Up Front With Sara Parker Pauley

There is such a beauty to community, particularly when in times of need, a community rises to the call. As I think back over the last couple of months with the flooding and storms that have ravaged our state, I’ve witnessed Missourians rallying to rescue, reinforce, and rebuild.

MDC alone has had more than 180 conservation areas and accesses impacted by recent flooding. While some MDC staff has worked tirelessly to keep floodwaters from impacting hatcheries or other vital infrastructure, conservation agents around the state performed swift water rescues and assisted with other emergency response efforts.

This round of flooding was even more personal for me. Close to the Missouri River, our community came together to fortify our neighbor’s levee in an effort to save his fields, but ultimately the river won. Still, it was powerful to see neighbors showing up in a time of need to offer their best efforts.

Also, beautiful is a community that comes together for the longer haul, such as neighbors working together to nurture their land collectively to further the conservation cause. In a state with over 90% of our lands in private ownership, we simply cannot protect and connect with nature on public lands alone. Aldo Leopold comes to mind when he said, “Conservation can accomplish its objectives only when it springs from an impelling conviction on the part of private landowners.”

In this issue, you will read of such conviction and witness again the amazing and persevering power of community.

Sara Parker Pauley, Director
Sara.pauley@mdc.mo.gov