by Allison Vaughn

On March 7th, CAS will be accepting the Conservation Organization of the Year Award from the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Here’s how we “toot our own horn!” from the nomination that Bill Mees and others wrote!

Nominee Information for Conservation Organization of the Year

Nominee Name:  Columbia Audubon Society

Address:  PO Box 1313, Columbia Missouri 65205

Email:  Columbia-Audubon.org

 

Please provide information on the nominee’s accomplishments and contributions in the conservation field.

Columbia Audubon Society (CAS) is a not-for-profit organization with approximately 100 members.  Although CAS is small compared to other higher-profile conservation groups and its conservation projects are by necessity smaller-scale, those efforts are longstanding and impactful.

The CAS mission is “to preserve the natural world and its ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, and the earth’s biological diversity, through education, environmental study, and habitat restoration and protection.”  This mission and each of its elements guide and motivate CAS in all its activities.

 

HABITAT RESTORATION AND PROTECTION

Nature Areas:  CAS owns two main properties, the 28-acre Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (CANS) and the 102-acre Wild Haven Nature Area (WH), both of which are managed intensively.  Removal of invasives at the 28-acre site within Columbia’s city limits is 98+% complete.  Invasive removal is ongoing at the larger 102-acre site.

Both properties have benefited from the rebuilding of native grassland on what was formerly a 21-acre fescue cattle pasture (a 15-acre area and a separate 6-acre area, plus an additional acre of “weeds” in an abandoned garden).  These reconstructions were completed over several years, and 7 acres have already benefited from prescribed fire.

The reconstruction of these grasslands has resulted in the return of several bird species including Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, American Goldfinch, and American Woodcock.  Populations of prey species, particularly rabbits, have also rebounded, drawing increased numbers of both avian and mammalian predators.

Often overlooked in urban settings is the negative impact white-tailed deer can have on habitat, particularly as their populations increase to unsustainable numbers.  The city of Columbia has a deer mitigation program that is aimed at reducing deer/vehicle collisions on nearby roads but does not deal directly with habitat destruction.  To address this deficit, CAS installed deer exclosures at CANS in order to quantify deer browse damage. The results indicated that the best way to reduce deer populations, and thus browse damage, was to advocate for the preferential harvest of does during the hunting season. CAS presented these findings and recommendations to a group of archery hunters who were participating in Columbia’s deer mitigation program.

 

Leadership in MoBCI:  CAS is a founding partner of the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative (MoBCI) and fills an elected position on the MoBCI Steering Committee.  This organization accepts applications for habitat improvement projects from across Missouri.  These projects are judged based on their ability to make significant contributions to habitat improvement for bird species of concern. The Steering Committee evaluates and prioritizes the submissions for funding through the Missouri Department of Conservation.

In 2014 CAS was a recipient of a MoBCI grant ($11,300) for its first grassland restoration project at CANS.  For this lead project, CAS collaborated with the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department to include several acres of adjoining city-owned property.

Adopt-A-Trail Participant:  CAS is a participating member of Columbia’s “Adopt-A-Trail” program.  CAS has adopted a quarter-mile segment of property adjacent to Columbia’s Scott’s Branch Trail to remove and control invasive species (primarily bush honeysuckle).

Protection of State Park Areas:  CAS has “gone on record” with the Columbia City Council at its monthly televised meeting regarding proposed housing developments adjacent to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and the Gans Creek Wild Area.  The CAS opposition to the development was upheld by a vote of the city council.  CAS stands ready to again oppose projects that will negatively affect natural sites and state-designated wild areas.

CFM Membership:  CAS is a member in good standing of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

 

EDUCATION

Boone County Nature School:  CAS has participated in the Columbia Public Schools Partners In Education program for 10 years. More than a decade ago, two CAS members became aware of the Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility (WOLF) nature school in Springfield, MO. This led to a multi-year collaboration with the CPS superintendent and elected School Board members to solidify the support necessary to develop Columbia’s own nature school.

