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Mizzou SNR

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Official Instagram account for the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. Social media guidelines: http://bit.ly/mizzousocial

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Out surveying amphibians in Fairview Park 🐸 🔎

PhD student Emma Buckardt went out into the field to search for amphibians as part of her research learning how urbanization shapes amphibian communities. She is examining small wetlands and ponds in and around Columbia and St. Louis.

Her trip to Fairview was accompanied by Jordan Carmichael, an undergraduate studying natural resource sciences. They both spent time using nets to catch tadpoles and log each amphibian they found.

Emma’s field work is being run throughout spring, summer, and fall to make sure she identifies all of the species that inhabit specific wetlands.

Her goal for this research is to provide valuable information in understanding the impact of urbanization on amphibian communities. 🌃 Emma is working with Dr. Christine Brodsky as her advisor. She is pursuing this study as she works to complete her thesis. by @snr_mu

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2 days ago

Who else spent Saturday at the Chestnut Festival? 🙋🌰

The Center for Agroforestry’s (@mizzouagroforestry) annual Chestnut Festival at the MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm brought together families, food lovers and local agriculture appreciators for a day of fall fun. Visitors enjoyed roasted Mid-Missouri chestnuts, hay wagon rides, pumpkin picking and more than 25 food and farm vendors and exhibitors.

From chestnut-flavored ice cream from Buck’s and locally grown specialty crops to live music, there was something for everyone to enjoy while celebrating the season. by @snr_mu

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4 days ago

Shoutout to Dr. Christine Brodsky! 📣 Brodsky gave the keynote speech for the “Ecology of and Biodiversity in Urban Environments” session at the Join Nordic Society Oikos (NSO) and The Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland Conference in Odense, Denmark.

Her talk was titled “What do we mean by ‘urban’? Advancing biodiversity science for growing cities.”

Photos by: Dr. Tanja Straka by @snr_mu

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8 days ago

Ever wonder how volunteers across Missouri help us understand our water? 💧

It starts with a simple water sample. Arden Fraley, a master’s student in the Mizzou School of Natural Resources and lab technician with the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program, says every sample collected helps strengthen LMVP’s water quality database, creating a clearer picture of water conditions across the state.

The result? Better information for researchers, decision-makers, educators and communities who want to know more about Missouri’s waters.

The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program is a project within the Aquatic Ecology Lab at the University of Missouri. Since 1992, hundreds of volunteers have monitored more than 300 sampling sites at over 140 lakes in the state. The program is set to end after funding cuts in May 2027.

Visit lmvp.org and click the data tab to see annual summaries and reports for local lakes, creeks and other water bodies. by @snr_mu

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9 days ago

Featured speaker from SNR! 💡Last Friday, Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) celebrated their 60th anniversary with their partners, alumni, friends and community.

The Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems was chosen as one of the featured guest speakers for the event.

Dr. Rick Relyea, Inaugural Director of the Johnny Morris Institute, spoke about the power of partnership and CERC’s significant contributions to the field of aquatic toxicology, chemistry, fisheries and species restoration.

The Johnny Morris Institute was honored to be selected as speakers in celebration of CERC’s legacy. by @snr_mu

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9 days ago

$25,000 Milestone reached! According to Campus Development, the Forestry Alumni Legacy Oak is paid in full. 🌳

Associate Professor of Forestry Hank Stelzer and Director of Mizzou Botanic Garden Joe Kovolyan joined each other on Francis Quadrangle to celebrate this accomplishment.

Stelzer came up with the idea for the oak and has been a part of the journey from start to finish.

“I just felt it was an appropriate way to let people passing by the Legacy Oaks on the Quad know there were forestry alumni over the years who were grateful for the guidance, support and love given by a truly dedicated group of faculty and staff,” Stelzer said.

He and other alumni learned so much beyond just becoming a professional forester. They learned to work together as a team and truly enjoy the journey. The Legacy Oak Project began back in 2018.

Stelzer, with the help of Shawn Poore, began the campaign to raise money for the oak four years later. 76 alumni from across the years contributed donations. Most notably was Bruce Loewenburg, an alum from the Class of 1961.

Bruce not only contributed $1,000 to the Forestry Alumni Legacy Oak, but underwrote his own Legacy Oak tree in the southeast quarter of the Quad.

SNR congratulates Hank Stelzer, alumni and all who came together to pay for or support the establishment of the Legacy Oak. Thanks to you, SNR students have a reminder of the meaningful impact forestry faculty and staff have had across generations. by @snr_mu

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15 days ago

Congratulations to PRST Assistant Teaching Professor Anthony Funderburg for winning the Vision in Action Award!! This award honors an SNR employee who has demonstrated diligence and determination in going the extra mile in their position.

We surprised Funderburg by crashing his class’s lecture to present him with the award. His nominator, Assistant Teaching Professor and Natural Resources Graduate Coordinator Michelle Brimecombe joined us to hand him the award herself. 🏆

Dr. Funderburg (aka Dr. F) has consistently demonstrated and continues to demonstrate his commitment to students within SNR. Two clear examples of his commitment to students occurred during the Spring 2025 semester (his first semester of full-time teaching employment). He traveled to Minneapolis with a student club (Sport, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Association) even though he was not the club's faculty advisor.

In addition, Dr. Funderburg demonstrated commitment to students through his role as a faculty volunteer mentor for a group of sport management students entering the Red Bull Chariot Races held in Columbia, MO.

Rather than simply encouraging students from the sidelines, he invested his personal time and expertise in helping students navigate a unique experiential opportunity. This event provided students with lifelong memories and experiences and also provided PRST and SNR with marketing and media exposure on official Red Bull streams.

