VOLUME 80, ISSUE 2, FEBRUARY 2019 MISSOURI SERVING NATURE & YOU CONSERVATIONIST NATUREis Healthy Feeling tired? Spending Getting away from Taking a nature Exposure to nature Spending just 20 time in nature, busy schedules walk may increase contributes to minutes outside conservation allows people to attention spans physical well- can give your brain areas, woods, connect with and creative being, reducing an energy boost backyards, and nature and problem-solving blood pressure, comparable to a urban parks themselves in a skills by as much heart rate, muscle cup of coffee. may ease way that brings as 50 percent. tension, and the stress levels. calm and a sense production of of well-being. stress hormones. Get healthy in nature this year. Visit mdc.mo.gov/places-go or download the free MO Outdoors app for ideas on where to go near you. Download for Android MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST FEBRUARY 2019 Contents VOLUME 80, ISSUE 2 10 ON THE COVER Gray squirrel : NOPPADOL PAOTHONG 800mm lens +1.4 teleconverter, f/11, 1/500 sec, ISO 800 GOVERNOR Michael L. Parson THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION CHAIR Marilynn J. Bradford VICE CHAIR David W. Murphy SECRETARY Nicole E. Wood MEMBER Don C. Bedell DIRECTOR Sara Parker Pauley DEPUTY DIRECTORS Mike Hubbard, Aaron Jeffries, Jennifer Battson Warren MAGAZINE STAFF EDITOR Angie Daly Morfeld ASSOCIATE EDITOR Bonnie Chasteen STAFF WRITERS Larry Archer, Heather Feeler, Kristie Hilgedick, Joe Jerek CREATIVE DIRECTOR Stephanie Thurber ART DIRECTOR Cliff White DESIGNERS Les Fortenberry, Marci Porter FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHERS Noppadol Paothong, David Stonner 10 CIRCULATION MANAGER Schoolcraft: 20 Laura Scheuler A Journey Through mdc.mo.gov/conmag Southern Missouri DEPARTMENTS Retracing the geographer’s historic trek and what it means today. 2 Inbox by Brian Flowers Up Front With Sara Parker Pauley and Francis Skalicky 3 4 Nature Lab 20 5 In Brief Good Medicine From 28 Get Outside the Great Outdoors 30 Places To Go Download this Science shows nature provides issue to your benefits for body and mind. 32 Wild Guide phone or tablet at mdc.mo.gov/mocon. by Bill Graham 33 Outdoor Calendar Download for Spring beauty Android Inbox Letters to the Editor COOKIE BAKE Submissions reflect Your cookie recipe for Zimmerschied (German Brown readers’ opinions and Sugar Cookies) brought back happy memories may be edited for length [December, Page 8]. I am 85 years old, and that was and clarity. Email our favorite cookie as children. I still make them [email protected] every Christmas. After the dough was chilled, my or write to us: siblings and I would cut chunks off and eat it raw. MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST Thanks for the magazine. After I read it, I give it to PO BOX 180 the nursing home. JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65102 Geraline Ellerbrake Gerald My wife and I thoroughly enjoy the Missouri CONSERVATIONIST KUDOS Conservationist. We especially enjoy articles about I have been remiss — for only 60 or so years — for the elk at Peck Ranch and articles about the Mingo not writing and telling you what a great magazine National Wildlife Refuge. Keep up the good work! the Missouri Conservationist is! It just took the George and Rayetta Bates Jasper white-tailed buck on the November issue to spur me to finally email and tell you how much we enjoy your PROTECTING WILDLIFE publication. Thank you for your efforts to stop the poaching I inherited the enjoyment of reading your of animals. Not sure why people choose to monthly issues from my father, Leighton (Mac) hunt illegally, but I am grateful you make them McCormick, professor of forestry at Mizzou and accountable for their theft and harm to hunters that extension forester for the state since the late 1930s. follow the rules. He introduced me to duck hunting on the Missouri People are in need of food and some can’t afford River, and the Conservationist went hand in hand to buy it. Hunters help those in need, and they with me loving and enjoying that activity. realize that you can’t overhunt if you want animals to SWAMP RABBITS Since graduating from the School of Journalism survive for legal hunting. SWAMP RABBIT: JIM RATHERT; MINGO WETLAND: NOPPADOL PAOTHONG The December in 1969, I’ve been a regular and dedicated Thank you for your magazine, the articles, and article on swamp subscriber. And, just as my dad did for me, I passed great photos. I’m not a hunter, but I am a fan of rabbits [Nature along the enjoyment of reading the Missouri your awesome informative magazine. Keep up the Lab, Page 4] was Conservationist to our daughter, Kate. She now lives good work! informative and and works in Columbus, Ohio, and talked me into Judy Sepac Ballwin interesting. We getting her a subscription, which she reads faithfully. used to call them In fact, being an art major, she creates beautiful and If you witness or suspect a wildlife violation, report muskrats. When colorful renditions of your covers. it to your local conservation agent or call the toll-free simmered in My sincere thanks for doing what you do so well. Operation Game Thief number — 1-800-392-1111 — brown gravy, they Leighton (Leigh) McCormick Webster Groves which is staffed 24 hours a day. You may remain are delicious. anonymous, and you may ask to be considered John Sutton Love your magazine. Look forward to its arrival and for a reward, if you wish. For more information on Cedar Hill read it cover to cover. Accolades to all. Operation Game Thief, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoB. Steve Israelite via email —the editors Connect With Us! Conservation Headquarters Have a 573-751-4115 | PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 Question for a /moconservation Commissioner? Regional Offices @moconservation Send a note using Southeast/Cape Girardeau: 573-290-5730 Southwest/Springfield: 417-895-6880 our online @MDC_online Central/Columbia: 573-815-7900 Northwest/St. Joseph: 816-271-3100 contact form at @Nature_Videos Kansas City: 816-622-0900 St. Louis: 636-441-4554 mdc.mo.gov/ Northeast/Kirksville: 660-785-2420 Ozark/West Plains: 417-256-7161 commissioners. 2 Missouri Conservationist | February 2019 Want to see your photos in the Missouri Conservationist? Share your photos on Flickr at Up flickr.com/groups/mdcreaderphotos-2019, email [email protected], or include the hashtag #mdcdiscovernature on your Instagram photos. Front with Sara Parker Pauley _ I’m a sucker for New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps it’s just my personality, but I love the idea of a do-over — wiping the slate clean and trying to do better this time around. Near the top of my list, which is also on the list of many others, is getting more daily exercise and time outdoors. However, not long after January started, I was beginning my workday particularly early and thought about putting off my walk until later. “No,” said my newly resolution-committed 1 voice. “Just 30 minutes. Go!” That morning, I saw a beauti- ful pre-dawn sky full of stars and heard deer blowing in the 1 | Red-eared fields nearby. I saw an opossum scurrying across the road and sliders emerging 2 witnessed the day’s first hint of light, reminding me of author from winter by Mike Conley, Eugene Peterson’s definition of sunrise — “when the spontane- via Flickr ous and the certain arrive at the same time.” What is happening between the mind and body connection 2 | Winter lichens and moss that so invigorates us with a walk outdoors? Nature, a science by ten8e, journal, shared research about a zebrafish’s brain and how, via Instagram as soon it begins to swim and become active, its brain lights 3 | Eyed click up, which we know to be true for all species. We need activ- beetle found in ity and when you add the outdoors to the equation, you have firewood by Yens enhanced problem-solving capacity to boot. There are tons of Jacobs, via email other health benefits, both mental and physical, which you can 3 read all about on Page 20. In talking to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams recently, he called his exercise time outdoors his sanctuary. I couldn’t agree more. And the research confirms what we all intuitively know … nature is good medicine. SARA PARKER PAULEY, DIRECTOR [email protected] The Missouri Conservationist (ISSN 0026-6515) is the official monthly publication of the Missouri Department of Conservation, 2901 West Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO (Mailing address: PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.) SUBSCRIPTIONS: Visit mdc.mo.gov/conmag, or call 573-522- MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSIONERS 4115, ext. 3856 or 3249. Free to adult Missouri residents (one per household); out of state $7 per year; out of country $10 per year. Notification of address change must include both old and new address (send mailing label with the subscriber number on it) with 60-day notice. Preferred periodical postage paid at Jefferson City, Missouri, and at additional entry offices.POSTMASTER : Send correspondence to Circulation, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. Phone: 573-522-4115, ext. 3856 or 3249. Copyright © 2019 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs of the Missouri Department of Conserva- tion is available to all individuals without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability. Questions should be directed to the Department of Don Marilynn David Nicole Conservation, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, 573-751-4115 (voice) or 800-735-2966 (TTY), or to Chief, Public Civil Rights, Office of Civil Rights, U.S.