Brooke Widmar

 

	MCCA and CLC student Marissa York assisted Missourians for Monarchs with tattoos.

Featured Event

Ashley Hollis

The Holy Trinity of Conservation was Saturday, June 3rd. We had a blast helping Missourians for Monarchs distribute milkweed pollinator mix and giving out temporary tattoos to those attending the event. After we were done volunteering we took a trip back in time hiking the beautiful Prairie Restoration Farm property where we got to see replicas of David Thoreau's cottage, John Muir's camp and Aldo Leopold's cabin. 

Along the trail we first came across Thoreau's cottage and Walden pond. Then we chatted it up with John Muir about the Sierra Club and  building tree houses, and finally we toured Leopold's camp.  Studying each shelter, I became immediately aware of the Trinity's mutually shared value of shelter coming second to, and in as little interference as possible with, the natural surroundings. Thoreau's common sense question "What use is a house if you don't have a tolerable planet to put it on?" was especially potent and intriguing to mill over while touring shelters that offered no distractions or amenities from the outside world.  

The Holy Trinity of Conservation was an action packed day of service and a well-needed break from the hustle and bustle of 2017. It was the perfect opportunity to soak in some wisdom from conservation idols. 

	Ashley Hollis

Ashley Hollis, MCCA member and CLC president

I first heard about Conservation Federation of Missouri's (CFM) student conservation group, the Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC), through GLADE, Green Leadership Academy for Divers Ecosystems. GLADE is an environmental focused leadership building program for high school students which launched me down a path of wanting to pursue a career that helped to protect our planet, natural resources, and our own health and well-being through environmental stewardship. 

I attend Mizzou where I am pursuing political science and environmental science degrees. I am especially interested in environmental policy.  Throughout college I have been involved in environmental Mizzou Alternative Spring Breaks, Tiger Tailgating Recycling as well as being president of CLC and participating in MCCA. 

So far one of the most valuable lessons I have learned over and over again is that people cannot make decisions, voting or otherwise, to protect the outdoors if they aren't informed on current issues. Or maybe they haven't had the opportunity to experience nature and be invested in it like I have been privileged to do. One of my priority goals moving forward to grow MCCA and lead CLC is to construct efficient and effective methods to get the word out to students about environmental issues. We want to be responsible in our interactions with nature and remind others why my peers and I so highly value the wild living things living around us and the places that they call home. 

Clockwise from top left: Ethan Green, Fisheries and Research Specialist with the National Park Service on the Buffalo National River, Arkansas; Sam Halley, intern with the Bill Rosten Butterfly House, Nathanael Green Park, Springfield; Paul O'Donnell, NPS Ranger at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve; Cheyenne Stratton, studying Canada's natural resources on a Mizzou study abroad trip.  Did you study abroad, score a cool internship or job somewhere interesting this summer? Tell us about it and send us pictures and you could be featured in the next newsletter and on our social media sites. Email us at [email protected]

	NWF board chair Bruce Wallace, David Calandro, and NWF and CFM board member Nicole Wood

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) recognized David Calandro, MCCA founder and Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) board member, as its National Conservation Youth Leader of the Year. The National Conservation Youth Leader award recognizes the special conservation achievements of youth leaders within the National Wildlife Federation affiliate ranks. CFM is an affiliate of NWF. 

"Some folks have a knack for squeezing every hour out of every day -- and David Calandro is definitely one," said Colin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "David double-majored in forestry and wildlife management, while serving our country as a helicopter mechanic in the Army National Guard. Yet somehow, he still managed to find the time to found the Missouri Collegiate Conservation Alliance, a program that engages college students in conservation efforts across Missouri. His work ethic and conservation ethic are unrivaled and I look forward to big things from David for years to come."

Congratulations to David! Thank you for your vision of MCCA. We look forward to continuing to work with you to grow the program. We appreciate your efforts to inspire the next generation of wildlife leaders. 

Click here for the full NWF press release.

	MCCA student Cassandra Barker volunteering

Brooke Widmar

How can you get involved in conservation? Volunteer with the Missouri Department of Conservation at one of seven nature centers across the state. Duties vary from assisting with education events, taking care of animals and more depending on the location. 

I've been a volunteer naturalist with the Springfield Conservation Nature Center since last August and my favorite part has been working with kids who visit the center. Whether I am giving a child a sticker and explaining and animal on it or leading a Cub Scout pack on a hike, I love helping the younger generation connect with nature. 

Cassandra Barker has volunteered at the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs since she was 14. She started as an intern for the annual skills camp and joined the volunteer class the following year. "I love everything about volunteering," said Cassandra, "my favorite thing about it would be the opportunity to share my passion for conservation with others!"

Each center has different guidelines for becoming a volunteer so contact your local center 
for more details. Find a center near you at https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/conservation-area-classification/nature-centers://nature.mdc.mo.gov/conservation-area-classification/nature-centers.

Paul O'Donnell

First off, great choice. The National Park Services hold some of the most ecologically diverse, historically significant and just downright beautiful places on earth. Whatever your field of choice you can find a park that can use your expertise. The greatest challenge with working for the NPS is that EVERYONE wants to do it, and you don't just have to want it more to get the job. To get the job with NPS you need to be overqualified and able to navigate the world of bureaucracy that permeates the government. Being a NPS employee is a great experience. The jobs range from wild land firefighting to being an educational park ranger. I am an educational park ranger myself so I'll mention that specifically. As a ranger my job is to help people form their own connections to the park through knowledge and understanding. If you ever went to a park or museum and went on a guided tour or saw a campfire program, that's the sort of thing I do. There are a multitude of jobs in the NPS though and they need you.

Almost all NPS jobs (excluding some neat internship programs that are worth a look too) are advertised online on a website called USAjobs.gov.  You'll have to make your own resume using the site's built-in format. Unlike all the resume advice you've ever been given, do not keep it short. I repeat, DO NOT KEEP IT SHORT. If you did a task for just one week at a job, put it in there. You will have to search and apply for each job individually. There is no nationwide single application. However, once you have your resume on the site you can breeze through each application. 

Good luck. Hope to see your picture as a NPS Ranger.

Need something to do? Want to volunteer or get involved? See the attached calendar of events for CFM and our affiliates. Do your part and make a difference.