|
May 4, 2009
The Friends of the LaBarque Creek Watershed earned the G. Andy Runge Award from the Missouri Chapter of The Wildlife Society for their extraordinary steps to promote the conservation of their watershed. With nothing but a love for the qualities that make this watershed an excellent home for its human, forest, fish and wildlife residents, the Friends organization spent countless hours meeting with its many partners – East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Jefferson County Government, Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, Missouri Department of Conservation, Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Native Plant Society, The Nature Conservancy – Missouri Chapter, Ozark Regional Land Trust, Trust for Public Land, Tyson Research Center, Webster Groves Nature Study Society and Wild Canid Survival and Research Center – to create a watershed plan.
The Friends then took that plan and made it real. They developed and conducted an effective outreach campaign to fight a proposed electric transmission line through the highest quality portions of the upper watershed. They created and maintain a dynamic website at www.labarque.org containing scientific data, development news and activity information. Fresh from that effort, they organized and hosted a Watershed Festival that included guided nature walks, water quality testing demonstrations, plant and animal identification, a photo competition, nature-inspired activities for children, music and exhibitors. Throughout this time, they continued to maintain an active Stream Team #2991, holding water quality and macroinvertebrate sampling, stream corridor assessments, bush honeysuckle removals and more. The Friends of the LaBarque Creek Watershed earned recognition with the G. Andy Runge Award and set an example for anyone interested in protecting the Conservation Opportunity Area they love.
|
