Conservation History Video Goes on Sale in Time for Father’s Day

By Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation

First posted on 05-24-2012

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has a Father’s Day gift idea for outdoorsy dads: a DVD chronicling Missouri’s conservation history.

The Promise Continues: The Missouri Department of Conservation’s 75th Anniversary premiered on television stations statewide in April. Now MDC has a DVD that combines the original program with bonus features.

The 28-minute program traces the Show-Me State’s ground-breaking conservation saga starting with the natural desolation that galvanized citizens to form MDC in the 1930s. Historic photos, film footage and audio files chronicle deer, turkey and forest restoration programs that began in the depths of the Great Depression and carries through the present, with such species as the elk and prairie chicken.

The DVD features the first film produced by MDC in 1940. Other vignettes focus on lookout towerman turned radio personality Woody Bledsoe, “the singing forester,” and renowned naturalist, artist and wildlife filmmaker Charles Schwartz. Living conservation pioneers provide commentary on the achievements of the past three-quarters of a century.

The DVD is available at MDC nature centers and regional offices for $8 plus sales tax. You also can purchase copies through MDC’s online Nature Shop (mdcnatureshop.com) or by calling 877-521-8632. Shipping and handling fees apply to phone and online purchases.

The Nature Shop is one way MDC helps Missourians discover nature. It has dozens of other gift ideas for nature lovers.