Missouri Forestkeepers Network

11/28/2023

Are you in the Kansas City Area? The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a free class on winter tree identification from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Learn more about how a close look can find patterns in the bark, limbs, and stems that are used to identify tree species.

Register at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z8M.

09/11/2023

Discover nature this week with Missouri nuts. The beginning of fall is a great time to gather homegrown nuts in Missouri. Our top three featured nuts that fruit in September and October are black walnuts, pecans, and hickory.

09/09/2023

Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) fruits are ripening this month! Normally this tree is known for its stunning fall color, but the fruits support not only birds, but small mammals, raccoons, deer and even black birds. We humans enjoy the “Tupelo honey” produced by bees pollinating the tree, but if we’re willing to take the time to process out the large seed, these sour fruits make a decent jam!

09/07/2023

Are your pawpaw's ready to eat? Late summer sees the ripening of pawpaw fruit (Asimina triloba), tropical-tasting, edible green berry, three to six inches long, which ripens to a yellowish color in late summer. Birds, box turtles, racoons and other mammals go wild for this fruit! It is also host to the Zebra Swallowtail and Pawpaw Sphinx moths.

09/06/2023

“Trees provide shade. That’s the place where you want to be when it’s hot, right?” Conway-Anderson said. “The idea behind a well-managed silvopasture is your taking that shade and dispersing it across the field.”

Trees aren't just for the woods- shade provided by trees can reduce risk for livestock. Check out this news coverage featuring work being done here in Missouri.

Silvopasture could make for healthier soil — and keep cattle alive during sweltering summers.

09/05/2023

Want to know the ins and outs of seed collection, processing, and growth? Join the rescheduled Forestkeepers tour of the George O'White State nursery on September 15th from 12-4 for a lunch, behind the scenes talk, and seed ID workshop.

Join the ForestKeepers Network in seeing the next generation of Forest's starting place at the George O'White State Nursery!

09/02/2023

"Since more than 90% of Missouri’s land is in private ownership, MDC relies on these landowners to help create habitat for wildlife and manage timber resources," said Dan Zarlenga, a spokesperson with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "Landowners use plants from the State Nursery for reforestation, stabilizing streambanks and reducing erosion on their property, and creating wildlife food and cover."

More than 90% of Missouri's land is privately owned. State conservationists say they rely on landowners buying the seeds for reforestation and erosion control.

09/01/2023

Don't forget to place your seedling orders for this spring! Reserve trees from the George O White Nursery by following this link.

Place orders beginning Sept. 1 at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/tree-seedlings. Supplies are limited.

08/30/2023

For a limited time, NASA's offering communities and schools a chance to grow a bit of history- could your community or School benefit from seedlings that have been to Space?

Education and community organizations can apply to receive a living piece of spaceflight history to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: a seedling grown from a tree seed that flew around the Moon on the NASA’s Artemis I mission in late 2022.

08/29/2023

Thanks to everyone who helped collect wild plums! Let’s see if we can get similar results for replenishing their eastern wahoo and other seedling stock!

We are going plum crazy!

A big thank you to MDC staff in our northwest region and local collectors for helping our state nursery get wild plum fruit! The nursery was down to zero seed in storage and wasn't able to plant wild plum this fall. But thanks to their efforts, they have brought around 4,000-lbs of fruit! This will provide the nursery with at least 3-years worth of seed.

What a great example of how teamwork helps us better serve the citizens of Missouri.

08/29/2023

The fall webworm is a native moth of North America and is commonly found throughout Missouri during late summer and early fall. As their name suggests, the caterpillars of the moth spin webbed nests that cover the ends of tree branches, providing protection as they consume foliage. Dozens of caterpillars can be found in a single nest, and you may see webbing covering multiple branches and occasionally an entire tree. Fall webworms are not picky eaters. Their webs can be found on a variety of hardwood trees such as hickory, walnut, birch, cherry, and persimmon. While often considered a pest, the webbing and defoliation caused by fall webworms is mostly an aesthetic issue that rarely causes long-term damage to trees. If control is necessary, an effective method is to rip open webs to expose caterpillars to natural predators by using a long stick with a nail driven through the end. Some insecticides are labeled for fall webworm control, but since this insect is rarely a tree health issue, and insecticides can harm beneficial insects, MDC recommends avoiding chemical control. Never use fire to burn webs from trees as this can damage twigs and buds.