missouri bird conservation initiative 2015 conference

Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative 2015 Conference

“To Kill a Mockingbird” Would Be to Destroy the Innocence of Nature

Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative NewsletterWorking together to conserve bird populations and their habitats

AUGUST 2015 VolUMe 11

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination it-self.” — William Blake

G reetings! This year, our 13th Annual MoBCI

Conference theme is “To Kill a Mockingbird,”

a look at the variety of threats and challenges

facing bird management in Missouri and else-

where. For those of us who love watching birds,

manage bird populations and their habitats,

and occasionally harvest birds for food, killing a

mockingbird would be unconscionable! Mocking-

birds are federally protected by the Migratory

Bird Treaty Act; in Arkansas (where I am from),

Gene Gardner, Chair MoBCI Steering

Committee

the mockingbird is the state bird and therefore

protected by special laws. Although we might

tend to take this statement quite literally to

mean killing a bird, this phrase actually has a

deeper meaning. Perhaps the title of Harper

Lee’s 1960 classic To Kill a Mockingbird might

come to your mind – or you might have seen the

1962 film version. You’ll have to read more below

to find out where I am going with this.

First, it has been my pleasure to serve as

the Chair for the Missouri Bird Conservation

Initiative (MoBCI) for another year. Our flock

of conservation partners has grown from the

original 28 organizations in 2003 to now more

than 72 organizations, all dedicated to working

together to achieve what we call “all-bird con-

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:MoBCI 2015 Conference

Gene Gardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Hi Lonesome Master Naturalist s A ssist with Barn Owl Boxes

Marge Lumpe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Monarch Conser vation Ef for t s in Missouri of f to a Strong Collaborative Beginning

USF&W Newsroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MoBCI Helps National Wild Turkey Federation: Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.

John Burk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Habitat Restoration at Stillwell Prair ieCarol Davit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

We Care About Birds and Their Habitat sGene Gardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

MoBCI Member Organizations ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

2 Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Newsletter • Vol. 11 • August, 2015

servation.” One of the most fun, educational and

rewarding events we do every year is our Annual

Conference — this year will be our 13th Annual

Conference. In the earliest years, our Conference

themes dealt with defining our common vision

and developing the strengths of our organization

through expanding partnerships and establishing

the MoBCI Grant Program. The Conferences that

followed seemed to get better and better each

year! Nationally-and regionally-known speakers

helped us to understand more about control-

ling exotic species, whether renewable energy

was really good for birds, how climate change

affects birds, how we can work more effectively

with private landowners to provide bird habitats,

how we monitor our effectiveness, and exploring

innovative ways to reach out to future conserva-

tionists — younger folks that will continue the

fight for bird conservation. This year, our 13th

Annual Conference theme is “To Kill a Mocking-

bird,” a look at the variety of threats and chal-

lenges facing bird management in Missouri and

elsewhere. Apathy, legislation, fear, disease,

poison, and misconception are all included in this

year’s Conference program; you won’t want to

miss this incredible opportunity!

Our stated purpose of MoBCI is to “work

together to conserve, restore, and protect bird

populations.” MoBCI is Missouri’s “step down”

of the hemispheric and international integrated

bird conservation partnership — the North

American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI).

Our MoBCI organization shares the NABCI vision

– namely “Populations and habitats of North

America’s birds are protected, restored, and en-

hanced through coordinated efforts at interna-

tional, national, regional, state, and local levels,

guided by sound science and effective manage-

ment.” For our 2015 Conference, the key word in

both these vision statements is “protect!” Our

award-winning MoBCI organization does a great

deal to conserve bird populations and restore

their habitats. However, there are threats and

challenges facing bird management in Missouri

and elsewhere that we might not fully under-

stand and most certainly are not easily resolved.

It sometimes seems that “protecting” birds is

outside of our reach!

