Conservation

The monarch butterfly population continues to shrink due to factors such as climate change. People working to help the species say proposed federal protections could boost existing efforts.

The University of Missouri Extension and the Department of Conservation are enlisting landowners to plant and care for white oak seedlings. The tree species is essential for wildlife and industry, but it's struggling under climate change.

Many Midwest states and outdoor organizations are now trying to reach groups that haven’t historically participated in hunting — including women. But while women make up about a third of new hunters, many face barriers to break into and continue with the sport.

Since 1990, the St. Louis Zoo has played an instrumental role in bringing Tahitian snails back from the brink of extinction.

A grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation helped local educators create a grassland prairie for students to learn about conservation at an Oakville elementary school.

Artificial floating wetlands naturally filter water from contaminants and excess nutrients. There are about a dozen in the state, and the Missouri Department of Conservation wants to add more.

Decades of data show nitrate levels in rivers often drop during dry years and spike when rain returns. Experts say more conservation practices in and around farm fields could help smooth out the sharp peaks to protect drinking water and downstream impacts.

Vince Keeler was appointed forest supervisor of the Mark Twain National Forest in July. The forest spans 1.5 million acres across central and southern Missouri.

Peanut is a notable example of how plastic pollution can harm wildlife — and how an individual animal’s story can be a powerful tool in promoting social change.

Restoring oxbow wetlands is gaining momentum in the Midwest. While it started largely to support a federally endangered fish, conservation experts say these floodplain habitats offer a host of benefits, including cleaner water downstream.

It’s National Pollinator Week, an annual event created to bring attention to the sharp decline in pollinator numbers due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. Butterflies often capture people’s attention and help spark interest in pollinator conservation, something butterfly farms are helping promote.

Missouri Department of Conservation Director Jason Sumners says he's focused on better engaging with a community that is technologically more disconnected with nature.