Natural resources

Features

Selling timber

Many landowners receive only a fraction of their timber’s true value because they do not know what they have. Selling timber can be a rewarding experience if you understand the steps involved.

Sucker gigging: A 200-year-old Ozark tradition endures

Families go fishing at night. In December. With spears. Watch the video.

Venison is a healthy choice but should be handled with care

The deer-hunting season brings venison to the table in many households. From a nutritional perspective, it is a good choice.

WaterSense: Making every drop count

You can save water and energy, help the environment and keep money in your pocket if you  use water more efficiently.

Energy programs

MU Extension programs on energy conservation and energy alternatives are available for your home, business, industry, farm and community.

Diversify farm income by growing chestnuts

From site selection and planting to harvesting and sales, the Center for Agroforestry’s four chestnut production workshops cover the entire growing season.

News

• Whither winter weather?
  Friday, February 3, 2012
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Dreary days bundled up by the fire have been few and far between this winter.
• USDA updates plant hardiness zone maps for first time since 1990
  Tuesday, January 31, 2012
  CLAYTON, Mo. – Gardeners are familiar with the ubiquitous map that graces the back of seed packages and care labels that accompany most perennials.
  
  Media available: 1 photo
• Keep the heat in your house, but keep out the radon
  Wednesday, January 25, 2012
  MARSHFIELD, Mo. –If you have made your home more energy efficient, or plan to do so, you might want to test for radon, says a University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist.
• Don’t sell your timber short
  Friday, January 20, 2012
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Too many landowners sell their timber for only a fraction of what it’s really worth, notes a University of Missouri Extension state forestry specialist.
• A year of extremes
  Thursday, December 29, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri weather in 2011 was anything but boring.
• Sucker gigging: A 200-year-old Ozark tradition endures
  Monday, December 19, 2011
  EMINENCE, Mo—Most fishermen call it a day when the sun goes down, but on this December evening Landon Howell and his friends are just getting started.
  
  Media available: 4 photos; 1 videos
• Winter car care can keep your vehicle running through the cold
  Friday, December 9, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Winter can wear on cars and trucks, but a little preparation will keep vehicles running well throughout its coldest days.
• New series of MU guides explains managing white-tailed deer on private land
  Friday, December 9, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – As the 2011 deer season comes to a close, hunters and landowners can learn about managing white-tailed deer from a new series of publications currently being developed by University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).
  
  Media available: 1 photo
• Missouri drought more than skin deep
  Thursday, December 8, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – It may not look it, but many Missouri fields are hiding a deep, dry secret.
  
  Media available: 2 photos; 1 videos
• Missourians urged to report drought information online
  Thursday, October 27, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Has drought affected your farm, business or community? Missourians can help scientists and decision-makers assess, plan for and respond to droughts by using a simple online tool to report local conditions, said a University of Missouri Extension climatologist.
• Alumni remember University Forest
  Monday, October 24, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo.—Since 1947, summer camp at the University Forest in Butler County has been a rite of passage for University of Missouri forestry students, who crammed a semester’s worth of class work coupled with real-world experience into just a few weeks.
  
  Media available: 4 photos
• Fighting moles is an uphill battle
  Friday, October 21, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Moles have been extra busy this autumn, and you can almost see the resentment rise in homeowners as they survey their spoiled yards.
• Battelle Institute report: Ag, bioscience make north-central U.S. an economic ‘powerhouse’
  Monday, October 3, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Food, health, energy and the environment are among the most vital concerns when it comes to human survival and quality of life. A new report from the Battelle Institute says agriculture and agricultural bioscience (“agbioscience”) provide wide-ranging opportunities to address those concerns and serve as powerful engines for economic growth and job creation in the U.S.—especially the nation’s 12-state north-central region, which includes Missouri.
  
  Media available: 1 photo
• New computer models to help concentrated animal producers tone down the smell
  Thursday, September 15, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Some call it the smell of money, but Teng Teeh Lim thinks that smell does not have to be so bad.
  
  Media available: 1 photo
• MU drought simulators stop the rain
  Thursday, August 18, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. — Farmers face an age-old problem when rains fail to come.
  
