Deanna Armstrong
Deanna Armstrong
Photo courtesy of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
Deanna Armstrong
Welcome to OzarksEnvironmentNews.com! This is your virtual bulletin board – a place to share information and celebrate your events, your accomplishments, your projects as well as a place to find info about organizations of like-minded folks, cool places to go to experience the outdoors at its best, and resources offering data, information, expertise. You are invited to share your news and enjoy the news of others! Got news? Report it to info@ozarksenvironmentnews.com Please note: we make every effort to ensure accuracy in our website; however, we cannot be responsible for info garnered from sites other than ours.
The mission of OzarksEnvironmentNews.com is to facilitate communication and to celebrate efforts and accomplishments among the environmental community of the Southwest Missouri Ozarks and to provide useful information to those who live in or visit the Region. Learn more...
Breaking News
Governor Kehoe Announces Kurt Schaefer as Commissioner of Missouri Office of Administration
August 28, 2026
Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Kurt U. Schaefer as commissioner of the Missouri Office of Administration (OA). Schaefer currently serves as director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a position he has held since the start of the Kehoe administration.
"I appreciate Kurt's willingness to step into this role and continue his service to Missourians at the Office of Administration," said Governor Kehoe. "Kurt is a well-respected and valuable member of the Cabinet, and his background and experience in both the public and private sectors will serve him well as takes on the work ahead. At DNR, Kurt has led efforts to make efficiency, communication, and stakeholder engagement top of mind for his entire team, strengths which I am confident he will bring to OA."
Schaefer will assume the role of OA commissioner effective September 4, 2026, and awaits Missouri Senate confirmation.
"I would like to thank Governor Kehoe for this opportunity,” said Schaefer. “I look forward to working closely with the members of the legislature and the Office of Administration team to tackle the challenges facing OA and to find solutions that are efficient, flexible, innovative, and accountable.”
Schaefer’s legal career has spanned three decades and includes working with the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government as well as state agencies, numerous boards, and citizen commissions. He is a former partner of the Lathrop GPM, LLP, law firm where he practiced law for over 20 years. Schaefer is also the former state Senator from Boone County, during which time he served with then-Senator Kehoe and chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee for six years. Schaefer is a former assistant Missouri attorney general, special assistant US attorney, and deputy director and general counsel for DNR.
Schaefer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Missouri, and a Juris Doctor and a Master Studies of Environmental Law from the Vermont Law School. A headshot of Schaefer is attached here.
Homeschool Outdoor Fair, October 8, 2026, 10 am - 1 pm, Springfield Nature Center.
See Flyer HERE
Register HERE
A Note from Tiffany
Hi friends! Boards and nonprofits go together like peanut butter and jelly, cheese and crackers, chocolate and peanut butter, etc. (It’s lunchtime as I write this). While nonprofits are legally required to have a board, having an involved and empowered board is a game changer.
How do you empower your board? Do you provide new board orientation, opportunities for thoughtful discussion and relationship building? Does the board have a clear picture of what their responsibilities are, what role they play, what the expectations are including time commitment? Do your board members feel connected to and passionate about your mission?
It’s like baking a cake (here I go again with the food): Without all the right ingredients the cake could end up hard, dense and flavorless. But with the right combination, created with awareness and care, a good cake can go a long way. What's one ingredient your board is missing right now? Clarity, connection, education, confidence? Start there.
A stronger board starts with intentional support, and the organizations that invest in their boards often see the return throughout their mission. For more on board development, check out the “Deeper Dives” section below.
Tiffany Frey is the director of philanthropic services at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Drury Nonprofit Leadership Conference: Time-Tested. Future-Focused.
8:15 a.m. - 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9
Oasis Hotel and Convention Center
2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield
This year’s theme honors the enduring foundations of effective nonprofit leadership — strong governance, responsible stewardship, compelling communication and mission-centered strategy — while encouraging forward-thinking approaches that position organizations for lasting impact. Learn more here.
September
29 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Darr Agricultural Center. REGISTER NOW
Southwest Missouri Water and Missouri State University for the 16th Annual Regional Water Conference, Water — What Do You See? Together, we'll explore the issues shaping our region's water future and connect with the people working every day to protect it.
Whether you work in local government, utilities, engineering, agriculture, industry, education or economic development, you'll leave with new perspectives, practical information and valuable connections.
