Conservationist Magazine available to all Missouri households

One of the most popular services of the Missouri Department of Conservation is our monthly Missouri Conservationist magazine. The publication reaches enormous numbers of people and covers almost any topic of interest to the outdoor enthusiast. Although this publication is an award winner there are still many people who do not know about it.

The Missouri Conservationist is a magazine available free to any Missouri household. It was an idea born in 1937 when citizens asked for a free conservation publication. Tax money supports its production but the state was not permitted to not sell the magazine. The only people who pay a subscription fee are out-of-state households.

Every issue has almost 40 pages of conservation-related stories, pictures and news updates. Story topics can range widely from urban wildflower planting to archery deer hunting tips or from fishing techniques to bird watching.

You might also learn how track wildlife or about the life cycle of the Eastern mole. Regardless of your outdoor interest this magazine is reliable source of conservation information.

In fact, a Gallup poll conducted in 1996 indicated that a majority of Missourians use the Conservationist as their leading source for conservation information. Wow! What a compliment.

Managing editor Bryan Hendricks says that the Conservationist "may be the most widely read magazine in Missouri, especially if you factor in secondary readership.

He adds that it exceeds national publications like Outdoor Life and Field & Stream in Missouri readership.

"It is, by far, the nation's biggest state agency conservation publication," Hendricks said, "and it's one of the Conservation Department's most visible and most recognizable outreach vehicles."

A lot of people share their Conservationist with non-subscribers. You also see it in many doctor, dentist and attorney offices. People who don't participate in traditional outdoor sporting activities pick it up and read an article about bugs, birds, plants or trees. They learn that these things fall under the conservation umbrella, and it serves as a friendly introduction to the Conservation Department.

An added feature to the Missouri Conservationist is the quarterly feature Outside In. This section is written specifically for elementary children. Many schools receive one classroom set of the conservationist magazine including a separate packet of Outside In.

Interested schools should contact their librarian to ensure they receive the classroom supply of Missouri Conservationists and Outside In.

I enjoy the magazine as much as anyone and read it from cover to cover. Not only do the stories pique my interest, but the photography and artwork are a symphony for my eyes. With a subscription pool of 450,330 people, I know that I am not alone.

If you do not receive this magazine but want to, write to the Missouri Department of Conservation, attention circulation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Mo., 65102, or go to www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag and subscribe on the MDC Web page. Within a month or so you should begin to receive the Conservationist.

Roughly every two years the department will perform a mailing list update by including a card for recipients to fill out. All you have to do is put a stamp on the card an mail it back to continue receiving the magazine.

Sixty four years after it started, the Missouri Conservationist is still running strong. If you do not take advantage of the resource this magazine represents please take the time to subscribe. I think you'll like it, just as half a million other subscribers do.

A.J. Hendershott is the outreach and education regional supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation.