It's in Our Nature

Step into the heart of the Ozarks with naturalist, educator, musician, author, and legendary forager Bo Brown. In this episode of It’s in Our Nature, we explore how foraging connects people to the land, why the Ozarks are one of the most biodiverse regions in North America, and how the foods hidden beneath our feet can inspire conservation.

Bo shares stories from a lifetime in the wild—from lessons passed down from his mother to dec...

Join us as we dive into the world of the Missouri River 340 (MR340), the longest nonstop river race in the United States. From its origins and unique challenges to the incredible stories of endurance and community, we explore what makes this 340-mile journey across Missouri so legendary. Whether you’re a seasoned paddler, a curious spectator, or just love tales of grit and adventure, this episode brings you behind the current of on...

What does it take to achieve The Nature Conservancy’s most ambitious goals in history? In this episode of “It’s in Our Nature,” Missouri State Director Adam McLane and Rob Hunt, Director of Resilient Waters, break down six key strategies that are shaping the future of conservation in Missouri.

From land protection and reconnecting streams to advancing clean energy and sustainable farming, discover how local projects in Missouri con...

In this episode of It’s in Our Nature, host Adam McLane kicks off Season 2 with a deep dive into the complex role of dams in Missouri’s waterways.

Joined by Rob Hunt (Director of Resilient Waters for The Nature Conservancy), Ange Corson (Streams Program Coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation) and Eric Rahm (Stream Biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation) the conversation explores when dams help ecos...

Sara Parker Pauley’s path to becoming the first woman to lead the Missouri Department of Conservation didn’t start where you might expect. She earned degrees in journalism and law from the University of Missouri, but an early choice to explore her love for nature made her “come alive.”   

As she prepares to retire, she joins The Nature Conservancy’s Missouri State Director Adam McLane to talk about the rewards of a career in conser...

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...