“There is something of the marvelous in all things of nature.” — Aristotle

I was only nine when the film came out, but I

remember having the book To Kill A Mockingbird

as a reading assignment in school. Reading, and

even speaking English, was challenging for me

in Arkansas! Other than a requirement to get a

grade, I had no deep appreciation for its mean-

ing, that is until we chose it as a Conference

theme. Atticus Finch (yes, his last name was even

bird-like), played by Gregory Peck in the 1962

film version, told Scout (his young daughter)

“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Scout

appeared to be as confused as I was about that

statement, so when she asked Miss Maudie (an-

other character) about it, she said “Your father’s

right, mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make

music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out

for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

SparkNotes (an online study site) explained, “the

title of To Kill a Mockingbird has very little literal

connection to the plot, but it carries a great deal

of symbolic weight in the book. In this story of

innocents destroyed by evil, the ‘mockingbird’

comes to represent the idea of innocence. Thus,

to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence.”

In a broader meaning, that is certainly appropri-

ate for MoBCI: the mockingbird can represent

all birds, nature, and the innocence of nature.

George Bernard Shaw said “the worst sin toward

our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but

to be indifferent to them; that’s the essence of

humanity.”

Working Together to Conserve and Restore Bird Populations and Their Habitats 3

Apparently, Henry David Thoreau saw the

force of nature as beyond human control and to-

tal understanding, but also something very deli-

cate, precious and morally neutral. He described

the indescribable innocence and beneficence of

Nature as “of sun and wind and rain, of summer

and winter — such health, such cheer, they af-

ford forever! and such sympathy have they ever

with our race, that all Nature would be affected,

and the sun’s brightness fade, and the winds

would sigh humanely, and the clouds rain tears,

and the woods shed their leaves and put on

mourning in midsummer, if any man should ever

for a just cause grieve. Shall I not have intelli-

gence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and

vegetable mold myself?” Edward Abbey said “it

is not enough to understand the natural world;

the point is to defend and preserve it.”

Given enough hard work, a few things we can

usually accomplish for bird conservation includes

habitat protection and restoration. In fact,

MoBCI grant funding (since 2003) from the State

Wildlife Grant program and contributions from

the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife pro-

gram and the National Wild Turkey Federation

has resulted in putting more than $4.13 million

toward on-the-ground restoration of habitats in

Missouri (i.e., $1.28 million leveraged/matched by

more than $2.85 million from project partners).

Beyond blood, sweat and tears, we are usually

pretty good about passing laws/rules/regulations

that help to protect birds and their habitats, and

we can continue to teach young folks about the

benefits of being outdoors and the enjoyment of

nature. However, we must constantly continue to

fight against the spread of wildlife diseases, inva-

sions from non-native species, and environmen-

tal contamination from chemicals and pollutants.

Remember that in this battle to conserve birds,

we are each other’s most valued allies and we

must continue to fight against the foes of apathy

and any legislation that would undermine our

conservation heritage.

In closing, I want to thank each of our more

than 72 conservation partners for continuing

to support bird conservation every day in the

great variety of things that each one does! That

ole’ saying “birds of a feather flock together”

is certainly true for our organization! That said,

please make plans to attend the 2015 Confer-

ence in Columbia on August 21–22, and share

your stories (and woes) with friends, neighbors

and colleagues while we learn how to be even

more effective in our conservation actions.

I also wanted to express my gratitude to our

organization’s representatives, the members

of the MoBCI Steering Committee. For the past

year, the following have served your interests

extremely well: John Burk (National Wild Tur-

key Federation: MoBCI Vice-Chair), Chris Shulse

(MoDOT: MoBCI Secretary), Charley Burwick

(Greater Ozarks Audubon Society), Ted Cooper

(Missouri Grouse Chapter/QUWF), Theresa David-

son (US Forest Service), Denny Donnell (Columbia

Audubon Society), Dave Graber (Ducks Unlimit-

ed), Susan Hazelwood (Audubon Society of MO),

Steve Heying (Missouri Falconers Association),

Doug Ladd (The Nature Conservancy), Wayne

Morton (MO Chapter North American Grouse

Partnership), Norman Murray (MO Department

of Conservation), Rehan Nana (Conservation

Federation of Missouri), Lane Richter (Audubon

Missouri), Rick Thom (MO Prairie Foundation),

Linda Tossing (St. Louis Audubon Society), Allison

Vaughn (MO Department of Natural Resources),

and Kelly Srigley Werner (US Fish & Wildlife

Service). Although not an official member of the

Steering Committee, we all greatly appreciate

working with David Erickson, who represents the

MoBCI Foundation. We think of him as part of

our team!


