Missouri Native Grasslands Collaborative

09/02/2026

A great opportunity to hear a good lineup of topics and speakers!

Save the date for the 12th Annual Missouri State Habitat Meeting, January 22–23, 2027, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Columbia!

We’re planning an exciting event, from the banquet to a diverse lineup of speakers sharing their expertise on habitat management, chapter resources and platforms, PF/QF programs, and much more.

Early Bird tickets will go on sale soon! Stay tuned as we begin announcing details in the coming months.

For now, save the date and get ready to covey up!

09/02/2026

Are you planning to start a native wildflower garden this fall? If you are in an area where deer are common, you may want to plan your garden with deer-resistant plants! I had a doe and her two fawns set up camp in my back yard and the photo illustrates what they did to my New England Aster which would normally be at least chest high right now. Find a list of deer-resistant plants at https://grownative.org/native-plant-database/?_native_plant_resistance=deer-resistant

09/01/2026

Wanting to learn about grazing natives?

🌾📣The last field day this year is Friday, September 11 from 1-4 PM (rescheduled from July due to flooding).

Register 👉 https://ozarknativeseed.com/livestock-pasture-tour/

This is the field day to attend if you are interested in:
✔Natives for grazing
✔Grazing for long term success
✔The establishment process
✔What stands look like at the end of summer
✔Cost share opportunities

09/01/2026

Last week, MoNGC, Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership - SRISP and Missouri Prairie Foundation put on a webinar to discuss Control of Grassland Invasive Species. You can see the recording on our YouTube Channel at

Webinar recording detail control techniques for 10 invasive species...

08/31/2026

This Invasive Species Workshop in Texas County, Missouri, may be of interest, Register at:
https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/220261

08/31/2026

Partner Highlight - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Talk about moving the needle toward getting more natives on the landscape, let's talk about what the USDA Farm Bill Programs have done in Missouri in recent years!
From FY 23-25, Missouri NRCS and partners have worked with landowners to plant 86,980 acres of native grasses/forbs through programs like EQIP, Native Forages Initiative and Working Lands for Wildlife. This represents nearly $20 million in cost-share. In addition, NRCS offers cost-share to manage grasslands, such as prescribed burning and invasive species removal. Missouri landowners, interested in wildlife, and Missouri livestock producers are meeting their objectives because of these programs. And beyond that these native plantings improve soil health and improve water quality.

Local NRCS offices are currently taking applications for these programs and more. You can find out more at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/nrcs/missouri

08/30/2026

At least in Missouri, native grasslands will have more carbon stored underground than our forests, acting as the main engine that drives soil health and improves soil structure.

08/29/2026

Pastures in southwest Missouri are drying up from the ongoing drought. A cattle producer in Dade County called it “crunchy dry”. Those dried up pastures consist of grasses that look like the plant on the right, long before the drought got started. Native warm-season grass and regenerative grazed pastures are going to be managed like the two grass plants on the left. And in spite of the drought, those pastures are green and growing right now. How are you going to prepare your pastures for the next drought?

08/29/2026

Looking for landowners who own or manage grasslands in Missouri to attend a Focus Group discussion on how we can better serve you and address your challenges. If you can help us, register at https://form.jotform.com/253225146577056 or with the QR code below.

08/28/2026

Planning to plant a native wildflower garden bed next month? Here is a tip if you are wanting to plant an aggressive or anti-social species like New England Aster or Common Milkweed to help out monarch butterflies. So I do not have to worry about these species crowding out less aggressive plants, I keep them in a flowerbed by themselves. The milkweed bed should be surrounded by lawn, so you can mow off any sprouts that try to come up in the lawn. If they are mowed once, they typically do not resprout. Some people are concerned that these plants get too tall, however you can prune the tops out of them to keep them shorter. Trim NE Aster in late May and trim milkweed back around July 4. Check for monarch eggs/larvae on milkweed prior to trimming. To get the very best results with your native flowerbeds, find out more about plant pairings and the sociability of native plants at https://deeproots.org/understanding-native-plant-sociability/