From http://www.mostateparks.com/youthcorps.htm:

This summer, young Missourians will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience to prepare for tomorrow’s careers, while enjoying the beauty and grandeur of Missouri’s state parks. The Missouri State Parks Youth Corps will challenge participants to “Think Outside” by accomplishing interesting projects that help preserve and enhance Missouri’s state park system. Continue reading State Park Youth Corps gets underway

We know Traveler readers like our Traveler Calendar. As a monthly paper publication, we cannot keep it as up-to-date as we like, and often events come in after press time but still a month in advance of when it happens.

We’ve chosen to somewhat mitigate that in these “news as fast as it happens” days. Please bookmark our online Traveler Calendar. We’ve also put a link to it from the left column of our web home page. We’ll be listing events submitted by subscribers, government agencies, and charitable outdoors-related fundraisers for free. If something catches our fancy, it may end up there gratis, just like items do in the paper.

If you have a for-profit event, a personal event, or any function you want to draw visitors to and want to guarantee an announcement, contact Emery or Jo for rates. Emery is finalizing rates…we’ll have both Web only and Web and print combos which nearly any organization can afford. We’ll offer announcement only, ones with live links, and a special deal on the 125×125 pixel sidebar graphics (you submit, or we create.)

Periodically we may link the calendar to our Facebook page, but if you want to know what’s happening where, you can always come to the Traveler Calendar for the latest updates. Interested? Call 800-874-8723 ext. 1 or 2 or email Emery or Jo for details.

Pick up your free copy of Missouri Guides & Outfitters at a growing number of locations. Here are the latest places Guides & Outfitters is available:
•Powder Valley Conservation Education Center, Kirkwood
•Bass Pro Sportsmans Warehouse, St. Charles
•Missouri Welcome Center, I-270 & Riverview Rd., St. Louis
•Columbia Bottoms Nature Center, north St. Louis County
•YMCA of the Ozarks, west of Potosi
•T&S Outdoors, west of Potosi
•Boo’s Market, Potosi
•Washington County Economic Development Office, Potosi Continue reading More places you can pick up Guides & Outfitters

Results have been tallied for Traveler’s second annual Readers Choice Awards, a poll of our readers’ favorite outdoor places, people and businesses.
“Participation increased from last year and the nominations show that Traveler readers are attentive, discriminating consumers of outdoor experiences and services,” said publisher Emery Styron. “If you’re looking for great outdoor places to explore or businesses to serve your needs in 2010, the list of winners and nominees is a great place to start.”
“It is an honor for every business or individual nominated that someone took the time to submit their name, Styron said.
Traveler will send a certificate to winners and a letter to all nominees notifying them of their honor. We’ll also write stories about as many of the winners as possible in the coming year.
All nominations received are listed. Traveler declares a winner only when a plurality of nominations are received for any one entity.
Favorite Float Stream
Winner: Current River. Readers like these stream stretches: Waymeyer to Big Spring, Cedar Grove to Akers, Round Spring to Two Rivers and Akers to Round Spring.
Also nominated: Meramec, stream stretches, Maramec Spring to Scotts Ford, Sappington Bridge to Arapaho, Onondaga to Campbell Bridge; Jacks Fork, Bee Bluff to Two Rivers; Black River, above to Hwy. K; and Gasconade River.
Favorite Fishing River or Lake
Winner: Meramec River. Readers like these spots: near Steelville, near Onondaga and Maramec Spring.
Also nominated: Current River, Mark Twain Lake, Deer Run Lake in Madison County, St. Francis River at Sam A. Baker Park and U.S. 34, and Table Rock Lake. Continue reading Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards Posted

Aaron Horrell, co-chair of the Friends of Mingo Swamp Flora and Fauna Photo Contest, sends this update on locations for the exhibit of winning entries for the 2010 contest. This list precludes any previously published locations.

August – September, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Puxico
October, Missouri Department of Conservation Nature Center, Cape Girardeau
November, Sikeston Depot Museum, Sikeston
December, Missouri Department of Conservation August A. Busch Nature Center, Weldon Spring
January, Missouri Department of Conservation Powder Valley Nature Center, Kirkwood
February, Missouri Department of Conservation Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, Blue Springs
April, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
May , Missouri Department of Conservation Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City
June – July, Mingo NWR Visitor Center, Puxico
Currently the 2009 exhibit is showing at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs.

A location for March is still undetermined.

No jokes about brown trout, please.

At the January 29 meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission, commissioners authorized spending $256,311.50 at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery, Branson, to upgrade the domestic wastewater lift station and install a pressurized pipeline to the Branson sewer system. Flat Creek Excavating LLC, Cape Fair, will be doing the work. Continue reading Shepherd of Hills Hatchery to get sewer improvement

"Swamp Eye" by Chad Doolen, winner of Best of Show in the 2009 contest.

Traveler is teaming up with Friends of Mingo Swamp Friends to help promote the 5th annual Mingo Swamp Flora and Fauna Photography Contest in 2010.
Contest co-chair Aaron Horrell said the contest has grown each year and is fast becoming the premier nature photography contest in Missouri. The 2009 contest recognized 52 winning entries in five categories.

The Mingo Swamp Friends, in partnership with Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Puxico, initiated the first contest in the summer of 2006 to showcase the nature and wildlife photo opportunities available on Mingo and support the growing interest of photography there. Continue reading Traveler teams up with Mingo Swamp Friends to promote 2010 photo contest

Jay Bench is operations manager for Tent-Pak, a Pocatello, Idaho-area manufacturer of high end camping gear. We became acquainted by chance via Facebook.

Lei Wang

Until just over five years ago, Lei Wang was working at an unfulfilling job in a Boston business office. When she announced she was quitting her job to climb the world’s seven major peaks, her co-workers and friends scoffed. They aren’t scoffing now.

She began her climbs with Kilimanjaro, climbed five more and has only Everest left to conquer. She leaves for Everest March 20. If successful, Lei Wang, who was born in Beijing, will be the first Chinese woman to climb the seven major peaks. Continue reading Company helping mountain climber, asking support for Haiti relief effort

USGS News Release Jan. 28–

Lab specimen showing hemorragic disease

For the first time, the presence of an exceptionally virulent fish virus (viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus or VHSV) has been identified in fish from Lake Superior by researchers at the Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and confirmed by scientists at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center in Seattle.

The disease (VHS) caused by the virus can result in significant losses in populations of wild fish as well as in stocks of fish reared by aquaculture. It is of sufficient global concern to be one of only nine fish diseases that must be reported to the World Organization for Animal Health. Continue reading USGS reports hemorrhagic fish virus in Superior