Hi lonesome Master Naturalists Assist with Barn owl Boxesby Marge LumpeMissouri Master Naturalists, Hi Lonesome Chapter

A number of grassland bird species are in serious decline, including Eastern meadow-

larks, bobolinks and Henslow’s sparrows. One you might not think of is the barn owl. I had never seen a barn owl in Benton County until a group of birders came across a pile of feathers in a fencerow across from Hi Lonesome Prairie Con-servation Area. To be fair to the owls, I am rarely out late at night; there may be more of them than I know.

Several years ago, Steve Cooper, Land Man-ager for the Hi Lonesome CA travelled to Illinois to see how land managers there were managing for greater prairie chickens. During a fieldtrip, he noticed some odd looking structures on the land-scape. They turned out to be barn owl nest boxes, part of the statewide barn owl recovery effort.

In Illinois prior to 2010, the barn owl was in serious decline and listed as state endangered. By 2014, following a concerted effort to install barn owl nest boxes throughout the bird’s range, Illinois was considering reclassifying the status to threatened. Having witnessed the success of nest boxes in Illinois, several members of the Missouri Recovery Team saw an opportunity to help barn owls in our state. The Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation (MDC) quickly purchased commercially available nesting boxes and made plans to install them on several grassland units.

The nest box project presented an opportu-nity to engage the public, and MDC approached the Hi Lonesome Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists to gain assistance in erecting and monitoring the nest boxes. The timing of this project was perfect for the recent graduates of the spring Master Naturalist class, who require a capstone project in order to be certified.

MDC employees provided materials and guidance to eight members of the chapter who

met on a nice Saturday morning to erect nest-ing boxes on three conservation areas in Benton County: Hi Lonesome, Mora, and Drovers Prairie.

Participants in the barn owl nest box project included Gerald and Ruth Schlomer, Roxanne Stockdall, Tami Courtney, Andrea Goldstrom, Heather Hughes, Rita Brown, Marge Lumpe, Terry Shumate (MDC) and Steve Cooper (MDC). To date, there are 9 barn owl nest boxes installed on 7 grassland conservation areas.

Since the boxes have been erected, chapter members have developed monitoring protocols and reporting methods. The results of our nest box monitoring as of June 30, 2015 are: 4 barn owl chicks and between 3–6 American kestrel chicks. One barn owl nest box has 3 unhatched eggs. The barn owl nest box project has been rewarding and interesting for both MDC and the Hi Lonesome

Chapter of the Master Naturalists.

Includes information taken from an article in the Missouri Department of Conservation Jan/Feb 2015 newsletter.

Installation of Barn Owl boxes on Mora Conservation Area, July 26, 2014. The participants are members of the Hi Lonesome Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists along with personnel from the Missouri Department of Conservation.


US Fish and Wildlife Service Newsroom

T ake a city and mayor devoted to monarchs, add a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, support from dedicated partners and the help of enthusiastic preschoolers, and you have the recipe for bringing monarchs back, one patch at a time. On June 1, 2015, US Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay joined conservation partners from the Missouri Depart-ment of Natural Resources, St. Louis Zoo and Missouri Botanical Garden to announce the Ser-vice’s $80,000 grant in support of the St. Louis Milkweeds for Monarchs program.

The Service grant, through its role with the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Big Rivers Landscape Conservation Cooperative is providing $80,000 to help expand and monitor St. Louis’s Milkweeds for Monarchs program. Milkweeds for Monarchs is a citywide initiative to help connect people and urban nature by increasing monarch butterfly habitat and helping people enjoy monarchs in neighborhood parks and spaces. St. Louis Mayor Slay has committed that the city will plant 50 monarch gardens, and challenged the community to plant an additional 200 monarch gardens to commemorate the city’s 250th birthday year.

The grant will be used to expand the Milk-weeds for Monarchs program and evaluate 37 existing monarch and pollinator habitats to as-sess biological and socioeconomic factors that influence habitat design, such as vegetation com-position, pollinator attraction and community acceptance. This research will help inform future site-level strategies for improving monarch habi-tat across North America.

In time, the St. Louis Milkweeds for Monarchs program will be one critical piece of a larger urban monarch initiative along the Interstate 35 corridor that supports the biological needs of mi-grating monarchs, and benefits the people who live, work and recreate there.

