Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

Presentation by Mike Leahy, Missouri Natural Areas Coordinator, Mo. Dept. of Conservation

Missouri Natural Areas Coordinator Mike Leahy will take us on a tour of a variety of designated Natural Areas connected to the Missouri River that range from floodplain wetlands to river bluff prairies and forests.

Missouri Natural Areas represent some of the best — and last — examples of our state's original landscape. Some are located within state parks or conservation areas, preserving and highlighting a special, rare or textbook example of an ecological niche or geological wonder. Examples of Natural Areas across the state include prairies, old-growth forests and woodlands, rare wetlands, caves, and many other kinds of native habitat.

Least Bittern male on nest at Little Bean Marsh Natural Area.
Photo courtesy of MDC>

In this presentation, Missouri Natural Areas Coordinator Mike Leahy will take us on a tour of a variety of designated Natural Areas connected to the Missouri River that range from floodplain wetlands to river bluff prairies and forests. We will learn about the fascinating natural heritage that occurs along this long swath of Missouri from the Iowa state line to the river’s confluence with the Mississippi. This natural history of the river corridor will highlight the connections between native plant and animal species, soils, geology and human history in this region.