It's in Our Nature

Keith Bennett, our candidate for the World’s Most Interesting Man, chats with Missouri State Director Adam McLane about the origins of his nickname, mushroom hunting and how he learned all those Latin plant names. Oh, and that time he was offered a spot opening for Willie Nelson.

Keith and Adam cover some ground in this episode. Whether it’s tips for finding native seeds or why anyone who hunts should be a conservationist, there ar...

In 2019, Missouri State Director Adam McLane and a group of Nature Conservancy supporters visited our TNC staff in Tanzania. This year, three Tanzania staffers returned the favor and visited Dunn Ranch Prairie in northwest Missouri.

Adam sat down with Tanzania’s Country Director Lucy Magembe, Alphonce Mallya and Lucy Mlagala at our Little Creek Farmhouse to talk about the budding connection between the Missouri and Tanzania progra...

Episode 14: Brett Perkins is part of a younger generation of The Nature Conservancy’s staffers in Missouri, but his history runs deep. His father, Dennis Perkins, helped introduce bison at TNC’s Dunn Ranch Prairie more than a decade ago, when Brett was still in high school.

The elder Perkins is still considered TNC’s “bison whisperer” in Missouri, but he sees the time coming when his son and others will take over. TNC’s Missouri St...

Ask McLane Anything. Episode 1: In the first episode of this new series, Missouri State Director Adam McLane answers questions submitted by you, our listeners.

The first question asks how far out of balance the natural world is right now. The second question came from Adam's sister and she wanted to know about his craziest animal encounter stories. Finally, we wrap this first episode with ways you can help the declining Monarch...

In this episode, Missouri state director, Adam McLane recaps seven highlights of 2022. It is far from everything that happened, but it is a great reminder of the ways your support helps people and nature thrive.

All year, we here at The Nature Conservancy in Missouri carefully track our progress, writing down the acres of land revived by prescribed fire, miles of streambank restored, partnerships built and dozens of other metrics t...

It’s in Our Nature goes on location to visit our friends at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture.

CCUA cofounder Adam Saunders and board member Robbie Price join the podcast to talk about the power of gardening. The conversation takes place in the Columbia Agriculture Park, a 10-acre campus that is home to a sprawling urban garden, Columbia’s famed farmers market and the nerve center for CCUA’s array of food-focused programs.&...

We all know that nature has a unique ability to improve our health, both mentally and physically. In this episode, we’re talking with Jeanne Carbone—the supervisor of therapeutic horticulture at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Jeanne has helped create a special program in the Japanese Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden that was designed to aid participants in experiencing the calming, restorative powers of nature. 

Hear fr...

From his Missouri farm, Ted Jones built Edward Jones Investments into a business empire, but he and his wife Pat were also crusading conservationists whose legacy includes willing the country’s longest recreational trail into existence. Now, the remarkable couple are the subject of a new biography, Trail Blazers: The Free-Spirited Extraordinary Lives of Ted and Pat Jones. Dan Burkhardt, co-founder of Magnificent Missouri and Ted’s ...

Two female trailblazers in the fire world recently crossed paths at a diversity, equity and inclusion prescribed fire workshop that The Nature Conservancy recently hosted in the Ozarks. 

In this episode, Kelly Martin, a burn boss with TNC's North America Fire program and retired Yosemite National Park fire chief, and Kylie Paul, a fearless wildland firefighter from South Africa, paused to join Missouri State Director Adam McLa...

Episode 5: Caves are some of the last great places on the globe left to explore. That, coupled with the desire to ensure these rare places are protected for future generations, motivates Mike Slay to continue squeezing his way into amazing Ozark caves.

In this episode, we'll explore the subterranean world with our colleague Mike from the Conservancy's Arkansas Chapter. Mike is the Ozark Karst Manager and has recently helped wi...

Episode 4: Missouri has some of the most beautiful rivers, streams and creeks running throughout the state. In places like the Ozarks, those streams are home to species that exist nowhere else on earth. Protecting out water resources is critical for people and nature.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Mike Kromrey, the executive director for The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, and Rachel Hopkins, a farmer and county engagement s...

Episode 3: The flood of 2019 devastated many communities along the Missouri River, including the farming town of Rock Port, MO. The local levee district knew they had to do something different to stop the impacts of repetitive flooding and protect their community. The solution: setting back the levee to give the river more room.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Regan Griffin, a member of the Atchison County Levee District; Corina ...

Episode 2: The hellbender, American burying beetle, greater prairie-chicken and Topeka shiner—these species are on the brink of extinction in Missouri. But, what's being done to save them?

In this episode, you'll hear from Doug Ladd, The Nature Conservancy's former director of conservation in Missouri who provides insight on these species, how they got where they are, and the collaborations from dedicated partners who are working t...

Episode 1: What was once a vacant lot in the heart of North St. Louis is now a flourishing urban farm, providing so much more than just fresh produce to the community. In this episode, you'll hear from Pastor Andy Krumsieg and Donna Washington from Jubilee Community Church. Through community partnership and collaborations, they turned the Church's vision into a space that's providing solutions for nature and people. 

Lear...