NATIONAL AUDUBON: SOCIETY OPENS STATE OFFICE

Jefferson City -- National Audubon Society, the nation's largest conservation organization dedicated to conservation and education focusing on birds, other wildlife and habitat, has opened a state office in Missouri. The new office represents a partnership of 14 Audubon chapters and over 9000 members in Missouri. The mission of Audubon Missouri is "to conserve and restore Missouri's ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, through habitat preservation and restoration, advocacy, education, public awareness." The new state office is located in Jefferson City.

Executive Director for Missouri Audubon is Russell Sewell, former vice president of program development and education for Pheasants Forever in St. Paul, Minnesota. Russ also directed Pheasant Forever's nationally acclaimed Leopold Education Project, a land ethics based curriculum that uses the writings of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. Sewell brings years of experience in conservation and wildlife education to the new office. He completed his master's degree at South Dakota State University studying the flora and fauna colonization of restored prairie wetlands. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota -Duluth. He has a diverse employment background that includes college teaching and program administration. Sewell also has worked as a wildlife researcher and manager with university departments and federal agencies. He is the author of several publications and served as technical advisor to the award winning documentary film "Land of the Ringneck."

"Audubon wanted to have a presence in central Missouri as it develops its mission to create Audubon Education Centers around the state and eventually to reach one in four school children. By the year 2020, National Audubon Society

will create more than 1,000 Audubon Centers across the nation. We plan for several of those to be in Missouri," says Sewell, who has been traveling throughout the state meeting with community leaders and Audubon chapters.

According to Sewell, Audubon Missouri will be involved in conservation issues that affect the citizens of this state in addition to creating centers that will serve diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The centers will be community-based and revolve around a protected place in the community. In many cases, the centers will be cooperative efforts with other organizations and agencies. "We want to have an important presence in Missouri communities, where we can help build a relationship between people and the natural world and give families and individuals the knowledge, skills and motivation to act to protect the environment," says Sewell.

Audubon Missouri has been successful in acquiring several grants for conservation and land use work according to Sewell. A grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will allow Audubon to work cooperatively with the Missouri Department of Conservation to conduct breeding bird surveys. This project will involve a dedicated corps of Audubon birders in monitoring important bird habitat. Another grant will allow Audubon Missouri to expand the collection, processing, cataloging and field production of native prairie plants vital to Missouri's ground nesting and prairie birds. This project will be a partnership with private landowners and several Missouri organizations and agencies.

Mike Doyen, chair of Audubon Missouri's Board of Directors, says, "We are very excited to have our own National Audubon Society office in Missouri and we are honored to have brought someone of Russ Sewell's caliber to direct our efforts. Our members, other citizens of the state and the wildlife and natural resources of Missouri will all benefit."

To contact the Audubon Missouri office, call (573) 634-7089 in Jefferson City or e-mail rsewell@audubon.org.