habitat

Eastern whip-poor-wills are nocturnal birds and can be spotted throughout Missouri between April and September. But the beloved species, a mainstay of Midwest folklore, has been declining steadily for decades.

Missouri's bear hunting season started Oct. 17. Even though the bear population is coming back in Missouri, habitat destruction and overhunting have threatened their numbers.

A decade ago, a federal task force laid out a plan to help monarch butterflies along their journey by returning roadsides to native habitat, particularly Interstate-35 in Missouri and Kansas.

Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department got money to restore a range of habitats in the region — including prairies, woodlands and wetlands — to strengthen natural prevention against flooding and pollution.

The lesser prairie chicken was once a common sight in the southern Great Plains, but its numbers are dwindling. Even so, it lost federal protections earlier this year for a second time. Now states and landowners are overseeing conservation efforts

Every spring, thousands of turtles begin their yearly search for places to forage, mate and lay eggs. Sometimes they have to cross Missouri's roads to do it.

It’s National Pollinator Week, and butterfly farmers in Kansas and around the U.S. are raising awareness about how habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change are killing off our pollinators. Plus: The Missouri Department of Conservation's new director reflects on how conservation work has evolved over time.