Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The Greater Ozarks Audubon Society has raised $10,000 and received a $10,000 matching grant from the CFO in the third phase of the Stewardship Ozarks Initiative.  Audubon Vice-President David Catlin (left) and President Myra Scroggs met with CFO President Gary Funk (right) recently to receive the $10,000 matching grant, which will become part of the Greater Ozarks Audubon Society’s endowment fund.

The Stewardship Ozarks Initiative, made possible with a major gift from Johnny Morris on behalf of Wonders of Wildlife, has provided challenge grants to strengthen or establish endowment funds for environmental stewardship. More than $1 million has been raised by local conservation-oriented organizations to support endowment-building goals.  This challenge is made possible by leadership contributions from Gregg and Nancy Galbraith, Larry and Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Todd and Betty Parnell, and the Upper White River Basin Foundation. Addition support comes from Sally Baird, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks Philanthropy Initiative, Susie Henry, and Dr. Tom and Dr. Kim Prater.

Join the Penn-Sylvania Prairie BioBlitz — Free Event for the whole Family!

Across the country, nature lovers and professional biologists are teaming up to identify as many species as possible (the “bio”) in an area over the course of 24 hours (the “blitz”). The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF), a Community Foundation of the Ozarks Agency Partner, is hosting its own version with the Penn-Sylvania Prairie BioBlitz (flyer) on Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30.

Join experts in many natural history fields to locate, identify and document prairie amphibians, reptiles, birds, ants, butterflies, moths, bees, beetles, small mammals including bats, land snails, vascular plants, mosses, and liverworts and help inventory species on this biologically rich, original Missouri 160-acre prairie owned by MPF in Dade County.

The BioBlitz officially begins at 2pm on May 29 and lasts through the morning of the 30th. Participants may camp for free on the prairie Saturday night.

You should sign up for particular groups by RSVPing to info@moprairie.com. There will be concurrent activities Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday morning, so you can sign up to join up a group at each time. If you want to stay for the potluck picnic dinner on the 29th, please bring a dish to share, as well as snacks/breakfast for Sunday morning.

Saturday May 29, 2:00, individual groups will look for native bees, beetles, ants, butterflies, vascular plants and land snails.

Saturyday May 29, 6 or 6:30, potluck picnic, followed by stargazing, bat surveying, moth surveying and tent camping.

On Sunday morning, individual groups will look for birds, bryophytes, amphibians, reptiles and check small mammal traps.

Visit http://www.moprairie.org/Events.html for a detailed schedule of events.

RSVP to info@moprairie.com or call 1-888-843-6739.

The Marshfield Area Community Foundation, in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, recently announced the completion of a $5,000 dollar-for-dollar match to benefit the Marshfield community. Chip & Teresa McGeehan, owners of McDonald’s in Marshfield, made a $5,000 contribution to the Hidden Waters Nature Park Fund, an endowment fund providing long-term sustainable funding for the upkeep and maintenance of a local Marshfield park. This $5,000 gift earned the fund a $5,000 matching grant from the Community Foundation of the Ozark’s Stewardship Ozarks Initiative.

The three-year, $1 million Stewardship Ozarks Initiative is an effort to strengthen regional organizations that are committed to conservation efforts in the Missouri Ozarks. It focuses directly on the sustainability of conservation and environmental nonprofit groups, providing challenge grants to strengthen or establish endowment funds for environmental stewardship. This initiative is supported by a major gift from Johnny Morris on behalf of Wonders of Wildlife, as well as by leadership contributions from Gregg and Nancy Galbraith, Larry and Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Todd and Betty Parnell, and the Upper White River Basin Foundation. Additional support comes from Sally Baird, Community Foundation of the Ozarks Philanthropy Initiative, Susie Henry, and Dr. Tom and Dr. Kim Prater.

The Marshfield Area Community Foundation (MACF) is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. It is comprised of 22 funds with assets totaling approximately $365,000. In fiscal year 2009, the Marshfield Area Community Foundation granted more than $33,000 back to the community. To learn more about the MACF, please visit their website here.

PICTURE: From left to right: Dan Beckner, Hidden Waters Nature Park founder, Winter Skelton (CFO), and Barbara Herren (Marshfield Area Community Foundation board member) accept a check from Chip McGeehan.