  Media available: 1 photo; 1 video
• Remedies exist for trees wounded by storm
  Thursday, August 18, 2011
  GALENA, Mo. — Repair may be in order to keep storm-damaged trees healthy and less susceptible to disease and insects, says a University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.
• Heat stress may cut calf crop next spring, MU specialist says at Greenley field day
  Thursday, August 11, 2011
  NOVELTY, Mo. – Summer heat stress in cow herds may not show up until much later—at calving time, a University of Missouri Extension specialist told the crowd at the MU Greenley Center field day, Aug. 9.
• Snakes on a flood plain
  Friday, July 22, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Floods and severe storms can leave more than just people homeless. Displaced snakes, rodents and other nuisance wildlife often will seek shelter and food in areas close to people, said Bob Pierce, MU Extension fisheries and wildlife specialist.
• MU FAPRI reports economic impact of extending ethanol tax credit, tariff
  Monday, June 27, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Extending the current ethanol tax credit and tariff would boost corn-based fuel production -- and corn prices, report University of Missouri economists.
• Three easy steps for getting safe drinking water
  Tuesday, May 24, 2011
  MARHSFIELD, Mo. – In the aftermath of a disaster, the safety of your water supply might be in doubt. Bob Schultheis, a natural resource engineering specialist with University of Missouri Extension, says drinking water can be disinfected by ONE of the following methods:
• May 22 tornado among the state’s deadliest
  Monday, May 23, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – With the death toll expected to top 100, the tornado that devastated Joplin on May 22 will rank among the most lethal in Missouri history.
• MAESTRO mobilizes to help small livestock farms rebuild after flood
  Monday, May 23, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers picking up the pieces after the recent flooding may qualify for expedited financial help through a program designed to promote energy efficiency on small livestock farms.
• Tornadoes prompt interest in shelters and safe rooms
  Monday, May 23, 2011
  MARSFIELD, Mo. –Recent devastating tornadoes might prompt many Missourians to take a closer look at their safety in future storms.
  
  Media available: 1 video
• Farmers with damaged crops must call insurance agent
  Thursday, April 28, 2011
  BENTON, Mo. – Farmers with flood-damaged fields should contact their crop insurance agent while waiting for waters to recede and fields to dry, said a University of Missouri Extension agriculture business specialist.
• Use shock chlorination to disinfect contaminated wells
  Thursday, April 28, 2011
  BLOOMFIELD, Mo. – Heavy rains and rising rivers may flood wells. “Wells could be contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites that can make you ill,” said Van Ayers, an MU Extension agriculture and rural development specialist.
• Flood recovery resources available on website from MU Extension
  Thursday, April 28, 2011
  POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. – People in flood-stricken areas of Missouri can find information on storm and flood recovery at a website maintained by the University of Missouri Extension.
• Plant buffers can slow runoff of veterinary antibiotics
  Tuesday, March 22, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Field tests by University of Missouri scientists have backed up laboratory research indicating that buffer strips of grass and other plants can reduce the amount of herbicide and veterinary antibiotics in surface runoff from farm plots.
• A calmer Tornado Alley
  Tuesday, March 15, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Tornado Alley, the swath of prairie from Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri famous for twisters, may see a largely calm tornado season this year.
  
  Media available: 1 video
• Winter power outages can lead to generator concerns
  Monday, January 31, 2011
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Severe winter weather can bring widespread power outages, which means many Missouri families might be firing up their generators. University of Missouri Extension emergency management specialist Eric Evans urges people to use common sense when using a generator.
  
  Media available: 1 video
• Program offers incentives to reduce energy costs on small farms
  Wednesday, July 28, 2010
  COLUMBIA, Mo. – Small Missouri farms can take steps to reduce energy usage through a program that offers energy audits, loans and rebates to retrofit equipment and improve operations.

Websites

The following are general-interest natural resources Websites from the University of Missouri. Browse the menu on the left for sites on more specific natural resources topics.

• Agricultural Experiment Station
• CARES - Center for Applied Research and Environmental Systems
  Aids interested public and private parties in learning about and managing our resources.
• College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
• CPAC - Community Policy Analysis Center
  Provides research, outreach and training to support improved policy decisions in Missouri communities.
• Missouri Master Naturalist
  A community-based natural resource education and volunteer service program sponsored jointly by the Missouri Department of Conservation and MU Extension.

Publications

The following are general-interest natural resources publications. Browse the menu on the left for more specific natural resources publications.

• DVD21, Brazilogy: T-Shirt Cantata, Adventures of the Amazon Queen, and The Hammock Variations DVD

You may be interested in these related publications:

• MP205, Extension Publications Catalog