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~ The Dragonflyer ~ Volume 1 1 , Numbe r 2 Boone ’s L ick Cha pte r Fe brua ry 2 0 1 6
1
OUR NEXT CHAPTER MEETING THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11TH @ 6:30PM
MU EXTENSION BUILDING
Want to know more about the Missouri River, and the efforts to
preserve it?
Missouri River Relief is a grassroots, volunteer and equipment-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to the Missouri River through hands-
on river clean-ups, education events and stewardship activities. The organization emerged organically from a group of people in mid-Missouri who simultaneously recognized the need for engaged stewardship of the Missouri River and the desire of citizens to take part in watershed solutions. In 2016, Missouri River Relief will be providing a wide variety of opportunities for participants to connect with the Missouri River. Come learn about how we engage participants’ innate sense of wonder and natural curiosity to explore the Missouri River through place-based programs that are interdisciplinary in nature and experiential in character. With programs ranging from film festivals to investigating the Missouri River there is something for everyone! Kristen Schulte works as the Education Coordinator for Missouri River Relief and has over seven years of experience in environmental education and a Master of Science in Natural Science Education and Environmental and Natural Resources. Check out the MRR website: http://www.riverrelief.org/ Like on Facebook: Missouri River Relief
This program is approved for 1 hour of Advanced Training. Members count 1 hour of Advanced Training in addition to 1 hour of service plus travel time. Advanced Training does not require a timesheet code. The timesheet code for service/travel time is ADM.
Sweets: Stacy Barr Savories: Jill Edwards Drinks: Emily Wilson
P R E S I D E N T I A L P O N D E R I N G S
Robbie Scholes (Class of 2013)
In my ponderings each month, I try to write about
something that will be new information for chapter
members -- this is challenging, since many of you in our
chapter have a wealth of knowledge about a lot of things!
During the month of February, minks begin to breed. So
I thought that some of you might be like me and not know
very much about this Missouri mammal. The common name
“mink” can be traced to the Swedish word maenk. The
mink’s closest relative is the weasel.
Minks are not common in Missouri but are in the Mississippi Lowland where there are networks of
drainage ditches and canals. Minks make their homes in cavities in banks, under logs or stumps,
under the roots of trees, in hollow trees, or in muskrat burrows and lodges. The nest chamber,
which may have several entrances, is about one foot (.3 m) in diameter and contains grass or
leaves and sometimes fur or feathers.
The mink preys upon mice, rabbits and other terrestrial animals and also feeds on fish,
crayfish and other aquatic forms. Additional possible food include insects, spiders, snails,
domestic cats, shrews, moles, bats, turtles and their eggs, snakes, birds' eggs, grass and leaves.
The single annual litter of four or five young is born around the first of May. The family stays
together until the end of August when all go their own way. Mink fur is sought after because
of its durability and excellent texture. Rearing minks in captivity for fur production is
practiced on a limited scale in Missouri.
Have you ever seen the footprints left by a mink? They look like this:
-Robbie Scholes, President, Boone's Lick Master Naturalists
“The earth has its music for those who will listen.” – George Santay
This information was abstracted from the revised edition of The Wild Mammals of Missouri by Charles and
Elizabeth Schwartz.
M E M B E R ’ S C O R N E R
Attend the 6th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival Sunday February 14th
Join Missouri River Relief in an afternoon benefit of inspiring and eye-
opening documentaries. Doors open at 1 p.m. at the Windsor
Auditorium on the Stephens College Campus. Adult tickets are $12,
Students $8, Free for kids 8 and under. Films will be screened from 2
to 5 p.m., followed by a silent auction and raffle. Check this website
for more info about the festival & films.
Register to attend “Native By Design: Landscapes Beyond
Beauty” on Friday February 26th from 7:30am to 12pm (deadline to register Feb 12th) at Lewis & Clark Community
College in Edwardsville Illinois! Cost is $30 The Grow Native! Southwestern Illinois Event Committee presents a rockstar lineup of speakers for this event. They’ll present information from the frontline of concepts surrounding the value of native plants in our landscapes. Speakers include Doug Tallamy (Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of
Delaware), Jean Ponzi (Green Resources Manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden), Ellen Nordhauser (Master Gardener and Master Naturalist), and others! Register to attend by Friday February 12th: http://grownative.org/events/feb-26-native-by-design-landscapes-beyond-beauty/ To request that this opportunity be approved for advanced training, please complete the Advanced Training Approval Form on the chapter website and email it to [email protected].
