Working with partners to conserve all kinds of habitat.
Missouri is home to many thousands of native animals and more than 2,000 native plants. Our state's amazing species diversity arises from its equally diverse types of habitat—prairies, woodlands, glades, savannas, streams, caves, wetlands and forests. The powerful link between habitat and species diversity guided our efforts to develop a strategy that will help keep Missouri's plants and animals off the endangered species list. Following congressional guidelines, we worked with a multitude of federal and state agencies, communities, organizations and local citizens to identify a wide range of high-quality places on which to concentrate our efforts. These Conservation Opportunity Areas represent our best opportunities to conserve all wildlife in Missouri.
We call this approach Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy. It's a key part of our Next Generation of Conservation plan of action.
Director's Note
"As our communities grow, the Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy will help us fulfill our responsibility to conserve all wildlife and the places they live for generations. Please join us in this important work."
Director John Hoskins
To learn more about this major milestone in Missouri's conservation history, read this special issue of the Conservationist.
Browse by Subject
- Animals
- Learn about Missouri's wildlife.
- Plants
- Discover Missouri's botanical treasures.
- Backyard wildlife
- Discover what creatures might be living in your backyard.
- Natural communities
- Explore Missouri's many types of habitats.
- Endangered species
- Find out what species are in danger of becoming extinct.
- Invasive species
- Learn to ID and control the species that threaten Missouri's natural diversity.