The donation of over 100 acres in 2024 by the Hank Waters family and the school district’s collaboration with the Missouri Department of Conservation finally brought the school into reality.  The initial idea for a Columbia nature school never left the top of the CAS wish list.  CAS was one of the first, if not the first, to make a financial donation ($30,000) for the construction of a “Council House” on the nature school campus.  This Council House is patterned after gathering structures used by native tribes to discuss topics of interest and importance to indigenous peoples.  The school and the council house now host fifth-grade students for a place-based outdoor experience which is built around the Science Department’s nature curriculum.  All Boone County school districts are invited to participate.

Interpretive Signs:  CAS designed and installed a trailside interpretive sign highlighting the grassland restoration project at CANS.  This informative sign has resulted in the unanticipated additional benefit of generating discussion with numerous visitors, some of whom are considering their own restoration projects.

CAS also designed and installed a second trailside interpretive sign to highlight some of the numerous native pollinators the grassland restoration project has attracted. It includes photos (all taken by CAS members) and descriptions of several of these important insects and serves to broaden public understanding and appreciation of their importance and to help dispel the common belief that non-native honeybees are our primary pollinators.

Teacher Education:  CAS has annually funded the tuition for two or three educators to attend a program offered through the National Audubon Society at Hog Island, Maine. This summer program is designed to increase teacher effectiveness in delivering science and conservation education.  Most recently, CAS made it possible for the two directors at the new Boone County Nature School to attend the Hog Island Audubon Camp. Both teachers report that the experience has helped them improve their lesson plans and activities.  CAS believes that inspiring an appreciation of nature and conservation in young people is important, and that sponsoring teachers is a valuable investment toward this end.

Annual “Band With Nature” Field Trip:  Since 2012, CAS has sponsored a field trip to its 28-acre Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary for all second-grade students (1200-1400 students per year) in Columbia Public Schools.  Students participate in four activities—bird banding, raptor show-and-tell, bird sounds and binoculars, and dissecting owl pellets—all while navigating the trails through the woods to the various learning stations.  Surprisingly, this is a first-time outdoor experience for many of the second-graders.

 

 

Other Education Projects:

• CAS was a contributor to the state-wide Grassland Summit and Wetlands Summit. These education programs were attended by professionals (DNR, MDC, USFWS, and other interested persons).
• CAS members have been leading field trips at CANS for students attending BIO-105 Introduction to Conservation Biology at Moberly Area Community College. The field trip focuses on habitat restoration and invasive plant control.

 

RESEARCH

• CAS contributed funds toward the construction of two Motus telemetry towers. These towers enable researchers to track the movements of tagged bird species as they migrate.

 

• CAS made a financial contribution to Southern Wings to support another research tracking project, partnering with MDC and USFWS to study the Cerulean Warbler and Wood Thrush via Motus tagging.

 

• CAS has hosted the Xerces Society at CANS. The Xerces Society conducted a workshop to train volunteers participating in the Missouri Bumblebee Atlas.  The project is designed to identify, quantify, and locate geographically all the bumblebee species in Missouri.

 

• The University of Missouri’s School of Veterinary Science conducted a study of ticks and mosquitoes at the 28-acre nature sanctuary. The ticks and mosquitoes gathered were identified as to species and quantity of each.  These specimens will be further evaluated to identify carriers of disease.

 

• The use of the nature sanctuary by the Xerces Society and the veterinary school are both unexpected benefits offered by the habitat improvements made at the nature sanctuary.

 

 

 

SUMMARY

The footprint of CAS in Columbia regarding habitat restoration, education, and research is significant.  In spite of its small size, Columbia Audubon attempts to be an active and concerned conservation advocate on the local and state-wide scene.  CAS continues to keep a watchful eye for opportunities to make its concerns and support known and to collaborate with other organizations, amplifying its efforts for conservation locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.

It is noteworthy that Columbia Audubon Society has no paid staff.  Projects are carried out by Audubon members and volunteers.  The use of paid contractors is limited to securing individuals with specific qualifications to perform identified tasks such as large-scale herbicide application and prescribed fire.

It is for these many and varied reasons that I respectfully nominate, and ask for your consideration of Columbia Audubon Society as Conservation Organization of the Year.

Columbia Audubon Society is more than birds.