Yeah.

I'm .. here at Ranch Conservation Nature Center.

Yeah, ranch Nature Center opened in 1993, and we are one of about nine different conservation education centers throughout the state.

All this, nature centers and education centers came about, the citizens actually voting to tax themselves back in 1976, a like our wildlife, our natural resources.

They wanted to make sure people took care of our natural resources.

And so in 1976, they decided to dedicate one eighth of 1% sales tax for everything in Missouri that goes to Missouri conservation.

And that was a fantastic move for us because it allowed us a lot of resources to invest in our natural resources in Missouri.

And maybe even more important than that, it was really a testimony to how much Missourians value our natural resources and value, somebody like the conservation Department taking care of those, protecting and managing our natural resources.

Becky Matney on the assistant manager and volunteer coordinator for the Ranch Conservation Nature Center.

My job at the Ranch Nature Center is I coordinate and supervise up to 54 volunteers here at the Nature Center.

I also supervise three naturalists who are the ones that present programs and opportunities for the public to enjoy nature.

So our volunteers at this at the Ranch Nature Center, provide a variety of opportunities for people who enjoy nature, whether that's through presenting programs on hiking, or they actually will do programs on gardening and pollinators.

And then even they'll do archery, fishing, outdoor skills, things like that.

Other volunteers, what they'll do is they, help with our animals so they'll feed our animals, clean their cages, get them ready for the exhibits, and then we also have volunteers that just like to greet at the front desk.

So they're just there to g.. Hello.

How are you?

When people walk in the doors?

My name is Sarah Easton, and I'..

I get to work with lots of different groups of people, big and small, old and young, and, my hope is that I can connect them to nature in some way, even if it's just one small little action.

Hopefully that has impacts down the line later in their life.

Specifically, I work with our our little is participants.

I work with our little acorns program, which are toddlers from age 0 to 6.

And that's really impactful for me.

I know that I'm building a foundation for them based on conservation that they can care for the environment and hopefully continue that through through the rest of their life.

Here at ranch, as a naturalist.

I do all the programs that the other naturalists do, so helping with outdoor skills, archery, kayaking, fishing, all that stuff.

Field trip programs just got done with the predators program today.

Reptiles, amphibians, all that fun stuff.

But I'm also the primary animal caretaker.

So things like this guy right here, this eastern box turtle I help take care of, all of the animals that you can see here at run.

I'm the person who's making sure that they're getting fed.

They're clean, they're happy, they're healthy.

All of that stuff is so with the guests who are coming to visit runs, you are more than welcome to come to the front desk and ask any questions about nature that you might have.

A lot of times, the front desk people will come and grab a naturalist, and while you're happy to try to answer everything that you have, so I help do that a lot.

Help answer questions about a plant that you found in your backyard.

And you're not 100% certain what it is.

Lots of snakes.

Maybe even a turtle.

So we help.

I do things .. And then also helping with programs.

So we lead a variety of different programs on a variety of different topics, including crafting programs and stuff like that.

So we try to make sure that we're well-rounded and what we're offering people.

So we can answer all kinds of different nature related que..

So it runs Nature Center.

We have programs for all ages.

And we start with actually with kids ages zero eight babies to two years old.

The other set of programs, there's six.

The main thing that we focus on is getting out and getting engaged.

So for example, one of my favorite preschool programs is a sensory walk or sensory hike.

And we have kids that go through.

We encourage them to, feel leaves, hear the sound of leaves crunching, you know, smell different plants, some o..

Listen, for birds, maybe wildlife sounds that are, you know, far away.

They wouldn't normally think about hearing those unless they listen to them on purpose and just kind of focusing on how all people really, learn through stimulation of our senses and just acknowledging that important and engaging those senses.

And so even in programs where we do have to go inside, like for a big group or something like that, we have engaging things.

We encourage people to feel things.

We'll let them, touch a snake or toad or salamander or something like that.

Yeah.

So.. why why do we want you to know this information or why should we care?

And it is it's important to get people to realize that, even the smaller items, like insects, they play such an important role in our balance of nature, in our in our ecosystems.

And so we do try to drive in that.

Why?

Why is it needed?

Why are things needed?

Even mosquitoes, unfortunately, they are ..

They are a part of the ecosystem.

And we also want people to understand the impacts that if insects were gone, if birds were gone, what would happen?

And so there is kind of a a teaching moment because yes, butterflies, birds, they're amazing.

They're beautiful, they're awesome.

But also knowing that if they these resources were not here, it actually would devastate our our entire ecosystem, not just locally but also globally.

So we do try to incorporate as much as possible the impacts that could happen if, if nature was not here.

We're open.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 to 5.

But we're open late on Thursday until 8 p.m. to give families a chance to come visit us and come to our programs and activities.

You know, after work, after school, after dinner.

They're just another opportunity that they have to come and try to remove all.. and engage with us.

I think, you know, being outside in nature and being .. and the larger environment around us has so many benefits.

Personally, for your own personal health and mental health, and for the community itself.

So I really encourage people to, to get out, whether it's here at Runge or somewhere else.

But tell your friends, bring your fri..

It surprises me.

People who don't know about runs right here in their own backyard.

I hate to see fish.