It's in Our Nature

In this episode of It’s in Our Nature , host Adam McLane , State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Missouri, sits down at a Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) with three guests who are helping shape the future of fire in the state: Ryan Gauger , Fire & Stewardship Manager, The Nature Conservancy in Missouri Brad Graevs , Private Lands Conservationist, Missouri Department of Conserva...

Step into the heart of the Ozarks with naturalist, educator, musician, author, and legendary forager Bo Brown. In this episode of It’s in Our Nature , we explore how foraging connects people to the land, why the Ozarks are one of the most biodiverse regions in North America, and how the foods hidden beneath our feet can inspire conservation. Bo shares stories from a lifetime in the wild—from lesso...

Join us as we dive into the world of the Missouri River 340 (MR340), the longest nonstop river race in the United States. From its origins and unique challenges to the incredible stories of endurance and community, we explore what makes this 340-mile journey across Missouri so legendary. Whether you’re a seasoned paddler, a curious spectator, or just love tales of grit and adventure, this episode...

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...

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 con...

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 abou...

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 sh...

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...

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 betwee...

Episode 14: Brett Perkins is part of a younger generation of The Nature Conservancy’s staffers in Missouri, but his history runs deep. His father, Dennis Perkins, helped introduce bison at TNC’s Dunn Ranch Prairie more than a decade ago, when Brett was still in high school. The elder Perkins is still considered TNC’s “bison whisperer” in Missouri, but he sees the time coming when his son and other...

Ask McLane Anything. Episode 1:  In the first episode of this new series, Missouri State Director Adam McLane answers questions submitted by you, our listeners. The first question asks how far out of balance the natural world is right now. The second question came from Adam's sister and she wanted to know about his craziest animal encounter stories. Finally, we wrap this first episode with way...

In this episode, Missouri state director, Adam McLane recaps seven highlights of 2022. It is far from everything that happened, but it is a great reminder of the ways your support helps people and nature thrive. All year, we here at The Nature Conservancy in Missouri carefully track our progress, writing down the acres of land revived by prescribed fire, miles of streambank restored, partnerships...

It’s in Our Nature goes on location to visit our friends at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture . CCUA cofounder Adam Saunders and board member Robbie Price join the podcast to talk about the power of gardening. The conversation takes place in the Columbia Agriculture Park, a 10-acre campus that is home to a sprawling urban garden, Columbia’s famed farmers market and the nerve center for CCU...

We all know that nature has a unique ability to improve our health, both mentally and physically. In this episode, we’re talking with Jeanne Carbone—the supervisor of therapeutic horticulture at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Jeanne has helped create a special program in the Japanese Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden that was designed to aid participants in experiencing the calming, restorat...

Roo Yawitz, owner of Big Muddy Adventures, talks Missouri rivers, paddling and … sandwiches. In this episode, hear the story of the canoe trip that opened Roo’s eyes to the wonders of the Mississippi River and ultimately helped the owner of a live-music club find his way into the river-outfitting industry. Plus, can St. Louis become an outdoors city? Roo argues it already is—it just doesn’t know i...

Meet Wes Hauser, The Nature Conservancy’s new mitigation specialist. The Missouri native joins Missouri State Director Adam McLane on It’s in Our Nature to explain how TNC uses the tools of mitigation to offset the impact on the environment from development.  *Bonus: Wes reveals the scariest thing he’s ever seen.

From his Missouri farm, Ted Jones built Edward Jones Investments into a business empire, but he and his wife Pat were also crusading conservationists whose legacy includes willing the country’s longest recreational trail into existence. Now, the remarkable couple are the subject of a new biography, Trail Blazers: The Free-Spirited Extraordinary Lives of Ted and Pat Jones . Dan Burkhardt, co-founde...

Two female trailblazers in the fire world recently crossed paths at a diversity, equity and inclusion prescribed fire workshop that The Nature Conservancy recently hosted in the Ozarks.  In this episode, Kelly Martin, a burn boss with TNC's North America Fire program and retired Yosemite National Park fire chief, and Kylie Paul, a fearless wildland firefighter from South Africa, paused to joi...

Joel Pugh is a self-described continuous learner with an obsession for Wikipedia. He recently joined the board of The Nature Conservancy in Missouri and has already made lasting impacts and lots of new friends.  In this episode, Adam McLane catches up with Joel to learn about his life growing up in rural Pennsylvania and what drew him to The Nature Conservancy. 

Episode 5:  Caves are some of the last great places on the globe left to explore. That, coupled with the desire to ensure these rare places are protected for future generations, motivates Mike Slay to continue squeezing his way into amazing Ozark caves. In this episode, we'll explore the subterranean world with our colleague Mike from the Conservancy's Arkansas Chapter. Mike is the Ozark Kars...

Episode 4: Missouri has some of the most beautiful rivers, streams and creeks running throughout the state. In places like the Ozarks, those streams are home to species that exist nowhere else on earth. Protecting out water resources is critical for people and nature. In this episode, you’ll hear from Mike Kromrey, the executive director for The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, and Rachel Hopkin...

Episode 3: The flood of 2019 devastated many communities along the Missouri River, including the farming town of Rock Port, MO. The local levee district knew they had to do something different to stop the impacts of repetitive flooding and protect their community. The solution: setting back the levee to give the river more room. In this episode, you’ll hear from Regan Griffin, a member of the Atch...

Episode 2: The hellbender, American burying beetle, greater prairie-chicken and Topeka shiner—these species are on the brink of extinction in Missouri. But, what's being done to save them? In this episode, you'll hear from Doug Ladd, The Nature Conservancy's former director of conservation in Missouri who provides insight on these species, how they got where they are, and the collaborations from d...