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Get Involved With Trees And Forests

• Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri

  Interested in Missouri woods? Check out this organization and what it can do for you.

• Missouri Community Forestry Council

  Do you like healthy trees in our Missouri towns? So does the Missouri Community Forestry Council! "Stewardship for Missouri's Community Forests" is a mission held true by the Missouri Community Forestry Council. Find out more about how to be a part of this active group.

• Missouri Forestkeepers

  The Missouri Forestkeepers Network is an opportunity for all Missourians—urban and rural—to get involved in understanding and gaining important information about the condition of trees and forests. By joining the network, you play an essential role in the future of Missouri's trees and forests. Join us.

Help For Your Woods

• A Well-Managed Forest

  Get help developing a "Big Plan" that will let you get the most from your woodlands.

• Call Before You Cut

  A forester can help you avoid woodland management mistakes that persist for decades.

• Call Before You Cut

  Thinking about having a timber sale? Go to this site to get help and avoid common mistakes.

• Forest Management for Missouri Landowners

  Download guidelines for assessing your Missouri woodlot’s present condition and creating and maintaining a healthy forest that meets your objectives.

• Missouri Foresters

  The Missouri Consulting Foresters Association (MCFA) is an organization of technically trained professional foresters who provide forest management advice or assistance to landowners. Each member is self-employed and offers services on a fee or contract basis.

• Seedling Planting and Care

  Browse tree- and shrub-planting techniques, including hand planting, machine planting and tips on Missouri conservation seedling care.

• State Forest Nursery

  The George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking offers Missouri residents a variety of seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control and wildlife habitat.

• Timber Management and Harvest

  Find best practices and help for managing, harvesting and protecting your Missouri timber and woodlands.

• Timber Management Assistance

  Want to improve your woodlot management or timber yields? Get our help! Call your regional forester.

• Timber Sale Basics

  Don't sell your Missouri timber for a fraction of its value because you didn't market it properly. Follow eight steps to get the most return from your timber sale.

• Timber Stand Improvement

  Download this illustrated, two-color, eight-page guide to learn how to improve your woodlot by cutting firewood.

• To Sell or Not to Sell

  If you’re interested in harvesting timber on your property, there are a few questions to consider.

• Too Much Sugar!

  Sugar maples are shading out Missouri's riverside oaks and hickories.

• Tree Identification

  Learn the variety of characteristics, such as branch arrangement and leaf shape, that you can use to identify Missouri's trees.

• Trees may need special attention after wet spring

  Imagine how difficult rainy weather would be for you if you breathed through your feet.

• Weeding Trees

  Learn how to get more value out of your tree harvest.

• Wildfire Prevention

  Learn to prevent wildfires, protect your home from them and report forest arson.

• Windbreaks

  Windbreaks can improve wildlife habitat as well as reduce heating bills, provide protection from high winds and snow, and enhance landscape aesthetics. This page shows you how.

Hot Topics About Missouri’s Trees And Forests

• Careers in Forestry

  The job market is greening up for forestry professionals.

• Don't Move Firewood!

  Many tree-killing pests travel in firewood. If you love Missouri’s forests, buy firewood where you camp, and burn it all before you leave.

• Fall Colors

  Missourians enjoy a fall color season that may last four to six weeks. Fall color has ended for 2012. Check this page again in 2013, September through November, for weekly fall color updates.

• Flowering Spring Trees

  Missouri's flowering trees of spring can banish the last of your winter blues. The last two weeks of April is the best time to tour them.

• Free Publications

  Our free publications help Missourians improve their acres, learn about animals and plants, enjoy more fishing and hunting, attract fun-to-watch wildlife with native plants, and get involved in special programs. Download this form to browse or order dozens of free publications from the Department's distribution center. Note: you must be a Missouri resident to receive our free printed publications.

• Get Into the Forest

  Even if you don't own woodlands, you can help Missouri's forest resources.

• Healthy Forests for Generations

  The Conservation Department was created by a citizen-led effort to restore Missouri’s fish, forests and wildlife 75 years ago. This is the story of how Missourians have worked together to improve our forests to benefit wildlife and people, for generations to come.

• Missouri Forest Facts

  Browse highlights and hallmarks of Missouri's forest history.

ID Missouri Trees

• Trees, Shrubs and Vines

  Learn about Missouri's trees, shrubs and woody vines.

Places To Enjoy Missouri’s Woods

• Outdoor Recreation

  Enjoy outdoor Missouri? Use this section to get learn more about everything from birding to woodworking for wildlife.

• Places to Go

  Find Missouri conservation areas, nature centers, fish hatcheries, natural areas and shooting ranges where you can pursue your favorite outdoor activity close to home or across the state.

• Trail Activities

  Looking for a place to walk, hike, bike or ride your horse? Conservation area trails provide recreational and educational opportunities as well as access to your conservation lands.

Programs To Help Your Towns Trees

• Community Tree Care

  Get recognition and help for caring for your Missouri community trees and urban forests.

• Tree City USA

  Every community can benefit from caring for their publicly owned trees and achieving certification as a Tree City USA. To be certified, a town or city must meet four standards established by The National Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. Find out how to participate.

• Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) Grant

  Get up to $10,000 to manage, improve or conserve Missouri's community trees. Deadline is June 1. Learn more about this competitive grant opportunity.

• Trees For Missouri Communities

  learn more about this not for profit that provides free and reduced cost trees to Missouri communities

Tree Care And Maintenance

• Backyard Tree Care

  From tree selection and planting to pruning guidelines, this section covers everything you need to know to take care of your backyard trees.

• Basic Pruning Guidelines Brochure

  Learn when and how to prune your Missouri landscape trees.

• Constructing with Care

  Save the beauty and investment in your property by managing your building area to protect trees.

• Mulch is Your Tree's Best Friend

  Use this publication to learn about the benefits of mulching.

• Tree Care After Storms

  When storms damage trees, cleanup and recovery can be bewildering. Download some tips to will help you make the right decisions for your trees.

• Tree Killers in Our Yards

  Lawn mowers and string trimmers can damage the bark of trees.

• Tree Topping

  Experts agree: It's never a good idea to "top" a tree.

• Tree-Maintenance Timetable

  This brief, illustrated guide shows you when to water, mulch, pest-monitor, fertilize, stake and prune your Missouri trees.

• Troubled Trees

  Diagnosing and managing urban tree stress

• Watering Shade Trees

  Proper watering keeps your Missouri shade trees healthy for life. Text, illustrations and video show you how.

Tree Selection: Choose the Right Trees

• Missouri Urban Trees Booklet

  This full-color, 60-page booklet in helps you choose the best trees for your growing situations, plant them in the right places and care for them over time. It includes lists of species for Missouri, including alternatives to ash trees, which are vulnerable to the emerald ash borer.

• Overlooked Trees for Landscape Planting

  Put your imagination to work and give your property some real character.

• Purchasing Trees

  Browse tips for purchasing and transporting high-quality Missouri trees from reputable sources.

• Purchasing Trees Guide

  Print and carry this two-page guide when you start shopping for new Missouri landscape trees.

• Right Tree in the Right Place

  This brief publication helps you determine where and how to plant trees on your Missouri property.

• The Right Tree in the Right Place

  “Plant trees. They give us two of the most crucial elements for our survival: oxygen and books.”—A. Whitney Brown

Tree-Planting Tips

• How to Plant a Tree

  This brief, illustrated brochure helps you select the right kind of tree for your Missouri location, then determine planting depth, dig the right hole shape and size, back fill, water and mulch.

• Mulch is Your Tree's Best Friend

  Use this publication to learn about the benefits of mulching.

• Tree Planting Breakthrough!

  I propose that Missourians change the way that we plant trees.

• Tree-Maintenance Timetable

  This brief, illustrated guide shows you when to water, mulch, pest-monitor, fertilize, stake and prune your Missouri trees.