Much of the entire lower Midwest was once brimming with tallgrass prairie. Many prairie plants are suitable for home landscaping, adding beauty and ecological functionality to your yard or property. This class will focus on methods for planting, seeding, and maintaining an urban prairie planting, along with providing ideas for making them enticing and educational […]

The tallgrass prairie ecosystem exhibits some of the most complex relationships between what we see above ground and the soil below. By evaluating plant-soil feedback in Missouri’s prairies, we strive to understand the efficiency of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that drive productivity, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling in the prairie soil ecosystem. What can […]

In 2019, an article in the journal Science quantified a net loss in North American birds of 29% in the last 50 years – WHOA. In this free webinar presented by Sarah Kendrick, Migratory Bird Biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, learn about the declines—especially of grassland birds—but also gain insights on what […]

Invasive plants can be found everywhere in Missouri, from urban backyards to sprawling pastures. This webinar will focus on some of the most common invasives that can be found across the state, how to distinguish them from other plants, and what control strategies can be used on them. The fundamentals of integrative pest management (IPM) will […]

What can you see, hear, and experience on a Missouri tallgrass prairie at this time of year? Join MPF Vice President of Science and Management Bruce Schuette as he leads a virtual tour of one of MPF's original prairies. We'll learn about life on the prairie in late spring, including what flora and fauna you […]

The control of aphids in agriculture has been a significant force in learning more about a group of flies in the family Syrphidae—the hover flies/flower flies. The larval stage of many hover fly species are direct predators of aphids, a major pest in agriculture and sometimes in the garden, especially on milkweed. Their benefit is […]

Medieval art was deeply linked to the environment through both material and symbolism. Learn more about how artists of the Middle Ages drew inspiration from plants and trees, capitalizing on their distinct properties to create extraordinary sculptures, cloth, and books. This talk will also reveal how the cultivation of plants for artmaking materials transformed the […]

Much conservation and public attention has been given to butterflies. Moths, however, outnumber butterflies by ten to one in number of species. Being primarily nocturnal and frequently very small, moths are mostly unseen creatures, yet moths of both grasslands and eastern deciduous forests play important ecological roles. Join entomologist Betsy Betros as she presents about the complex world […]

Native grasses and sedges offer a host of ecosystem benefits and smart solutions to common landscape challenges. Join us for a look at these extraordinary plants and discover where they do their best work. Shannon Currey is a horticultural educator with Izel Native Plants. She’s worked in the nursery trade since 2006 and has established […]

In this webinar, MPF/Grow Native! staff member Emily Gustafson will share the transformation of her Columbia yard from a landscape of turf grass, boxwoods, and day lilies -- and a whole lot of invasive bush honeysuckle, burning bush, wintercreeper, and privet -- to a space dominated by native plants. She'll discuss the opportunities and challenges […]

Landscaping with keystone native tree species that host many insects as larvae is critically important to their survival, however, moths, butterflies, and other insects also need shelter throughout the year, including fallen leaves and natives planted under trees. In this webinar presented by veteran native landscaper Paula Diaz, learn how you can make your native […]

Since the 1970s, Missouri’s inter-agency Natural Areas System has striven to protect, conserve, and restore the best remaining examples of the state’s varied natural communities from swamps to chert glades. The effort has also been instrumental in introducing new restoration concepts that are taken for granted today. While designated natural areas make up just 0.2 […]

What can you see, hear, and experience on a Missouri tallgrass prairie at this time of year? Join MPF Vice President of Science and Management Bruce Schuette as he leads a virtual tour of Golden Prairie in Barton County, MO, a National Natural Landmark. We'll learn about life on the prairie in early fall, including […]