~ The Dragonflyer ~ Volume 10, Number 7 Boone s Lick Chapte r July 2015 OUR NEXT CHAPTER MEETING: THURSDAY JULY 9TH 6:30PM MU EXTENSION BUILDING

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1 ~ The Dragonflyer ~ Volume 10, Number 7 Boone s Lick Chapte r July 2015 OUR NEXT CHAPTER MEETING: THURSDAY JULY 9TH 6:30PM MU EXTENSION BUILDING North American Amphibian Monitoring Program Presented by Kate Kelly, Missouri Department of Conservation Toads and frogs provide food for a wide variety of animals, are important indicators of habitat health, and make lively music with their peeps, trills, whistles, grunts and snores. Find out all about the melodic amphibians of Missouri and explore their life histories, distributions, and habitats, as well as how and why changes in their populations are being monitored to track environmental health. Learn to recognize the frogs and toads in your neighborhood by ear and start to collect frog songs in your head! Impress yourself with success on a fun frog call quiz. (Don t let birders have all the fun!) More information about the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program and how you can volunteer to help here. 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. Bring your cup & plate & utensils NONE will be provided! Drinks & Sweets & Savories provided by: Sally Swanson 1

2 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) Since all of us are working hard to get in our volunteer hours this summer, I thought I would share some information on the subject of the service pin we will be receiving, the prothonotary warbler. The name "Prothonotary" refers to clerks in the Roman Catholic Church, whose robes were bright yellow. Prothonotary Warblers breed in wooded swamps and other bottomland forests. Males select at least one cavity and place moss inside prior to attracting a mate. Females then build the remainder of the nest with a foundation of mosses or liverwort. The nest cup is made of rootlets, plant down, grape plants, or cypress bark lined with grasses, sedges, tendrils, rootlets, leaves, petioles, poison ivy, and even fishing line. The nest cup is about 2 inches wide. Prothonotary Warblers place their nests in low cavities such as old Downy Woodpecker holes. Bald cypress, willows, and sweet gum are regular trees used for nesting and cavities tend to be in trees located near or over standing water. These warblers sometimes use bird boxes, gourds, and cypress knees for nesting. Prothonotary Warblers feed on butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, mayflies, and spiders throughout the year. They also eat mollusks and isopods outside of the breeding season, and may even supplement their diet with seeds, fruit, or nectar. This species is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action. They are a common summer resident everywhere in Missouri except the northwestern corner. -Robbie Scholes, President, Boone's Lick Master Naturalists Information gathered from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology s All About Birds website. M E M B E R S C O R N E R

3 Chapter Members Enjoyed Annual June Potluck & Archery Lesson Around twenty-five members attended our annual June potluck at Sally and Bobb Swanson s place. Delicious food, engaging conversation with friends, and a bit of weapons training made our potluck a success! This year we had a special guest at our potluck -- Brian Flowers, Outdoor Skills Specialist in the Missouri Department of Conservation s Outreach & Education Division. Brian provided a FREE archery lesson to interested attendees! A Note About Timesheets: Everyone in attendance at the potluck may add 1 hour of service plus travel time on their timesheets (timesheet code ADM). Attendees that also participated in the archery lesson can add 1 hour of Advanced Training to their timesheets (AT does not require a timesheet code). THANKS for hosting us, Sally (Class of 2005) and Bobb (2004) Swanson! And thanks to Suzanne Wright (Class of 2005) for setting up the archery lesson! Missouri Master Naturalists: Receive a FREE Year of Membership to the Missouri Prairie Foundation! The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) values your service to our natural communities and our partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. MPF