Register to Attend the 2016 TreeKeepers Academy This year’s academy is scheduled for Saturday, March 19th at the Parks Management Center, 1507 Business Loop 70 West near Cosmo Park. This is a day-long class that will include many aspects of tree management and care and include both classroom and hands on instruction. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Following the class, participants are asked to volunteer a minimum of 36 hours on City of Columbia tree projects in city parks. If you are interested in participating, please contact Tina DeClue, Volunteer Programs Specialist for the City of Columbia, 573-874-7499, [email protected].
To request that this opportunity be approved for advanced training, please complete the Advanced Training Approval Form on the chapter website and email it to [email protected].
S T I L L N E E D T O T U R N I N Y O U R 2 0 1 5 T I M E S H E E T ?
( Y o u k n o w w h o y o u a r e ! )
You can find the timesheet template here. Check out the December 2015 Dragonflyer for a
review of our 2015 chapter meetings, and helpful tips to complete your timesheet. If you have any questions, please contact Phil Knocke at [email protected]
V O L U N T E E R O P P O R T U N I T I E S
For updated information on volunteer opportunities, please see the online calendar on the chapter website. Please contact the person indicated for more detailed information on any of the projects. To submit a project for consideration for service hours, fill out a Volunteer Opportunity Approval Form, and email it to [email protected] for consideration.
RE-POST: HELP MONITOR BLUEBIRD NEST
BOXES IN 2016
Here’s a note from Jane Fore: The City of Columbia has
bluebird trails at several locations with 4-8 nest boxes per
trail. We need a volunteer to monitor Stephens Park which
consists of 6 boxes along the paved trail running along the
eastern edge of the park. The boxes and baffles are in
good shape and easily accessible from the sidewalk. We
estimate it would take about 45 minutes to complete the
route. We recommend monitoring weekly during the
nesting season, which normally extends from early March through July. We keep records
which are submitted to Missouri Bluebird Society and the North American Bluebird Society.
Training is provided but no special skills are needed except the ability to walk the trail and
carry a few tools. We also need volunteers who could be trained as substitute monitors.
Please contact Jane Fore at [email protected] if you are interested or have questions.
Timesheet Code: CAS
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Wednesdays in February (February 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th) from 7:30am to 4pm, Destination TBA, meet at SW Corner of Parkade Center parking lot: Birding Trip Hosted by Bill Clark, call Bill at 573-474-4510 to RSVP. (Timesheet Code CAS)
Saturday February 13th from 8am to 11am: Columbia Crawdads Stream Team Cleanup, if you are interested, contact Tina DeClue, 573-874-7499, or email her at [email protected] to get on the contact list. (Timesheet Code COC)
A D V A N C E D T R A I N I N G O P P O R T U N I T I E S
For updated information on advanced training opportunities, please see the online Chapter calendar. To submit an opportunity for advanced training consideration, use the form on the chapter website and email it to [email protected].
The University of Missouri sponsors “Saturday Morning Science” talks from 10:30AM to 11:30AM in the Monsanto Auditorium of the Bond Life Sciences Center on the MU Campus (1201 Rollins Street, at corner of Rollins Street and College Avenue). The topics listed below have been approved for 1 hour of Advanced Training. For more information and directions, please click here. Like on Facebook: Saturday Morning Science NOTE: Other talks are listed on the website, but only the talks below have been approved for AT.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH: Finding Meaning in the Broken: What Fossil Shells Reveal about Past Predators and Parasites. Presented by Dr. John Warren Huntley, Assistant Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri. Sea shells are items of beauty that have enticed humans for thousands of years. While many shellers seek perfect specimens for their collections, it is the broken and ugly specimens that speak of their living occupant’s struggle for life dealing with the predators and parasites. This story has been preserved in the fossil record and is of great utility for evolutionary paleoecolologists.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20TH: What does the Bottom of the Missouri River Look Like? Presented by Dr. Caroline Elliott, Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center Have you ever looked at the Missouri River and wondered what the bottom of the “Big Muddy” river looks like? Using high-resolution sonar tools we’ll explore the world beneath the surface and learn more about one of the longest and largest rivers in North America, a river that flows just a few miles from Columbia.
Learn more about trees at the MidMo Taproot Series!
The Missouri Community Forestry Council and Columbia's Tree Task Force are proud to offer a series of seminars aimed at educating the general public about a variety of tree related topics. These sessions will be a great way for you to come out and meet local Certified Arborists that are passionate about helping to teach you about the many benefits of trees. There will be door prizes and additional fun events planned at each event. There will be subject matter experts presenting in a variety of formats on specific subjects about trees that should be timely and informative.
