MISSOURI, USA — A nursery in southern Missouri has spent 76 years working to address reforestation, erosion control and increase wildlife habitat throughout the entire state.
One of the biggest ways they tackle this gargantuan task is by functioning as the state's premier seedling capital.
The George O. White State Forest Nursery in Licking has run an annual state-wide seedling sale since 1947 and this year's kicks off on Sept. 1. Missouri conservationists reportedly rely heavily on this sale to help create a healthy habitat for the state, since the vast majority of the state's land is privately owned.
"Since more than 90% of Missouri’s land is in private ownership, MDC relies on these landowners to help create habitat for wildlife and manage timber resources," said Dan Zarlenga, a spokesperson with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "Landowners use plants from the State Nursery for reforestation, stabilizing streambanks and reducing erosion on their property, and creating wildlife food and cover."
The nursery began in the 1930s after the U.S. Forest Service sent forester George White to Missouri's Texas County to investigate ways to restore thousands of forest acres in the area, according to the conservation department's website. After establishing the nursery, White would go on to direct the department's first forestry program and become the state's longest-tenured state forester.
After the Civilian Conservation Corps were dissolved post-World War II, the nursery closed. It reopened under the conservation department's care after it signed a deal with the Forest Service. As part of the 1947 deal, Missouri's Conservation Department agreed to produce two million shortleaf pine seedlings annually.
"The ultimate goal is to help Missouri landowners create and sustain healthy habitat, which benefits wildlife, and to accomplish their goals," Zarlenga said of the seedling sale. "These might include erosion control, landscape enhancement and restoration, attracting pollinators, and creating food plots to encourage wildlife on their property for hunting, viewing, or photography."
The seedling sale will run from Sept. 1 to April 1. Everyone in Missouri is welcome to participate, although the seedlings tend to be better suited for large acreage rather than landscaping.
"Ordering early ensures the best selection," Zarlenga said. "Seedlings will ship from late February through early May next year."
See more information about the seedlings offered in the sale on the department's website here.
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