4 offers active Missouri Master Naturalists a free 1-year gift membership to the Missouri Prairie Foundation. (If you have already taken advantage of the free 1-year membership, you are not eligible to do it again, sorry!) You will receive a one year subscription to the esteemed "Missouri Prairie Journal", invitations to prairie hikes, campouts, tours, workshops and other events, as well as a share in essential prairie conservation. Help MPF celebrate our 50th Year Anniversary in 2016! Formed in 1966, the nonprofit, 501(c)(3) Missouri Prairie Foundation is the only organization in the state whose land conservation efforts are dedicated exclusively to prairie and other native grasslands. All donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The Missouri Prairie Foundation owns and maintains more than 3,000 acres of high-quality prairie and other grasslands. Check out these excerpts from the "Missouri Prairie Journal": Native Bee Plant Relationships on Missouri Prairies: Odonates Dragonflies Damselflies: From Grassland Restoration to Renewable Energy: Mapping Missouri s Glades: Prairie Streams: Priceless Habitat for Aquatic Life: This offer is valid for *new* memberships only, and does not apply to individuals with current or expired memberships. Your Missouri Master Naturalist member status will be confirmed prior to granting membership. Please sign-up before July 31 st at this link: Register to Attend the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative s Annual Conference (August 22 nd & 23 rd in Columbia MO) The Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative (MoBCI), a partnership group of 72 organizations, will hold their annual conference August 21 (evening) and August 22 at Peachtree Banquet and Catering Center in Columbia. Theme is To Kill a Mockingbird and will address a variety of threats and challenges facing bird management in Missouri and elsewhere. Dr. Peter Raven is the keynote speaker. He will open perspectives to the importance of diverse plant communities, impacts of climate change and how sustaining life, including birds, hinges on diversity. Other topics to be covered during the conference include avian lead poisoning, neonicotinoids, avian apathy, legislation, bird monitoring updates, real threats associated with wildlife disease, patch burn grazing, and landscape scale burning. There will also be an interactive session, encouraging audience participation. A personal advantage of being there is the opportunity to network with conservation leaders from many NGOs and federal and state agencies during the social times intermixed with the learning sessions. Registration fee is $45, but includes appetizers Friday evening before the keynote address and lunch on Saturday. Further details can be found at If you would like to request that this event be approved as Advanced Training, please complete an Advanced Training Approval Form in advance, you can find the form here. MDC is inviting the public to provide comments about the Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City to aid staff in developing a 10- year management plan for the nature center grounds. Interested persons or groups can share ideas online until July 31st.

5 V O L U N T E E R O P P O R T U N I T I E S S E R V I C E P I N F O R : T H E P R O T H O N O T A R Y W A R B L E R 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 it to MMNVolOpps@gmail.com for consideration. Help with the Nature Detectives program at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park The Nature Detectives program provides guided nature hikes for parents/grandparents to learn skills for exploring nature with their preschool (3-6 years old) child or grandchild at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Each program includes a hike on a trail and a related hands-on craft activity and is limited to a total of 20 (children and adults). Master naturalist will help with greeting/sign in, craft activity and assist with nature explorations. Two 1.5 hour programs will be held (time commitment: 9:00 am 12:30 pm) on the following dates (join us for any or all): Wednesday July 22 nd : Forest Friends Saturday July 25 th : Forest Friends Thursday July 30 th : Bats Saturday August 1st: Bats CONTACT: Meredith Donaldson mjdonlsn@gmail.com or Opportunity Code for Timesheets: RBMSP Help with the UPOP Nature Program at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Urban Populations Outreach Program takes children from local youth clubs such as Fun City, Boys and Girls Club, and El Centro Latino to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. The children explore the trails, cave, streams and habitats in small groups. The goal of the program is to help the children and their adult leaders learn about and appreciate park

6 resources through hands-on activities. Volunteers can sign up for any of the programs that occur week days during the last two weeks of July. Programs typically are 9 am 12, 1pm 3, and 4pm - 6. Those who sign up to help will receive a list of events with group, activity and timeframe, and can select which ones for which to volunteer. Training is provided. CONTACT: Meredith Donaldson at mjdonlsn@gmail.com or Opportunity Code for Timesheets: RBMSP RE-POST: ASSIST WITH NATIVE PRAIRIE SEED COLLECTION There are many opportunities to assist with native seed collection throughout this summer and fall. It s an excellent way to learn new species of plants while assisting with prairie restoration in Missouri. See below for a tentative schedule -- locations and times are TBD. Volunteers will travel to different locations within about 45 minutes of Columbia to gather seed for prairie restoration at Prairie Fork Conservation Area. MDC will provide limited transportation; carpooling is encouraged. Chris Newbold will send an a week or so before each trip. Please Chris Newbold to be added to Prairie Seed Collection list. You can find excellent pictures and descriptions of wildflowers here. Thursday Evening July 23 rd : Tucker Prairie Tuesday Evening August 11 th : Prairie Fork Saturday August 29 th : Tucker Prairie Tuesday Evening September 8 th : Auxvasse Glade Saturday September 26 th : Diggs Area Saturday October 10 th : Rocky Fork CA Sunday October 11 th : Prairie Fork or Auxvasse Glade CONTACT: Chris Newbold at chris.newbold@mdc.mo.gov Opportunity Code for Timesheets: PRFORK Photo Credit: Suzanne Wright (Class of 2005) Seed Collecting at Tucker Prairie Additional VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES for July 2015 Wednesdays in July (15 th, 22 nd, 29th) 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 to RSVP. (Timesheet Code CAS) Thursday July 16 th from 9am to 11am: Work Party at Forum Nature Area, RSVP by to Lea Langdon or call After the work party, you are invited to join local native plant enthusiasts at their monthly Lunch with Natives at Uprise Café. (Timesheet Code WO) Friday July 17 th from 8am to 10am: Work Party at Rock Bridge Elementary, RSVP by to Lea Langdon or call (Timesheet Code WO)

