Conservation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed Mead’s milkweed as a threatened species in 1988. Researchers at the Missouri Botanical Garden have discovered that saving the species is much simpler than previously thought.

Lake sturgeon are ancient creatures that have survived cataclysmic events over millions of years. But scientists worry they might not survive us.

Missouri and Illinois are among dozens of states that have yet to submit plans for improving air quality in protected areas. Environmental nonprofits are suing the EPA to compel the agency to take action.

Nearly half of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction. New research from the Missouri Botanical Garden aims to better predict which species can be grown outdoors in St. Louis.

Hellbenders once thrived in cold, fast-moving Missouri streams, but their populations have plummeted since the 1980s.

Missouri state officials are considering whether to extend the harvest seasons for eight wildlife species.

Wild turkey populations in Missouri have taken a nosedive in the past 15 years. Biologists say the declines are connected to dwindling numbers of baby turkeys statewide.

The number of trumpeter swans spotted at the Audubon Center at Riverlands in West Alton has swelled in recent decades, from just five in 1991 to nearly 900 last year.

Creating wetlands in farm country can reduce the severity of flooding downstream. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative and Ducks Unlimited have partnered to create more wetlands in the Mississippi River basin.

Missouri's black bears were decimated in the early 20th century, but have come back in recent years. With an estimated 800 bears now living in the state, the Department of Conservation is holding a regulated hunt to help with population control.