Join us in congratulating Anthony Funderburg in the comments! 👏 👏 by @snr_mu

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16 days ago

Back from Paraguay! 🇵🇾 🐟

Associate Professor Dr. Allison Pease has returned to campus after her time in Paraguay. This trip came as a result of the Fulbright program and award. Pease spent from January to July in the Chaco region studying killifish.

This species of fish live in wetlands that dry during the year. Their eggs can survive drying for months, which is largely unheard of in fish. Killifish can be used as a model to study aging due to their very short lifespan of only a few months. There is very little work on what they do in the wild.

Pease’s interest in this group of fish and the novelty of the research is what led her to study them in her time abroad. She and her collaborator collected fish from 7-8 different sites over two growing seasons. Chaco is part of South America that is being deforested rapidly which adds to the importance of Pease’s work.

“I got to immerse myself in a new country and a totally different study system that’s really fascinating,” Pease said.

Photos by: Drew Dittmer by @snr_mu

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17 days ago

SNR really shined at this year’s CAFNR Showcase at South Farm. Maybe you had the chance to speak with Assistant Professor Zachary Leasor and students from Atmospheric Science about live weather data and their tornado simulation. 🌪️

Or perhaps you had the chance to saw wood and watch logs be deconstructed by Associate Professor of Forestry Hank Stelzer with the help of other forestry professionals and forestry club students. 🪵

Did you bet on the crayfish races? 🦞 The Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems had a pool of crayfish where visitors let them race to the finish line. Associate Program Director Carrera Coates and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Students also informed guests about different aquatic micro-invertebrates and fish that live in Missouri.

How about elderberry juice and chestnut tasting? 🌰 At The Center for Agroforestry’s tent, guests had the opportunity to learn about chestnuts, hazelnuts and elderberries growing in Missouri from specialists, researchers and students. They also learned about different growing programs and upcoming events happening at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm.

Did you correctly guess the pH level of common drinks like tea or juice? 🫖 Assistant Professor Xiaoping Xin and her students invited visitors to their booth to guess whether drinks were acidic, base or neutral. They also had coloring pages and other soil activities for kids.

Maybe you had a chance to guess water use in everyday items? Our friends at the Missouri Water Center had a water guessing game, coloring sheets and water quality data for Boone County residents. 🚰

Saturday was an example of the range in knowledge and amazing work that falls under Natural Resource Sciences. We thank all of the groups and students for representing SNR and creating different fun, educational activities for visitors. We also thank all guests who stopped by and learned more about what we do here at SNR. by @snr_mu

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18 days ago

Arden Fraley (ardenjf), a Master’s student in the Mizzou School of Natural Resources, has been working with the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program since her sophomore year. As a student working in the Aquatic Ecology Lab, she takes lake water samples from volunteers and runs analysis on nitrogen, chlorophyll levels, and other water quality parameters. 🥼 🧪

Just one rack of 25 samples can take up to eight hours to process!

The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program has been a crucial part of Arden’s journey. After she graduates, Arden hopes to pursue a career in environmental consulting where she will use datasets like LMVP’s to determine best management practices for areas impacted by water quality issues.

Arden says the best part of environmental jobs is getting to work both in the lab and the field, and see its impact on communities. ✨

The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program is a project within the Aquatic Ecology Lab at the University of Missouri. Since 1992, hundreds of volunteers have monitored more than 300 sampling sites at over 140 lakes in the state. The program is set to end after funding cuts in May 2027.

Learn more about the program and how to support LMVP at lmvp.org. by @snr_mu

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23 days ago

Have you heard of Pine Tree Jim? Jim Horton was a St. Genevieve County woodsman who was a pioneer in sustainable forestry. 🌳📰

Hear MU Extension Sustainable Forestry Specialist Brian Schweiss talk about Jim’s story with selective harvesting in Horton Woods Conservation Area.

At a time when most landowners were clearing forests for agriculture, Horton took a different path. He saw value in managing his pine and oak woods rather than removing them.

Horton watched his trees closely, harvesting only when they matured or showed signs of decline. By removing dying or poor-quality trees, he created space and sunlight for healthy pines and oaks to grow.

For more about Jim Horton, his approach and the Horton family’s legacy, read the story below.
https://extension.missouri.edu/news/the-legacy-of-pine-tree-jim-and-the-horton-family-stands-strong by @snr_mu

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25 days ago

Did you see the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems and the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program? Our booths were next to each other Saturday at the Conservation Expo at Cooper’s Landing. 🌱🏞

The Johnny Morris Institute’s booth had snails from South Farm and a wide diversity of fish from Hinkson Creek. Guests learned about the institute, the importance of Missouri’s aquatic resources and how to identify common stream fish. 🐟🔍

Students involved with the Johnny Morris Institute were at the booth speaking with visitors alongside JMI’s Director, Dr. Rick Relyea, and Associate Program Director, Cara Coates.

The Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program shared a booth with the Missouri Water Center and Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. There, they informed guests about the volunteering program, the MU Aquatic Ecology Lab and their quarterly Hinkson Creek Sampling.

MU’s Aquatic Ecology Lab samples the entire Hinkson Creek watershed for a total of 47 samples. It's great LMVP and the Lab had a chance to discuss their local work with people who are familiar with the watershed we are working in.

Visitors also had the chance to see a filtered water demonstration showing how volunteers gathering samples filter rocks, sand and other materials. 🚰

Program Manager & Lakes of Missouri Senior Research Associate Anthony Thorpe, MU Aquatic Lab Manager Sarah Smith and master’s student Arden Fraley all spent time at the LMVP booth.

Didn’t get a chance to stop by our booths or see the fish?

Learn more about JMI and LMVP at the links below.
https://fwas.missouri.edu/
https://www.lmvp.org/ by @snr_mu

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a month ago