7 Saturday July 18 th from 8-10am or 10am-noon: Volunteer to assist at the Hazardous Waste Drop- Off Facility at the Grissum Building (1313 Lakeview), to sign up to help, learn more here. (Timesheet Code COC) Saturday July 18 th from 8am to 10am: Work Party at Boone County Extension Office, RSVP by to Lea Langdon or call (Timesheet Code MUX) Wednesday July 22 nd from 5pm to 7pm: Work Party at Russell Elementary School, RSVP by to Lea Langdon or call (Timesheet Code CCUA) Friday July 24 th from 8am to 10am: Work Party at Methodist Conference Center, RSVP by to Lea Langdon or call (Timesheet Code WO) Check out the online Chapter calendar for more details about the above volunteer opportunities and to RSVP to volunteer! 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 it to MMNATrain@gmail.com. RE-POST: Learn 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. Weds July 15 th at 6pm (Shakespeare s Pizza South) - Summer Tree Care: With the summer in full swing our trees will be under constant pressure from insects, diseases, weather, and other abiotic stresses. This session will discuss how to care for your trees during the summer months. Weds Sept 16 th at 6pm (Shakespeare s Pizza South) - How to Prune Fruit Trees: With the onset of fall weather our attention will focus on how to prune and care for fruit trees going into the winter months. While this session will have dedicated information about fruit tree pruning there will be additional information about pruning your other trees. Register to attend here, it s FREE for no food/drink, or $10 if you get 2 slices and a drink: Advanced training does not require a timesheet code only volunteer hours require you to enter a timesheet code.

8 N O T E W O R T H Y See an interesting video or article online? Please share your link via to mmndragonflyer@gmail.com, and it could end up in the next issue of the Dragonflyer! Video: Giant Vortex Forms in Texas Lake Hikers from Oregon Hospitalized After Rare Beaver Attack Officers Pull Over Guy with Thousands of Loose Bees In His Car Video: Cool Time-Lapse Video of Storm in South Dakota Photos: Zoo Animals Escaped During Flood at Tbilisi Zoo Did You Notice? Leap Second Made June 30 th a Longer Day Video: House Cat Faces Off with Mountain Lion Red Tuna Crabs Wash Up on San Diego Beaches by the Thousands The Sun s Reflection off this London Skyscraper Used to Melt Cars American Tourist Killed by Lioness in South Africa Video: Watch Daredevil Goats Defy Gravity By Scaling an Italian Dam How Elephant Poop is Helping Nab Ivory Poachers Video: This Bear Grabbed a Rock and World s Tiniest Deer Gives Birth Video: Japanese Women Go Ape Over Surprisingly Handsome Gorilla Dumped Goldfish Turn Into Giants in Canadian Waters Video: Oldest Known Stone Tools Discovered in Kenya: 3.3 Million Years Old N E X T C H A P T E R M E E T I N G THURSDAY AUGUST 13 6:30PM MU EXTENSION BUILDING

9 Sinkholes! Presented by Eric Lidholm, Crockett Geotechnical Testing Lab Check out some scary photos of sinkholes here, then come to the August meeting to learn how sinkholes happen! Missouri Master Naturalists Boone s Lick Chapter 2015 Officers Please Join Us on Facebook: Missouri Master Naturalist, Boone's Lick Chapter President Robbie Scholes (Class of 2013) MMNblpresident@gmail.com Advanced Training Linda Karns (Class of 2011) MMNATrain@gmail.com Vice Linda Karns (Class of 2011) Communications Jill Edwards (Class of 2013) President MMNVicePres@gmail.com MMNDragonflyer@gmail.com Secretary Jill Edwards (Class of 2013) MMNSecretary@gmail.com Hospitality Sally Swanson (Class of 2006) embroiderit@socket.net

10 Treasurer Phebe McCutcheon (Class of Public Relations Chris Egbert (Class of 2009) 2011) Chapter Becky Bohlmeyer (Class of Training Suzanne Wright (Class of 2005) Historian 2010) Volunteer Phil Knocke (Class of 2006) Opportunities & Project Approval Chapter Co-Advisors Kent Shannon Bob Pierce University Extension University Extension To promote awareness and citizen stewardship of natural resources through science-based education and community service.