ShareThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reintroduce the colorful American burying beetle to a natural area in southwest Missouri as part of a partnership with the St. Louis Zoo to recover this native endangered species. The reintroduction will occur at Wah’kon-tah Prairie, a 3,030-acre site in St. Clair and Cedar counties, Missouri, jointly owned [...]

Share(A little outside of usual Traveler Country, but considering migratory birds are of major interest in the Mississippi Flyway, maybe not so far, after all.)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced February 23 the completion of a work plan for cooperation on wildlife conservation activities with the Russian Federation through 2012. The work plan will [...]

Share(USFWS news release.)
Do you have (or are you) a young artist who is good at drawing hellbenders, prairie chickens or Ozark cavefish?
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service would like to see you strut your stuff.
The annual Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest is an integral part of the seventh [...]

Share(Asst. Ed. Note: This is a little far afield, but since Missouri’s wild public land caves are closed to visitation for the same reason, this story came to my attention. Details come from a KWQC News 6 report (serving Davenport/Moline/Bettendorf/Rock Island) and other sources.)
In 2009, after a report of the Geomyces destructans fungus being found [...]

ShareThis just posted by Frank Nelson on the MDC website:
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is developing a hunting plan and wants your input. This plan will be the template for all hunting activities on the refuge for the next 12-15 years. This will include discussion about waterfowl, deer, turkey, and other game. If [...]

ShareThe United States Geological Service announced today that the fungus Geomyces destructans causes WNS in little brown bats, according to agency research published today in the journal Nature.
The study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists and partners, conducted at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisc., provides the first direct evidence [...]

ShareThis well-researched article in the Columbia Missourian contains much information about the current state of white nose syndrome in Missouri bats, and its effects on caves, cave management and cavers.
In short, the story is: After discovering bats with Geomyces destructans fungus and scarring evidence on their wings in two caves, one in Pike County [...]

ShareJoe Jerek, communications person for the Missouri Dept. of Conservation passed along these two YouTube links on hellbender conservation efforts. One is from the St. Louis Zoo:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbkGQvrE7pc
And the other is from Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery at the foot of Table Rock Dam:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSgTXAn-Fq4
Enjoy.

Share(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service news release)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated the Ozark hellbender as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and also finalized its decision to list the Ozark and eastern hellbender in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [...]

ShareSecretary of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced more than $53 million in grants to 17 states to support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife, and plants on August 25.
Among the grants are one for $534, 750 to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation to acquire an 895 [...]