Missouri Action and Impact

Every time I step outside, I can see something wild. It’s one of the thrills of living in Missouri. I’ve gotten into mushroom hunting, a hobby that might not always be the most reliable method for bringing home dinner but does force me to slow down and really see all the little plants and animals at work in the woods.

Honestly, you don’t even have to go into the woods to appreciate the natural elements all around us. You’re probably not going to find too many morels on city streets in Missouri (if you do, you can trust me with your secret hunting spots), but even staring out the window turns up a procession of wild birds through the seasons. If there’s a community garden or a pocket park nearby, all the better.

Of course, there are truly stunning hotspots of biodiversity in Missouri, places that take your imagination back to what this landscape must have been thousands of years ago: Ozark streams that are home to tiny creatures that live nowhere else. Unplowed prairies where hundreds of species of grasses, flowers, insects and other wildlife can be found within a few square meters. Sadly, those spaces cover only a fraction of the ground they did just a couple of hundred years ago.

A global biodiversity crisis is making the world less resilient, less healthy, less... wild. Our work in Missouri is part of The Nature Conservancy’s global focus on promoting biodiversity. We start by really looking at what is around us. Where are those habitats critical to Missouri’s native species? Where are they most at risk? Who else is working on the problem? Can we team up? Then comes the most important part: We act. 

In our most recent Action and Impact Report, you’ll find examples of what TNC and its partners are doing right now to conserve the habitats that support the impressive variety of life we have in Missouri. A lot of the programs are new, such as our Habitat Strike Teams, which we’re deploying across the state. We are also drawing on the shared strength of our TNC staff across state lines and our partnerships with other organizations and agencies to extend our reach. As always, we rely on science to measure our progress and provide insights. 

All of this is possible thanks to your help. I’m guessing that you, like me, love those days when you can step outside and see something wild. Working together, we can make sure there are plenty of those opportunities—and mushrooms—in our future.

Adam McLane
Missouri State Director