Thursday February 11th at 6pm at The Heidelberg (Banquet Room) – How to Tap Your Backyard Maple Trees. Now's the time to tap maple trees for maple syrup, and Missouri is a perfectly good place to do it! Ann Koenig from the Missouri Department of Conservation will help you figure out how to identify sugar maple trees, followed by Mike Stambaugh from the University of Missouri providing information on how to tap your backyard maple trees and turn the sap in to syrup. It's easy, cheap, all-natural, and super tasty! Register to attend here, cost is $10, all proceeds benefit the non-profit MCFC: http://midmotaproot.bpt.me/ Advanced training does not require a timesheet code – only volunteer hours require you to enter a timesheet code.
Several courses offered by the Columbia Area Career Center have been approved
for Advanced Training, including… BASIC BIRDING SKILLS (Saturday April 9th from 8-
noon at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area for $39),
INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING (5:30 to 7:30pm on Wednesdays from Feb 10th to March 2nd for $79), and
INSTALLING NATIVE GARDENS FOR POLLINATORS (Monday April 4th from 5-8pm at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, $39).
Enroll for the courses here: http://career-center.org/adult/adults-courses/personal-enrichment/ Advanced training does not require a timesheet code – only volunteer hours require you to enter a timesheet code.
N O T E W O R T H Y
See an interesting video or article online? Please share your link via email to [email protected],
Video: Having a Bad Day? Not After Watching This Baby Otter With It’s Mama! Check Out the Springfield Nature Center’s $450,000 Makeover The Bright Side: 100 Best Photographs Without Photoshop Drowning in Rubbish, Lima (Peru) Sends out the Vultures with GoPros
Video: Nature Reclaims a Historic Ranch in the Sonoma Baylands in California Missourian Minute: Local Waldorf-based School Uses Nature as a Classroom Argentina Scrambles to Fight Biggest Plague of Locusts in 60 Years Video: Massive Sinkhole Stops Traffic in Oregon Video: Lost City Revealed in the Jungles of Honduras 17 Museums in Missouri That Are Just Too Weird for Words Video: Mama Opossum Carries 15 Babies From Bosons to Bigfoot: Six Science Mysteries That Might Be Solved in 2016 Video & Photos: Scientist Captures Amazing Aerials of Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Run By 2050, Study Says There Will Be More Plastic Than Fish in the World’s Oceans Video: 11 Unusual Beaches on Earth Video: Watch this Mule Deer Shed Both Antlers on Camera
N E X T C H A P T E R M E E T I N G
THURSDAY MARCH 10TH 6:30PM
MU EXTENSION BUILDING
Flint Knapping with Bryan Simmons A technique of making tools, spears, knives, or arrowheads by a process of chipping away material from high silica stones, flint knapping was once a vital part of daily living. This lost art is being revived by modern craftsmen like Bryan Simmons. Bryan will tell us a bit about the history of the craft, and provide us with a knapping demonstration. (And yes, this is the same Bryan Simmons that gave the fascinating talk about mussels at our January chapter meeting!)
Please feel free to bring any arrowheads or other stone tools you have collected – Bryan will likely be able to tell you more about their origins!
Photo: Point made by Bryan from Kansas flint with cool fossils in it.
Missouri Master Naturalists
Boone’s Lick Chapter
2016 Officers
Please Join Us on Facebook: Missouri Master Naturalist, Boone's Lick Chapter
President Robbie Scholes (Class of 2013)
Advanced Training
Committee
Linda Karns (Class of 2011)
Vice
President
Linda Karns (Class of 2011)
Communications
Committee
Jill Edwards (Class of 2013)
Secretary Jill Edwards (Class of 2013)
Hospitality
Committee
Sally Swanson (Class of 2006)
Treasurer Phebe McCutcheon (Class of
2011)
Public Relations
Committee
Chris Egbert (Class of 2009)
Chapter
Historian
Becky Bohlmeyer (Class of
2010)
Training
Committee
Volunteer
Opportunities &
Project Approval
Committee
Suzanne Wright (Class of 2005)
Phil Knocke (Class of 2006)
Chapter Co-Advisors
Kent Shannon
University Extension
Bob Pierce
University Extension
To promote awareness and citizen
stewardship of natural resources through science-based education and
community service.