Refuges in the Service’s Midwest Region, in-cluding Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge near

St. Louis, as well as Big Muddy, Middle Missis-sippi River and Great River and Clarence Cannon, are playing a critical role in that effort. The staff at Two Rivers Refuge is actively involved with the city in the Milkweeds for Monarchs program and other pollinator-friendly projects in the St. Louis area. The goal is to restore and enhance more than 50,000 acres of monarch habitat on federal and private lands across the Midwest.

“These efforts to help the monarch are part of a continental initiative to conserve butterflies, bees and other pollinators that are so critical to our own lives and livelihoods. Just a couple of weeks ago, President Obama announced his strategy to conserve pollinators and called on citizens to become aware of the issue, to restore habitat and to nurture nectar-producing plants for pollinators. His goal is 225 million monarchs

by 2020,” Regional Director Melius said.

For more information about the Milkweeds for Monarchs program visit: <www.stlouis-mo.gov/monarchs>.

Monarch Conservation efforts in Missouri off to a Strong Collaborative Beginning

Missouri is home to over 12 species of native milkweeds, including butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), pictured above. Conservation of wild populations in our natural landscapes remains a priority to public and private land managers in Missouri.

Pho

to b

y Christo

pher C

rabtree, M

issouri D

epartm

ent of N

atural Reso

urces


by John BurkNational Wild Turkey Federation

W oodland and savanna restoration will be

an important component of the habi-

tat enhancement work that the National Wild

Turkey Federation (NWTF) will be focused on

throughout the Midwest over the next 10 years.

Although the words “woodland” and “savanna”

may conjure a variety of images — even among

resource professionals — most folks recognize

these terms to describe a desirable vegetative

condition shaped by fire with scattered trees

and a rich herbaceous layer.

Oak savanna is defined by The Terrestrial

Natural Communities of Missouri (Nelson, 2010)

as a grassland interspersed with open-grown

and widely spaced trees, and dominated by

prairie grasses and forbs. Savannas differ from

woodlands, another fire-mediated system,

in that savannas are strongly associated with

large prairies on nearly level terrain. The tree

canopy of savannas is very open, compared

to open woodlands that can harbor a canopy

of 30–100% closure. Both of these communi-

ties depend on fire for sustainability and were

once prevalent in the Midwest. True savanna

Savanna landscape at Union Ridge Conservation Area.

MoBCI Helps National Wild Turkey Federation: Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.

Photo by Greg G

remaud


remnants are incredibly rare in Missouri, with

0.01% of the original acreage still harboring the

associated rich understory assortment of flora;

remnant savanna exists throughout the Central

Plateau, with evidence of massive old growth

post oaks now mantled in cool season fescue

and no regeneration of the post oak canopy.

However, the best remaining example of savan-

na in Missouri is at Union Ridge Conservation

Area in the Spring Creek Ranch Natural Area

near Kirksville. Premier examples of restored

woodlands exist at Ha Ha Tonka State Park and

multiple other sites in Missouri. Savannas and

open oak woodlands are important to a broad

range of wildlife and are considered Missouri’s

signature ecotypes. Partners in Flight, a coop-

erative effort in bird conservation, considers

Eastern kingbird, brown thrasher, field sparrow,

red-headed woodpecker, Baltimore oriole, and

Northern bobwhite quail representative bird

species that benefit the most from savanna

and open woodland management. These bird

species occur at their highest densities in oak

savannas and open woodland habitats.

The Central Hardwoods Joint Venture has

also identified a suite of woodland birds that

respond well to ecosystem restoration and

management. Among them, the wild turkey de-

pends on the gradient between woodland and

savanna, living simultaneously at opposite ends

of the scale. For example, turkeys need mature

trees for roosting and to provide thermal and

escape cover, as well as highly preferred food

sources (both hard and soft mast.) But turkeys

also need early successional grassland habitat

for nesting and brood-rearing with an ideal

structure of knee-high warm season grasses and

forbs. Although grassland species composition

does not appear to be critical to the success

of turkey nesting, the structure of the vegeta-

tion is important. The landscape must provide

enough overhead cover to protect from preda-

tors, but must be open enough for a turkey

poult or quail chick to manuever. Therefore,

open woodlands and savannas are ideal habitat

for turkeys, especially in the Midwest where

creating other forms of nesting and brood-rear-

ing habitats may require the dedication of pri-

vate landowners and the sacrifice of row crops.

Traditional cool season pastures and row

crops do not provide nesting and brood-rearing

habitats as pastures are too thick and the crops

do not support adequate insect populations

that fledglings depend on. In most cases, cre-

ating open woodland and savanna is a matter

of removing trees and shrubs and opening up

the stand to allow sunlight to the forest floor;

often, the seeds of high quality native vegeta-

tion that provides cover and insects are there

waiting to germinate. In woodland and savanna

restoration, crop sacrifice isn’t necessary. Open

woodlands may serve as better habitat than

savannas because the trees provide an added

layer of cover that may deter some avian preda-

tors that aren’t as adept at flying through an

obstacle course, and they also limit how far

predators can see prey.

In 2006 the collective conservation communi-

ty in Missouri selected the Union Ridge and the

Thousand Hills Conservation Opportunity Areas

(COAs) in northeast Missouri as two of the most

important areas in the state for collaborative

conservation for ecosystem restoration. Habitat

management goals for both COAs focused on

savanna and open oak woodland restoration.

Historically, these North Missouri area support-

ed one of the highest turkey population densi-

ties in the country. However, between 2005

and 2010 the population declined by over 40%

with much of the decline attributed to succes-

sive years of poor reproduction resulting from

unfavorable weather conditions. Heavy rainfall


during nesting and hatching can be disastrous

for ground nesting birds, even when habitat

conditions are sufficient. Additional information

analyzed by Michigan State University also sug-

gests that, regionally, habitat quality and con-

figuration is a concern relating to turkey popu-

lation declines. Much of the turkey and quail

habitat in northern Missouri and Southern Iowa

(where the declines are more significant than

elsewhere) is linear in nature. It is implied that

this habitat configuration could be exacerbating

the weather related impacts. Nonetheless, the

turkey decline was seen as an opportunity to ac-

complish good conservation work by targeting

a specific area and creating excellent habitat.

While weather conditions cannot be controlled,

habitat management can.

The National Wild Turkey Federation’s

(NWTF) 2008 North American Wild Turkey Man-

agement Plan identified the following priori-

ties: increasing forest management, prescribed

burning, and native warm season grass (NWSG)

establishment. In 2013, NWTF refined the plan

with the theme of “Save the Habitat. Save the

Hunt.” This ten year initiative is designed to

conserve and restore 4 million acres of habitat,

create 1.5 million new hunters, and establish ac-

cess to 500,000 additional acres to hunting na-

tionally. Each state will achieve a portion of the

4 million acres using a focused approach with

3 to 4 focal landscapes driving mission delivery

and goal achievement. The open woodland and

Missouri Department of Conservation’s Conservation Opportunity Areas.


savanna region in northeast Missouri is one of

these focal landscapes.

The challenge for the Missouri Chapter of

NWTF is that the majority of the focal region is

privately owned. Nearly 93% of land in Missouri

is privately owned, and managing land for con-

servation can be expensive for private landown-

ers. Therefore, significant habitat enhancement

on private lands usually does not occur with-

out cost share funding from state, federal, or

private sources to offset implementation costs.

In 2009, the NWTF initiated a project within the

Thousand Hills, Mystic Plains, and Union Ridge

COAs, respectively located on the map (left) as

#3, #4, and #5.

The NWTF’s dollars were matched with a

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)

Bobwhite Quail Challenge Grant to offer private

landowners cost share funding for prescribed

burning, timber thinning, and converting cool

season pasture to native warm season grasses.

The initial impact of this effort enabled six land-

owners to complete over 100 acres of timber

stand improvement (TSI), over 34 acres of burn-

ing, and over 7 acres of NWSG conversion. From

this humble beginning, the effort blossomed in

2010 when other partners (USFWS, Southern

Iowa Oak Savanna Alliance [SIOSA], Audubon

Society of Missouri, and the Missouri Bird Con-

servation Initiative [MoBCI]) expressed interest

in restoration activities.

