated.
Wimpy xmas tree
And when the weather outside really is frightful, the search through windy, icy fields to find just the right cedar tree isn’t especially fun. But, when you do return and finally get it set in place in a decent watering dish, there’s at least the satisfaction of a successful tree hunt.
Years ago, several family members shared in the tree decorating. Now I’m the one who ends up putting on the lights and the bulbs myself, then taking them off a few weeks later. Playing music while you do it helps a little. But the best, and only, reason that keeps me seeking that live tree is this: sitting in the glow of those rosy, sparkling lights in the darkest, longest nights of the year. And smelling the fragrance of the evergeen.
When I was a kid, my grandmother had those bubbler lights that were especially fun. And we had a Swedish candle holder that caused a brass wheel to turn and send shadows spinning across the ceiling. It’s all glowing lights and memory. I guess a fake tree could do all the same things with lights. But somehow I just can’t let go of the real thing. Can you?
PS A forester mentioned to me one year that there is a difference between the male and female cedar trees. Since then I’ve made a note to feel for the trees that had the softest needles. They’re a lot less painful to deal with when it comes to putting on and taking off lights….
I don’t know many people whose skills extend from car mechanic, to science teacher, hunter education instructor, manager of a conservation education center, and now recycler extraordinaire. Melanie Carden-Jessen, though, is one productive person. And a humble one too. I expect as she describes receiving the Missouri State Employee Award for recycling, she’ll be saying that it’s all the people she works with who deserve the award. Of course it’s true that she doesn’t do it alone, but as someone who leads by enthusiastic example, Melanie is clearly deserving unique recognition.
In describing the recycling that goes on at the Conservation Department’s Twin Pines Conservation Education Center, Melanie said, “We recycle everything. Not just the cardboard and cans but the plastics and even the cardboard tubes from the paper towels and toilet paper. (Toilet paper rolls are used to make ivory billed woodpeckers during school programs.)
“We don’t have a garbage disposal, we have composting worms. Our hope is to get it going well enough to harvest some worms for fishing with kids in the pond.” They read to groups from a book called “Garbage Monster” then rotate through stations on recycling that include building an edible “landfill.”
Effective recycling is something that becomes part of regular practice. At Twin Pines, it’s more than just a good idea—it’s part of everyday life.
I just received a notice of a new video, available online, that’s aimed at helping outdoors people identify and fight invasive species. Wildlife Forever, in partnership with the US Forest Service and other organizations, is making it available as part of a national campaign to fight the expansion of animal and plants that can challenge the survival of our native ones.
Invasive species are one of the big challenges to keeping habitats healthy. With all the global transportation and trade, the rate of new problem species has been on the rise. The emerald ash borer, transported in firewood, is just one of the latest of many such concerns in Missouri. The cost of keeping some plants, such as bush honeysuckle, at bay can be overwhelming. But at least if you’re aware of the plants and animals around you and you can identify the problem ones, you’ve got a chance of being part of the solution.
Last year I noted the handy new map on our website that showed deer harvest totals by county. Like elves in the workshop, our IT, Resource Science and Web staff have been collaborating to produce more new tools. Now hunters and anyone else interested can get maps of deer harvest, turkey harvest trends by county, as well as a Midwest mallard migration. But instead of going back to our website each time, a handy bit of code in the form of a widget can deliver it to your desktop or site.
Lance Jungmeyer, our digital media manager, said “One of our key strategies is to get our information out to people who may visit other sites, to make it as easy as possible for them find it. Future widgets might include fishing reports, fall color reports—lots of things kept in a database.”
Widgets are one thing, but I also appreciate the magic of maps themselves…such excellent visual shortcuts to quickly communicating what’s happening where. It’s so easy to forget what it took just a few years ago to plot things out on a map, not to mention to share the finished map with someone. Now we can suck data into a graphic interface, pop it onto a screen, send it across the globe, and give you a widget to keep it showing up where you like. Seems worthwhile to pause and appreciate the speedy and massive flow of information that’s now just an everyday thing.
Creative play for children doesn’t require expensive toys. In fact, the Toy Hall of Fame recently announced one of the new winners…the stick. One of the most perfect, naturally available (where you have trees or shrubs) versatile tool/toy.
Cliff White, our Art Director, mentioned this bit of news to several of us at a meeting the other day. We were all suddenly coming with ways we (as kids) used sticks: as weapons, in building forts/shelters, as art….
Given the economy, getting back to the basics is probably a good and necessary idea. However, I’m not sure that a stick as a gift is going to thrill a child—but getting them outside to explore, find and claim their own preferred stick would be the fun of it. Free outdoor play, exploration and imagination go hand in hand.
So don’t be a stick in the mud. Get out with your child so they can claim their own award-winning toy!
Just a reminder as people head out to the fields and forests this year for deer season—one careless moment can be devastating. The good thing is that, with so many hunters having passed their hunter education certification, safety is on the top of the mind of many. The bad thing is that people occasionally let their attention lapse.
Tree stands are one of those things that require special attention and care. Some horrible accidents I’ve known related to these including a man falling and breaking his neck, another falling and having his ankles crushed as he landed, another killed as he drew a loaded gun up into the stand. Accidents do happen, but there are things hunters can do to avoid them.
Use only stands that meet standards of the Treestand Manufacturer’s Association (TMA) rated for your weight and all gear or equipment you wear or have with you on the stand.
Always use a fall arrest system that meets TMA standards, which includes a full-body harness rated for your weight and any gear you wear or attach to yourself.
Have your fall arrest system attached to the tree from the moment you leave the ground, throughout the hunt and when you descend to the ground.
Always position yourself so that you step down onto your tree stand to test its stability.
Always use a haul line to raise and lower your gear, including unloaded firearms, bows and arrows.
I’m hoping to see no reports of tree stand accidents this year. Remind your friends and family who use them to keep their safety in mind first so they can enjoy the deer later.
Fortunately, there are places in Missouri where you can enjoy all this—and it’s free, safe and clean. (Safe and clean/litter free were features several people mentioned they wanted in their outdoor experiences). Conservation Nature Centers and Education Centers are scattered across the state—and serve more than a million visitors each year. But there are still plenty of Missourians who don’t know they exist. That’s why I’m mentioning them here—whether you want to enjoy time in nature alone or spend time with your kids.
