Summer 2007: Volume 28, Number 3 - Missouri Prairie Foundation

Photos justin johnsonThank you,John and Nancy LewisJohn and Nancy Lewis of Columbiarecently donated 200 shares of AIG Corporation stock to the MissouriPrairie Foundation (MPF) in memory of Mr. Lewis’ mother, Madge Lewis.The approximate value of the stock at the time of sale was $15,000. Mr.Lewis’ mother and father were both avid conservationists, and his fatherwas a former Missouri Department of Conservation employee who onceconducted prairie-chicken counts near MPF’s Golden Prairie. Mr. Lewisused to hunt quail with former MPF presidents John Cline and the lateAndy Runge. The Lewis’ gift will be used to permanently manageMPF’s Runge Prairie, outside Kirksville, which is the site of theOctober 13 board meeting. MPF is extremely grateful for this donationand the people who made it possible.Pat Jones Featured inPeople MagazineIncluded in the July 16, 2007 issueof People magazine is Pat Jones, ofWilliamsburg, Missouri, whom themagazine recognizes as a “Hero amongus,” for her contributions to prairieconservation. Mrs. Jones donated thefunds for the Missouri Prairie Foundation(MPF) to acquire the Prairie ForkConservation Area Expansion, which is200 acres of former crop fields that arebeing planted with prairie grasses andwildflowers. She also donated nearly800 acres to the Missouri Department ofConservation that make up the adjoiningPrairie Fork Conservation Area.The article, on page 90 of themagazine, was written by Kate Klise andincludes a quote from MPF ExecutiveDirector Justin Johnson, commentingon the value of Mrs. Jones’ contributions.The feature is wonderful promotion ofMissouri prairie conservation efforts:People magazine is one of the country’smost ubiquitous publications andreaches 42 million readers each week.“Phil’s Big Day” Raises $1,300 for Prairie-ChickensRecently Phil Wire, a college student at Truman State University, asked friends, associates andmembers of the Audubon Society of Missouri to pledge their support for the Missouri PrairieFoundation’s (MPF’s) Greater Prairie-Chicken recovery efforts. Although he is earning a historyand secondary education double degree, Wire has a passion for birding, and this past May 12,he spotted 104 different species within Adair County. Donors pledged flat amounts or per speciesgifts, and “Phil’s Big Day” raised approximately $1,300. MPF willset these funds aside to protect, restore and enhance prairie-chickenhabitat in and around the Mystic Focus Area outside Kirksville.Volunteer efforts like Phil’s built MPF. If you would like to buildon Phil’s idea and the can-do tradition of MPF, you may donate anyamount through MPF’s Web site at www.moprairie.org. Accordingto MPF’s most recent tax return, 95 percent of all funds go to prairieprotection and education programs. Thank you, Phil!41