In 2011, an additional $80,000 contribution

from MoBCI and other sources was utilized by

29 landowners to implement 310 acres of TSI,

305 acres of prescribed burning, 33 acres of

heavy woody cover control, 39 acres of fescue

eradication, and 17 acres of NWSG planting. In

2012, a $20,000 MoBCI grant was used by 11

landowners to impact 102 acres of TSI, 98 acres

of prescribed fire, and 33 acres of fescue eradi-

cation. By 2013, NWTF and Habitat Challenge

Grant dollars enabled an additional 6 landown-

ers to impact 125 acres and we are in the pro-

cess of encumbering $40,000 made available

by MoBCI, NWTF, and The USFWS Partners

Program. This will potentially impact another

228 acres. The total impact to date includes the

involvement of 52 landowners conducting TSI

on 576 acres, implementing prescribed burning

on 488 acres, establishing 78 acres of NWSG,

and implementing 33 acres of woody cover

control. The 27 open woodland units restored

by this project average 17 acres in size and are

scattered throughout the focus area. In 2013,

MDC designated the core of this landscape as

the Spring Creek Comprehensive Conservation

Area

The vegetative structure and herbaceous

component of these units provide ideal wild tur-

key nesting and brood-rearing habitat. Although

it is impossible to accurately measure the actual

influence of these units in terms of additional

birds produced, it is probably safe to assume

that the impact of all of the financial contribu-

tions and direct restoration efforts for turkeys

far exceed the number of acres of improved

habitat.

The NWTF will restore 8,000 acres of this

landscape over the next 10 years. At an average

cost of $250/acre this goal will require $2 mil-

lion dollars to accomplish. We will accomplish

this task but not without the help of others. If

you are interested in contributing to the resto-

ration of this important landscape get involved

by contacting an NWTF Missouri staff member

at: http://www.nwtf.org/about/state/missouri,

or any of the other partners mentioned in this

article, for additional information.


MOBCI Grant Progress Report:

Habitat Restoration at Stilwell Prairieby Carol DavitMissouri Prairie Foundation

The Missouri Prairie Foundation’s 376-acre

Stilwell Prairie in Vernon County is situated

on a ridgetop with views of the Little Osage

River valley to the north and the Marmaton River

valley to the south. The area represents two

state-imperiled community types tracked by the

Missouri Natural Heritage Database: dry-mesic

limestone/dolomite and dry-mesic sandstone/

shale prairie natural communities, as well as

more than 350 plant species, including the fed-

erally threatened Mead’s milkweed (Asclepias

meadii).

Approximately 117 acres of Stilwell Prairie is

high quality prairie, and the remainder is in vary-

ing stages of restoration. Much activity, involving

removal of woody trees and shrubs, and intro-

duction of native grasses and forbs in restora-

tion areas, is moving MPF closer to its goal of

complete restoration of native grassland habitat

of the site, which will benefit grassland birds as

well as many other native species of plants and

animals.

The FY15 MoBCI grant provided MPF with

funding to restore and conserve more acreage

of Stilwell Prairie’s prairie natural communities,

which, in turn, is assisting in enhancing habitat

for prairie and savanna priority birds identified in

the Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan for

The Osage Plains (Fitzgerald et al. 2010). Spe-

cies identified on the CHJV Priority List include

Henslow’s sparrow, greater prairie-chicken,

dickcissel, grasshopper sparrow, field sparrow,

loggerhead shrike, scissor-tailed flycatcher, Bell’s

vireo, and Northern bobwhite quail.

Acreage of various parcels of Stilwell; colors indicate

priorities as set forth in MPF’s Stilwell Restoration Plan:

117 acres of high quality prairie (Mead’s milkweed

occurs in the 88-acre area)

57 acres of formerly dense, woody growth

31 acres of dense woody growth

54 acres, most trees in this area cut in 2012; currently

reseeding with native grasses and forbs

29 acres of large trees, many cut in June 2015

During the grant period, the following activi-

ties occurred:

Brush-hogged/mowed/cut 75 acres of woody •

growth.

MPF board member and volunteer Scott Len-•

harth collected slightly more than six pounds

of seed, of upland and lowland prairie species,

after July 2014, and were broadcast in late fall

2014 over appropriate areas of Stilwell. Up-

land species included slender mountain mint

(Pycnanthemum tenuifolium), hairy mountain

mint (Pycnanthemum pilosum), coneflower

(Echinacea pallida), small-flowered sunflower


(Helianthus pauciflorus), and common milk-

weed (Asclepias syriaca.) Lowland prairie spe-

cies included a suite of sedges including Carex

squarrosa and others.

