(40) The Missouri Master Wildlifer Program: Enhancing Wildlife Conservation on Private Lands

Matt Seek -  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, MO; Mark Morgan - University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Session: Concurrent session B5:  Wildlife & Fisheries

Missouri's wildlife resource depends on management decisions made by private landowners, as over 93% of the land base is privately owned. The Missouri Master Wildlifer Program, conducted in partnership between MU Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation, provides a process for disseminating science-based information on wildlife ecology and management to private landowners. This "knowledge-based" program, consisting of 8 sessions and 24 hours of instruction, features a series of planned educational events on the biology of selected wildlife species and the management of their habitats. Session’s focus on the management of major ecological systems and emphasizes an understanding of basic ecological concepts and their application to wildlife management.  During 2006 and 2007, the program was delivered to MU Extension Centers using a combination of distance learning technologies, including Interactive Television and Videoconferencing. