In the News from freshare.net

MDC Open House on CWD Next Steps

2012-05-31T13:08:02-06:00

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold an informational open house on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Macon County on June 2 at New Cambria High School, 501 S. Main St. The public is invited to stop by 1-4 p.m. MDC staff will provide information on five recently found cases of CWD in free-ranging deer in northwest…

MDC Workshop Offers Teachers Tools and Training for Innovative Educational Programs

2012-05-25T12:00:01-06:00

Area educators will have a chance to expand their professional credentials and acquire helpful educational resources with the upcoming Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Discover Nature Schools Conservation Workshop for Teachers. The workshop takes place Monday, June 18, through Friday, June 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. Participants will meet at five different MDC sites…

Two More Fish Landed in $50,000 Hot Springs Fishing Challenge

2012-05-24T14:52:00-06:00

Stan Cullipher of Malvern and Ed Jones of Hot Springs both landed prize fish Saturday in the $50,000 Hot Springs Fishing Challenge. Both caught largemouth bass to take home cash in the Challenge, which lasts through July 31 on Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine. Forty-seven tagged fish, including Big Al, which is worth the $10,000 top…

The First National River Celebrates 40th Anniversary

2012-05-24T14:37:00-06:00

Floating the Buffalo River has been favorite pastime for many generations; however, the 1960’s brought a proposed change that would affect the natural beauty of the river, and its cultural heritage. Two dam sites were identified on the Buffalo which prompted conservation groups to organize and voice their concerns for keeping the river natural.In 1972, Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt proposed…

Conservation History Video Goes on Sale in Time for Father’s Day

2012-05-24T14:36:00-06:00

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has a Father’s Day gift idea for outdoorsy dads: a DVD chronicling Missouri’s conservation history. The Promise Continues: The Missouri Department of Conservation’s 75th Anniversary premiered on television stations statewide in April. Now MDC has a DVD that combines the original program with bonus features. The 28-minute program traces the…

Greenhouse Production Short Course Slated for June 20-21

2012-05-24T14:34:01-06:00

Floriculture is a growing industry in Oklahoma. More and more people are taking an interest in greenhouse production. In an effort to provide vital information to floriculture producers in the state, the Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) is partnering with Oklahoma State University-OKC and OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture to host the 2012 Greenhouse Production…

Proposed Striped Bass Stocking Proposal for Bull Shoals Lake on Hold

2012-05-18T15:12:00-06:00

Over much of the past two years, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission have been working together to collect public input on a proposed stocking plan that would enhance the striped bass fishery in Bull Shoals Reservoir along the Arkansas-Missouri border. The proposed stocking plan has been placed on hold. The proposed…

Sportsmen Have Opportunity to Donate to AHFH Through License Sales

2012-05-18T15:10:00-06:00

Beginning this week, sportsmen will have the option to donate $1 to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry when they purchase their Arkansas Game and Fish Commission license. AHFH is a nonprofit organization that helps Arkansans in need of food. AHFH also is designed to partner with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to provide a healthy,…

Land Boom?

2012-05-18T15:07:01-06:00

Farmland prices appear to be entering an economic bubble that could end in a rapid price decline as happened in the 1980s. A dozen agricultural economic experts discussed the possibility at the 2012 Breimyer Seminar sponsored by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and University Extension at the University of Missouri. Ron Plain, the D.…

Quail Symposium to Discuss Declining Populations

2012-05-18T14:13:00-06:00

For anyone who has an interest in Northern bobwhite quail and their declining populations across Oklahoma and the United States, the Mini-symposium on Northern Bobwhites is the place to be. Free and open to the public, the meeting features a star-studded lineup of experts in the field discussing various topics related to the birds. “The meeting…

A Little Luck Nabs New State Largemouth Bass Record

2012-05-16T22:14:00-06:00

A little luck nabbed a record size largemouth bass for 20-year-old Dylan Gilmore of Perry. Gilmore and his friend, Austin Lake, had set their trotline on April 27 using goldfish as bait, hoping to catch some catfish at Ka-Tonka Lake, located in Ka-Tonka Game Preserve and Sporting Clays Club in Ralls County. When they returned the next day to check…

MDC Conservation Agent Receives Missouri State Employee Award of Distinction

2012-05-16T22:04:01-06:00

The Missouri Office of Administration, Division of Personnel, recently announced winners of the 2012 Missouri State Employee Awards of Distinction in the categories of Public Service, Leadership, Safety and Heroism. Winners were recognized and awarded at a special ceremony on Thursday, May 10, in the Governor’s Office. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) agent Michael Abdon of Cooper County…

Sign Up for Cape G Nature Center Outdoor Adventure Camp

2012-05-16T21:58:01-06:00

Parents can sign up their children for one of four Outdoor Adventure Camps hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. The two-day camps are free and scheduled for June 5-6, June 7-8, June 12-13 and June 14-15. Each camp is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days and will feature programs led by…

Young Arkansas Artists Capture Titles in Fish Art Contest

2012-05-10T01:50:00-06:00

Wildlife Forever has announced the winners of the 2012 State-Fish Art Contest. A panel of fish artists and honorary judges selected 142 winners from a field of thousands to be “the best of the best” in their state and grade category and for the international entries in each grade category. “Wildlife Forever is pleased to honor the talented…

Curiosity Leads to New State Goldeye Record

2012-05-08T15:17:00-06:00

Rachel Davis, 35, of Climax Springs was enjoying an evening of fishing on the shores of Lake of the Ozarks April 14 with her husband, David, and a friend when her newly purchased Zebco 202 fishing pole snagged something. “When I caught it, I thought I had a 20-pound fish. I yelled to my husband to fetch a…

Warm Temperatures Continue Through April; May Rainfall Uncertain

2012-05-08T15:12:00-06:00

It’s too close to call yet, but April temperatures this year look to be cooler than March’s. “It’s rare, but occasionally it occurs where March is warmer than April,” said Pat Guinan, extension climatologist with the University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture Program. “The numbers are indicating it’s going to be very close, with both months averaging about 58…

Bacteria Likely Cause of Harris Brake Fish Kill

2012-05-08T15:11:00-06:00

A microorganism known as columnaris bacteria is the likely cause of a fish kill on Harris Brake Lake in Perry County. Biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission tested the fish on Thursday and found the bacteria. On Tuesday, a property owner on the 1,300-acre lake first reported about 10 fish floating near his dock. After biologists…

Deer Management Provides Healthy Herd, Habitat, Income

2012-05-08T15:06:00-06:00

Did you know that deer management in Arkansas began in 1916? According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the first deer hunting season was established with only about 2,000 deer remaining in the state. Maintaining a beneficial habitat, instituting hunting seasons and keeping deer herds as healthy as possible were vital components to re-establishing deer on private lands in…

“Dutch Oven Basics” Workshop Offered at Withrow Springs State Park

2012-05-04T21:01:01-06:00

Cooking outdoors in a Dutch oven has long been a tradition at Withrow Springs State Park. It’s not as hard as it looks! Park Interpreter Natalie invites you to take part in this easy and enjoyable tradition. Learn how to use the oven and then eat your own creation. Workshop begins at 10 am on Saturday May 12; cost is…

Two Prize Fish Landed on First Day of Hot Springs Fishing Challenge

2012-05-04T14:36:01-06:00

Two of the 53 prize-winning fish were caught Tuesday on the first day of the $50,000 Hot Springs Fishing Challenge on Lakes Hamilton and Catherine. The first prize-winning fish, worth a $250 prize, was caught at around 4 p.m. Tuesday off of the dock at the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery on Lake Hamilton.

One Million Observations in Nature’s Notebook

2012-05-04T14:18:01-06:00

Thanks to citizen-scientists around the country, the USA National Phenology Network hit a major milestone this week by reaching its one millionth nature observation. The millionth observation was done by Lucille Tower, a citizen-scientist in Portland, Ore., who entered a record about seeing maple vines flowering. Her data, like all of the entries, came in through USA-NPN’s online…

Earbones Accurately Record a Fish’s Life Travels

2012-05-02T15:05:00-06:00

Studying the earbones of trout can reveal their lifetime movements in a large river system, according to a study released in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Researchers correlated the natural variation in strontium isotopes found in stream waters against those recorded in the earbones (otoliths) of cutthroat trout. This enabled the scientists to examine fish movements during…

Rabies in Arkansas

2012-05-02T14:23:00-06:00

There have been higher than normal reports of rabid animals in Arkansas this year, according to Dr. Dustan Clark, extension veterinarian with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. Rabies is a fatal disease transmitted when infected animals bite another animal or human. Clark said the primary carriers are wild animals such as bats, skunks,…

Frohna Man Pleads Guilty to Wildlife Violations

2012-05-02T14:22:01-06:00

Frohna resident Eldon E. Luckey, 22, plead guilty this week to 17 charges of taking wildlife illegally in the 32nd Circuit Court with the Honorable Judge Michael Bullerdieck presiding. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the charges stem from a December 2011 investigation conducted by conservation agents. The guilty plea included two counts of hunting wildlife…

Do Genes Rule Behavior?