Burned 55 acres including 35 acres of high •

quality prairie located in the northwestern

corner of Stilwell Prairie in early April.

Treated approximately 50 acres of trees in five •

areas with a combination of felling, girdling,

and hack/squirt with herbicide. In addition,

approximately four acres of trees near the far

west pond adjoining a railroad right-of-way

were cut and treated.

Identified and treated sericea on 270 acres of •

the property and sprayed tree sprouts, nota-

bly honey locust and pecan, across 55 acres.

Audubon Society of Missouri volunteer sur-•

veyed Stilwell Prairie for presence of grass-

land birds.

MPF board member Scott Lenharth re-sur-•

veyed 36 acres of high quality prairie that

had been burned in winter 2014 for presence

of Mead’s milkweed (The area had not been

surveyed since the late 1990s and no plants

were found in 2014). The late May, 2015 survey

yielded an estimated 21 plants, consisting of

fertile and sterile stems.

The $20,000 grant was used for the services of

a brush/tree-grinding contractor and hand labor

for tree removal on steep slopes. This amount

was matched with $20,175, a combination of cash

from the Missouri Prairie Foundation, a WHIP

contract, and some in-kind volunteer labor. Ad-

ditional sericea lespedeza control is underway and

additional woody control will continue in the near

future. Ecologists rank temperate grasslands—

which include Missouri’s tallgrass prairies—as the

least conserved, most threatened major terrestri-

al habitat type on earth. Prairie protection efforts

at Stilwell Prairie, therefore, are not only essential

to preserving Missouri’s natural heritage, but also

are significant to national, and global, conserva-

tion work.

At Stilwell Prairie, improved prairie habitat

conditions for declining grassland bird species

will benefit the large birding public who will have

greater opportunities for wildlife viewing. Habi-

tat for northern bobwhite quail populations is

expected to increase with habitat improvements,

thereby enhancing quail hunting opportunities in

the surrounding area with increased nesting and

brood-rearing success of these grassland birds. Bi-

ologically diverse prairie is part of Missouri’s natu-

ral heritage. It is our responsibility to conserve it

for the enjoyment and benefit of future genera-

tions. Stilwell Prairie, like all properties owned by

MPF, is open to all citizens to enjoy.

Bird surveys conducted at Stilwell in June of 2012, 2014,

and 2015 by one or more Audubon Society of Missouri

volunteers documented the following grassland species:

June 2012

June 2014

June 2015

Northern Bob White

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Bell’s Vireo

Field Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Eastern Kingbird

Common Yellowthroat

Dickcissel

Grasshopper Sparrow

Yellow-Breasted Chat

Eastern Meadowlark

Henslow’s Sparrow

Horned Lark


We Care About Birds and Their Habitats!by Gene GardnerMissouri Bird Conservation Initiative, Chair

T he Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative (MoBCI) is a partnership of organizations that

“get excited about birds!” We are an organization of organizations, each caring about bird conser-vation, with some having formal legal responsi-bilities for the welfare of birds and their native habitats. The 72 partner organizations of MoBCI are a diverse group of conservation-minded bird watchers, hunters, business owners, academi-cians, state and federal professionals, and citizens committed to working together to sustain healthy habitats for the benefit of resident and migrant birds in Missouri and for the enjoyment and eco-nomic benefit of Missouri citizens.

The MoBCI was formally established August 16, 2003 following the written commitment of 28 organizations to unite in the pursuit of integrat-ed all-bird conservation. A series of communica-tion and consensus building meetings preceded MoBCI’s official formation. MoBCI members realize that our respective organizational in-terests in birds are varied, but also that these diverse interests, if unified, represent a powerful force of action and voice on behalf of birds and their habitats. Further, member organizations recognize that much more can be accomplished if we jointly engage in what are truly common goals. Moreover, communication and coopera-tion promote an understanding of our respective individual and organizational interests in birds. Accompanying that understanding is apprecia-tion for the motivations of others.

