Missouri Master Naturalist

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2021

Learn about the workings of the Missouri Master Naturalist program. Along with an overview of this statewide volunteer conservation program, this manual details certification, training and volunteer service requirements and offers operation and ...

Publication date: June 1, 2017

Many people enjoy having wildlife on their property and will manage their property to make it more inviting for specific species. Successful wildlife habitat management begins with identifying the habitat components (food, cover, water and space) of ...

Publication date: March 1, 2017

The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) is a migratory game bird that inhabits much of the central and eastern United States (Figure 1). It belongs to the shorebird family, but unlike other species such as the sandpiper and common snipe, woodcock have ...

Publication date: March 1, 2017

Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are one of Missouri's most beautiful water birds (Figures 1a and 1b) and are found throughout the state.Adult males have a large purple and green crested head and a burgundy chest with white flecks. This colorful plumage ...

Publication date: Feb. 1, 2017

Not much more than a half century ago, Missouri's wild turkey population was in danger of disappearing from the landscape. By the early 1950s, it was estimated that fewer than 2,500 turkeys were left in only 14 Missouri counties. Their restoration is ...

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2017

The barn owl (Tyto alba) is perhaps the rarest of six owl species that are year-round residents in Missouri. Other species more commonly observed are the great horned owl, the barred owl, the short-eared owl, the eastern screech owl and the ...