2012-04-26T18:50:01-06:00

Age determines stereotypical roles worker honeybees assume. When they are only a few days old, they take on the tasks of feeding the brood and producing beeswax to seal cells in the hive where larvae develop. After a week, she moves on to other tasks, such as grooming other bees and packing pollen in the nest. Only as her life…

John Heckmann Named 2011 Missouri Tree Farmer of the Year

2012-04-26T14:41:01-06:00

John Heckmann of Bear Valley Tree Farm near Hermann was recently named the Missouri Tree Farm Program’s 2011 Tree Farmer of the Year. The Tree Farm Program provides help to landowners on woodland management for wildlife and timber production, and helps connect participating landowners to others with similar interests. A member of the program for four years, Heckmann…

Antibiotic Resistance Flourishes in Freshwater Systems

2012-04-26T14:36:00-06:00

Dr. Seuss may have been on to something when he imagined that microscopic communities could live and flourish on small specs of dust, barely visible to the naked eye. In fact, such vibrant communities actually exist in a material with a delightfully Seussical sounding—yet scientific—name: “floc.” McMaster University researchers discovered that floc, a “goo-like” substance occurring suspended in…

Oz Hawksley Named Master Conservationist

2012-04-26T14:26:01-06:00

Oscar “Oz” Hawksley, known to thousands of Missourians whom he taught about the outdoors during a six-decade career, received the title of “Master Conservationist” at a ceremony in Jefferson City April 11. Hawksley, 91, is Missouri’s 59th Master Conservationist. The award is among the highest honors given by the Conservation Commission. The Commission established the award in 1941…

Hot Springs Fishing Challenge Starts May 1

2012-04-26T14:07:00-06:00

Crank up your fish-finders, try Grandpa’s favorite vintage lure, dig a bucket of worms from that leaf pile in the corner of the back yard, buy yourself some crickets or minnows. Then set your sights on No. 22. That’s the tag number that will bring you a cool 10 grand if you land “Big Al” in…

Comment Period for Proposed AGFC Fishing Regulations Opens May 1

2012-04-26T14:06:01-06:00

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will be compiling feedback from anglers on the 2013 fishing regulations beginning May 1. This year, anglers will be able to provide input on the AGFC’s annual fishing regulations process by going to the agency’s website, writing a letter or by sending an email. In the past, the AGFC has…

Fight Against Cancer May Hold Lessons for Battling Aquatic Invasive Species

2012-04-25T14:02:00-06:00

Lessons learned from the medical community’s progress in fighting cancer can provide a framework to help prevent the introduction and spread of harmful aquatic invasive species, according to a study released in American Scientist. With more than 6,500 harmful non-native species causing more than 100 billion dollars in economic damage each year in the United States, more effective…

May Events Taking Place in the Arkansas Ozarks

2012-04-25T13:47:01-06:00

Eureka Springs celebrates the creative side of its culture during the entire month of May with the 25th annual May Festival of the Arts. The city highlights art in all of its forms and features dozens of exhibits, artist’s receptions and demonstrations, gallery strolls, free concerts and the annual White Street Studio Walk. A popular event during the month-long festival…

Talking with the Animals

2012-04-20T01:43:00-06:00

When Dr. Doolittle longed to converse with animals, I’m not sure he had worms in mind. But a team of California Institute of Technology scientists got down in the dirt to discover a communication technique used by nematodes, one of the most abundant animals on Earth. Scientists already discovered that many other animals display means of communicating within…

Pining for Economic Opportunity

2012-04-19T23:52:00-06:00

On a sunny, spring morning, Ray Glendening and his crew at CAFNR’s Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) harvested a little-known crop in Missouri—pine straw. The harvest is the result of successful research breeding pitch pines, which have cold tolerance, with loblolly pines, which have long needles necessary for good mulch. Pitch/loblolly hybrid pines offer a market to…

NWA Storm Drains Now Colorful Message Bearers

2012-04-19T22:01:00-06:00

Three storm drains in Benton and Washington counties are sporting colorful messages, thanks to artists in the UpStream Art program. Eight storm drains in both counties will receive artistic treatment under the education program begun in February with a call for artists, said Jane Maginot, extension urban stormwater educator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.…