Environmental Echo

MDC Fisheries Management Biologist (right) helps Gavin Stukenburg hold an 86-pound lake sturgeon Stukenburg snagged in 2022 at Maple Island Access. Photo: MDC

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) confirmed that state-endangered lake sturgeon spawned on April 23, 2022, along the Mississippi River in West Alton below the Melvin Price Lock and Dam (Number 26).  The event occurred at USACE’s Maple Island Access.  This was the first spawning to be confirmed since the activity was last seen in the same area in 2015.  These historic spawning events were the result of recovery efforts dating back more than 30 years.

What is the current state of lake sturgeons in Missouri?  What is the outlook for the future?  MDC Fisheries Management Biologist Travis Moore will address these questions and more at a special presentation Thursday, March 30 at 6 p.m.

The presentation will be held at the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, located less than two miles from where the spawning events took place in 2015 and 2022.  The program is offered in cooperation with the Audubon Society and the USACE.

Moore has been closely involved with the lake sturgeon recovery and monitoring program for 25 years and will talk about the history of the species in the Show-Me-State and the efforts to restore them to our waters.

Register for the event HERE.

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After researching replacement options, Forest Park Forever’s horticultural team selected the “yellow bird” flowering magnolia.

Out with the Callery pear and in with the “yellow bird” magnolia!

Our friends at Forest Park Forever are always moving forward for the good of nature and the park!

Recent information released by Forest Park Forever:

Forest Park Forever, in partnership with St. Louis City’s Forestry team is removing the Callery pear trees along the “allée” walk that bisects the twin parking lots between the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center and Pagoda Circle.

In keeping with the original design intent of the allée, we will replace these trees with 60 ornamental “yellow bird” flowering magnolias sourced from a nursery in Kansas City. The project team plans to begin removal of trees on Tuesday, February 28, so the site is ready for installation of the new trees some time over the next month.

Read more about the project and the invasive Callery pear tree HERE.

Taking animal safety into consideration when building roads and highways doesn’t have to cost taxpayers’ money. In fact, preventative measures can reduce costly road accidents and save human lives

In a new study by the Federal Highway Administration, reported animal crashes are now estimated to cost Americans over $10 billion annually with a total of more that 200 crashes which prove to be fatal for humans.

Regional figures show that crashes with animals in the Midwest cause damages upwards of $3.8 billion with collisions mounting to well over 160,000 annually.

Missouri has about 4,500 animal crashes, with anywhere from 6-12 human fatal animal crashes yearly. Michigan had the greatest number of reported animal-vehicle crashes, with an average of over 54,000 each year.

The new study titled, “The Strategic Integration of Wildlife Mitigation into Transportation Procedures,” recommends use of a collision prevention manual for transportation professionals and their partners.

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Mike and Tenley Fraser of the band Shortleaf will perform at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m. The musicians play traditional Ozark folk music and weave stories of Ozark culture and natural resources into their concerts. Photo: MDC

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center invites you to discover nature through music.  The nature center will present a special concert by the band Shortleaf, featuring Mike and Tenley Fraser on Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m.  The performance promises an enjoyable mix of entertainment and education suitable for the whole family.

Fraser, an accomplished Ozark fiddler, and wife, Tenley, specialize in performing traditional music of the Ozarks.  Honoring a long-time heritage of music and storytelling, the duo uses tales of Ozark history and Scots-Irish culture to create an engaging blend of songs and spoken word.  The Scots-Irish people settled in the hardscrabble Ozarks after migrating west from the Appalachian country, and gave the region much of its unique character.

(Registration required to attend)

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