Wednesday, September 2, is Renew Missouri's Sustain Springfield Conference at Darr Agricultural Center from 8am - 4pm. From 8-9:30 will be registration, networking, and a welcome. Sustain Springfield will be a full-day conference built around a series of speaker-led sessions and discussions focused on issues that are already shaping Springfield and southwest Missouri. The goal is to bring together local leaders, industry experts, policymakers, businesses, and community members for practical conversations about how our region continues to grow while preparing for future energy and infrastructure needs. ($25.00 includes lunch)
Time
Speaker
Topic
Keynote Bob Dixon
Building Springfield's Future Together
10:00AM-11:00AM
Simon Mahan
Session 1: Generation Options
& Regional Capacity Planning
10:00AM-11:00AM
Brandon Jenson
Session 2: Sustainable
Transportation
11:15AM-12:15PM
Caleb Arthur, Ryan McDonald
Session 3: Distributed Energy
Resources (“DERs”)
11:15AM-12:15PM
Phillip Fracia
Session 4: Energy EfficiencySession 2: Energy Efficiency
& Affordable Housing
1:30PM-2:30PM
Rebecca Collins, Tyler Slocum
Session 5: Economic
Development & Data Centers
1:30PM-2:30PM
Mike Kromrey
Session 6: Water-System
Sustainability
3:00PM-4:00PM
Geoff Mark
Session 7: Urban Heat Island
3:00PM-4:00PM
Eric Williams
Session 8: Developing a
Comprehensive Energy Plan
Some of the topics being covered include:
· Energy generation and transmission - Buildings, housing, and energy efficiency - Solar and battery storage - Transportation and the future of mobility - Water-system sustainability - Data centers and their impact on communities and the electric grid - Urban heat - Springfield’s long-term growth and planning.
Forest ReLeaf of Missouri is a nonprofit tree organization located in St. Louis that grows, distributes and plants trees across the state. We are trying to get the word out about our free tree program called Project CommuniTree that provides 3-gallon MO native trees for planting projects on public and nonprofit land, such as parks, schools, churches, libraries and more! The program distributes over 10,000 trees to more than 250 partners every year and mobilizes more than 3,000 volunteers to participate in the tree planting process.
I've included a flyer ( click here for flyer) for our upcoming tree delivery to Republic on October 6th that can be posted in community spaces or shared digitally via a newsletter. If you know of anyone who could benefit from the program, please share!
Please note that spots for delivery will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.
Sincerely,
Renee' Benage, volunteer
If you have questions, please reach out to Rebecca Hankins - contact info below.
--Rebecca Hankins | Forest ReLeaf of Missouri
Partnership Manager
4642 Shenandoah Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Ph: 314-533-5323 | www.moreleaf.org
MU study shows $68 million generates $1.5 billion economic impact from Missouri’s
state park system
The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The 2026 Keep America Beautiful National Litter Study is now available for download, with the latest look at litter across America’s roadways, waterways, and — for the first time — coastal areas.
Explore where we’re making progress, where new concerns are emerging, and how communities and partners can turn these insights into action.
Download the Keep America Beautiful 2026 National Litter Study
Thank you for being part of this work — and for helping keep America clean, green, and beautiful.
Let’s do beautiful things!
Jennifer Lawson
President & CEO
Keep America Beautiful
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
James River Basin Partnership
Missouri Prairie Foundation
Missouri Department of Conservation
Ozarks Clean Fuels Coalition
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
Solid Waste Management District O
EPA
Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA)
L-A-D Foundation
Incorporated in 1962, the L-A-D Foundation is a Missouri private operating foundation dedicated to the responsible management of Pioneer Forest as a working demonstration of renewable resource use compatible with the long-term carrying capacity and health of the land and water. The Foundation also acquires and preserves in the public interest outstanding areas of natural, geologic, cultural or historic interest. In addition, the Foundation provides support to various projects consistent with its conservation goals, with a particular focus on the Missouri Ozark region.
2024 Annual Report
(see flyer, click here)
The Ozark Society is a non-profit organization established in Arkansas in 1962 to protect the Buffalo
River and its surrounding wilderness area from development, thus allowing it to remain a free-flowing
and scenic river. Today, the Ozark Society continues to advocate for conservation of natural resources,
preservation of scenic places, and environmental education.
SW Missouri Local Government Briefings
Missouri Butterflies, host plants and Caterpillars
Go here to see a great poster of common butterflies and their caterpillars!
Watershed Center of the Ozarks
Children and Nature Network
Springfield Community Resource Guide
Read to find out how to subscribe and see what events are coming up. Learn about composting, free workshops and more! Click HERE.
The Ozarks Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) Go HERE to find out more. and the Clean Air Action Plan
The Schoolcraft Ozarks Society
Dark Sky Missouri (Click here for more information)
Staples https://www.staples.com/stores/recycling
Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MP PSC)
Check out their informational flyer HERE
Meet your webmaster, Shae Johnson. She is a Springfield Plateau Master Naturalist, a Greene County Master Gardener, a docent at the Dr. Bill Roston Native Butterfly House, and she wears many other hats. She is also an artist.
Meet the owner of this website. Barbara Lucks has developed it as a central place
for patrons to find all sorts of environment related news and opportunities.
