Show Me the Ozarks August 2022

Today’s society has learned expensive lessons on the life of our watery environments. Clean, healthy waters are a common concern for public drinking waters and the needs for all aquatic plant and animal life cycles. The old saying, “dilution is the solution to pollution” no longer applies. Luckily, lots of people, including volunteers, professionals and students, work for thriving water systems, including our connections to the oceans. We have reasons to celebrate our water resource victories and our many uses of ground and surface water. Locally, The Wildcat Glades Friends Group initiated an annual Shoal Creek Water Festival held every August. The friends group embraces conservation and water industry partners; Wildcat Park south of Joplin transforms into fun learning and recreation for all. Come visit us! Enjoy and appreciate the water. Help us share the good word! Drop by the Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center on top of the hill to find out what programs are coming up for youth, and be sure to get our free kids’ magazine, XPlor. We all work hard and volunteer a lot of time to protect, appreciate and enjoy our water resources. We honor those before us and their time-honored respect for the resources, and it makes us feel conservation pride to witness these strides moving forward. Hope to see you there! - Jeff

Late fall at Shoal Creek

April Williams and Lily Kennedy sample invertebrates in Roubidoux Creek inWaynesville.

High School students in Southwest Missouri monitor stream conditions in Indian Creek in Noel, Missouri.

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