Missouri’s trees and forests have always been important to us. Once covering 70 percent of our state, trees continue to provide us with countless public and private benefits.
Speak for the Trees
Help monitor the health of Missouri forests! Activity and Tree Observation reports are collected by June 15 each Spring and by November 30 each Fall.
To request a copy of the field guide, please email information@forestkeepers.org or call 314-533-5323.
For supplying this data, you can choose from a variety of Forestkeepers gifts as a thank you!
Support our State Nursery's Seed Collection!
George O. White State Nursery in Licking is purchasing seed from the public for a variety of tree and shrub species. The nursery conducts local seed collections each year and uses the seed to grow bare root native tree and shrub seedlings to use for reforestation, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and stream bank stabilization. The collection effort is going on now through November or until seed demands are met for a given species.
We’re calling on ForestKeepers to help the state collect a genetically and geographically diverse seed pool for this critical resource!
Whether they provide you means of living, lend beauty to your place of recreation or forge the Character of your neighborhood, trees cannot be taken for granted.
Like us, they are susceptible to disease, pollution and age. The Missouri Forestkeepers Network is an opportunity for all Missourians–urban and rural–to get involved in monitoring and improving the health of Missouri’s forests.Our mission is to develop a network of informed citizens working to conserve, sustain and enhance Missouri’s urban and rural forest resources through volunteerism, advocacy and management. Through volunteer and community science efforts, we can track the health of our forest and rise to the challenge of caring for the trees that shelter and shape us. By joining the network, you play an essential role in fostering the state of forest health for generations to come.
Here’s how:
- Forestkeepers is open to any interested individual, family or group. Your choice alone to determines your level of involvement
- Choose the site you or your group would like to study- if you don’t know where to start, we can assist with site selection
- Complete and return the application form to receive a start-up kit that will help you begin
- Follow along with the Leaflet publication and join us for workshops throughout the year
This free program is offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation in partnership with Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and The Forest And Woodland Association of Missouri. It is designed to volunteer support in monitoring forest health and provide sound scientific information on tree care and management to Missourians.
The Missouri Forestkeepers Netword provides free lesson plans for teachers wishing to incorporate tree education in their curriculum. The program provides straightforward opportunities for students at all grade levels to become involved in data collection, identifying Missouri trees, data analysis, and report writing.
Course subjects include:
- Correlations For The Missouri Forestkeepers Network & The Missouri Show-Me Standards & Science Grade Level Expectations
Forestkeepers Conference
Upcoming 2024 Conference
Saturday, October 26th, 2024, 11:00 am- 3:00pm
Begin the day by helping finish up a 600+ tree native planting, then head to a Missouri Forest Health recap over lunch, and finish off the day with a tour that highlights the work Core partners Land Learning Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Riverlaw.Org, Midwest Waters Initiative, and Missouri Stream Teams, are working to restore aquatic ecosystems & protect water quality. Full agenda coming soon!
2022 Conference
The event featured a workshop on the identification of Quercus alba, common health issues, and the role they play in wildlife and forest dynamics. A guest lecture from the White Oak Initiative will talk about the economic and social benefits of white oak.
2023 Conference
2023 was the Season of Seeds! In partnership with the George O White State Nursery, we hosted a workshop highlighting the importance of seedlings to our state’s conservation efforts. The event featured a Forest Health in 2023 overview, presentation on the importance of a healthy seed stock, followed by a tour of the state nursery’s facilities and seed processing methodology.
2021 Conference
On October 8th, 2021, the Forestkeepers met at Klondike Park in St. Charles County. The group toured Klondike Park and a recent reforestation project along the Katy Trail. A planting workshop was hosted to plant more trees in the area.
2020 Conference
The 2020 Conference was held on October 14 at Pioneer Forest in the Missouri Ozarks. Pioneer Forest is dominated by oak, hickory and pine. Their conservative uneven-aged forest management method, known as single-tree selection harvesting, has been used for more than half a century. The long use and research of this method strongly indicates it as a sustainable forest management practice.
2019 Conference
Forestkeepers will have a chance to tour Naeger Forest Products, a logging company and wood mill. Come learn about timber sales, see the equipment in action, and talk to Professional Timber Harvester trained loggers.
2018 Conference
Forestkeepers toured the Giving Grove, a nonprofit in Kansas City dedicated to improving local food security and strengthening communities by bringing together the resources to develop edible tree gardens.
