University of Missouri Extension and partners will hold a free forest and wildlife management workshop Sept. 9 at the property of Bill and Margie Haag in Portland, Mo. Photo courtesy of Brian Schweiss.

MU Extension, partners host free forest and wildlife management workshop Sept. 9 in Portland

PORTLAND, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and partners invite the public to a free forest and wildlife management workshop Sept. 9 in Callaway County.The workshop will be at the property of Bill and Margie Haag, 8801 Little Tavern Creek Road, Portland, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Missouri’s state bird, the eastern bluebird, is one of many wildlife species that can benefit from a wildlife habitat improvement plan. Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation.

Now is time to enjoy wildlife and plan to improve habitat

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Spring is just around the corner and, with the final doldrums of winter, many Missouri wildlife species are showing an abundance of activity, says University of Missouri Extension state wildlife and fisheries specialist Bob Pierce.“This time of year provides many opportunities for conducting management practices on your property and also for getting outdoors and observing wildlife,” Pierce says.

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Coexist with wildlife while preventing damage

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Few things are more enjoyable than watching deer in your backyard or listening to squirrels chatter at dusk or dawn from your patio.That is, until you find that they have inflicted costly damage to your home, patio furniture, flower bed or garden. In some cases, such as bird droppings, wildlife can even be hazardous to your health.

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MU Extension offers Wednesday town hall meetings online for farmers, gardeners

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension is offering online town hall meetings led by agronomy, livestock and horticulture specialists.“MU Extension has long served as a trusted and necessary resource to help Missourians get food on the table and gardens in the backyard,” says Lee Miller, coordinator of MU’s Integrated Pest Management program. “We’ll strive to continue this even through COVID-19.”

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Wildlife population trends

Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report

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Farmer participation in conservation programs

Excerpted from the Environmental Impact of Missouri Crop Production report

Shorter corn rows next to the tree line demonstrate yield losses in a field planted next to mature trees.

Field borders benefit wildlife on the farm

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Weedy field borders and brushy fence lines may not be attractive to some people, but for many Missouri farm wildlife and game species, those places are prime real estate.

George Hobson has converted parts of his 100-acre farm to habitat for quail and other wildlife.University of Missouri Cooperative Media Group

You've got quail

COLUMBIA, Mo. – “If you get up in the morning and you hear quail singing and it doesn’t make your heart lift, you missed out on a big part of what life really is,” says farmer George Hobson.Modern farming techniques have erased much of the habitat of the once-abundant northern bobwhite quail, but on Hobson’s farm and others like it, the quail population is going up—without dragging profits down.