MoBCI is Missouri’s “step down” of the hemispheric and international integrated bird conservation partnership–the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI). The NABCI vision is one where “Populations and habitats of North America’s birds are protected, restored, and enhanced through coordinated efforts at international, national, regional, state, and local

Members of the Columbia Audubon Society go birding at Ozark Caverns, Lake of the Ozarks State Park, as part of an in-kind match for a MoBCI grant for ecosystem restoration. Partnerships such as that between MoDNR and CAS are vital to the longevity and sustainability of the MoBCI Grants program.

levels, guided by sound science and effective management.” Like the NABCI, the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative is about conserving birds across geopolitical boundaries, across taxonomic groups, and across landscapes. MoBCI is a part-nership designed for delivery of conservation at the state and local levels. Annually, Missouri Governor’s Proclamations celebrate International Migratory Bird Day and the highly successful MoBCI partnership. A MoBCI Foundation has been formed to even further advance bird con-servation efforts in Missouri into the future.

So successful is this partnership that MoBCI received a national award, entitled “2008 Out-standing Contributions to Bird Conservation,” from the NABCI/Association of Joint Venture Management Boards. MoBCI continues to dem-onstrate how local/state level bird conservation partnerships can be effective and transform opportunities into on-the-ground accomplish-ments. Perhaps most importantly, MoBCI has cre-ated a forum for diverse bird interests to know and better appreciate one another, creating an atmosphere and attitude that so much more can be achieved for bird conservation when working

as a team.


MoBCI Member organizations

A s of March 2015, the following 72 organiza-

tions have signed a Memorandum of Agree-

ment to participate in the Missouri Bird Conser-

vation Initiative:

Academy of Science of St. LouisAmerican Bird Conservancy/Central Hardwoods

Joint VentureAudubon MissouriAudubon Society of MissouriAudubon Society:

Chariton Valley Chapter•Columbia Chapter•Grand River Chapter•Greater Kansas City Chapter, Burroughs •Audubon SocietyGreater Ozarks Chapter•Midland Empire Chapter•River Bluffs Chapter•St. Louis Chapter•

Avian Conservation AllianceBellefontaine Cemetery & ArboretumCity of Des Peres Parks & Recreation DepartmentClay County Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Historic

SitesColdwater Outing and Game PreserveConservation Federation of MissouriDucks UnlimitedEleven Point River ConservancyForest Park ForeverForrest Keeling NurseryGreenbelt Land Trust of Mid-MissouriKansas City Wildlands/Bridging The GapLaBarque Watershed Stream Team AssociationL-A-D FoundationLitzsinger Road Ecology CenterMark Twain National Forest, USDA Forest ServiceMassasauga Flats, LLCMissouri Army National GuardMissouri Conservation Heritage FoundationMissouri Department of ConservationMissouri Department of Natural Resources, Div of

State Parks

Missouri Department of TransportationMissouri Falconers AssociationMissouri Master Naturalists:

Boone’s Lick Chapter•Hi Lonesome Chapter•Osage Trails Chapter•Springfield Plateau Chapter•

Missouri Native Plant Society, Hawthorn ChapterMissouri Native Seed AssociationMissouri Park and Recreation AssociationMissouri Prairie FoundationMissouri Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation

Grouse ChapterMissouri River Bird ObservatoryMussel Fork Legacy Marsh LLCNational Wild Turkey Federation, MO ChapterNorth American Grouse Partnership, Missouri

ChapterOzark Center for Wildlife ResearchOzark National Scenic RiverwaysOzark Regional Land Trust, Inc.Pheasants ForeverQuail and Upland Wildlife Federation Inc.Quail ForeverSierra Club, Ozark ChapterThe Nature Conservancy, Missouri Field OfficeTruman State UniversityU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge•Ecological Services•Great River/Clarence Cannon National Fish & •Wildlife RefugeMingo National Fish & Wildlife Refuge•Missouri Private Lands Office•Squaw Creek National Fish & Wildlife Refuge•Swan Lake National Fish & Wildlife Refuge•

University of Missouri-ColumbiaWatershed Institute, Inc and The Watershed Land

TrustWebster Groves Nature Study SocietyWild Birds for the 21st CenturyWildcat Glades Conservation & Nature CenterWings Over WestonWorld Bird Sanctuary

To find out more about the Missouri Bird

Conservation Initiative and how you can partici-

pate as a member organization, visit our website:

<www.mobci.net>

missouri bird conservation initiative 2015 conference

Documents