2025 has been a big year, and we’ve got stories to share! In this episode, we’re taking a step back to look at the moments, ideas, and connections that shaped 2025 for The Nature Conservancy in Missouri.

Tune in to celebrate with us, and get inspired for an even bigger 2026!

What does it take to achieve The Nature Conservancy’s most ambitious goals in history? In this episode of “It’s in Our Nature,” Missouri State Director Adam McLane and Rob Hunt, Director of Resilient Waters, break down six key strategies that are shaping the future of conservation in Missouri.

From land protection and reconnecting streams to advancing clean energy and sustainable farming, discover how local projects in Missouri connect to a global movement to protect lands, waters, and communities. Tune in to learn why Missouri’s work matters and how you can be part of it.

In this episode of It’s in Our Nature, host Adam McLane kicks off Season 2 with a deep dive into the complex role of dams in Missouri’s waterways.

Joined by Rob Hunt (Director of Resilient Waters for The Nature Conservancy), Ange Corson (Streams Program Coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation) and Eric Rahm (Stream Biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation) the conversation explores when dams help ecosystems and when they harm them.

Topics include innovative beaver dam analogs that restore stream health, the science behind fish passage and dam removal, and how these projects benefit both nature and local communities.

From research in the Grand River Grasslands to success stories of ecological recovery in the Ozarks, this episode reveals how collaboration and creativity are shaping the future of Missouri’s rivers.

Sara Parker Pauley’s path to becoming the first woman to lead the Missouri Department of Conservation didn’t start where you might expect. She earned degrees in journalism and law from the University of Missouri, but an early choice to explore her love for nature made her “come alive.”

As she prepares to retire, she joins The Nature Conservancy’s Missouri State Director Adam McLane to talk about the rewards of a career in conservation, offer practical tips for getting started and bust some myths.

Curiosity about people and nature has taken Kansas City-based photographer Randy Hudson around the world.

He offers practical tips for getting started and describes the methods and philosophy behind his images, including his award-winning entry in The Nature Conservancy’s 2023 Global Photo Contest.

Keith Bennett, our candidate for the World’s Most Interesting Man, chats with Missouri State Director Adam McLane about the origins of his nickname, mushroom hunting and how he learned all those Latin plant names. Oh, and that time he was offered a spot opening for Willie Nelson.

Keith and Adam cover some ground in this episode. Whether it’s tips for finding native seeds or why anyone who hunts should be a conservationist, there are no lulls in the conversation.

Wow, what a year! Missouri State Director Adam McLane recaps seven highlights from a packed twelve months.

If you want to catch up on what TNC is doing in Missouri, from new Habitat Strike Teams to hosting tarantula research, have a listen.

This was a year that will guide much of what we do in the future to reach some big goals by 2030.

So, if you want to see where TNC is going, this is the place to start.

In 2019, Missouri State Director Adam McLane and a group of Nature Conservancy supporters visited our TNC staff in Tanzania. This year, three Tanzania staffers returned the favor and visited Dunn Ranch Prairie in northwest Missouri.

Adam sat down with Tanzania’s Country Director Lucy Magembe, Alphonce Mallya and Lucy Mlagala at our Little Creek Farmhouse to talk about the budding connection between the Missouri and Tanzania programs, the power of nature and why everyone should visit Tanzania.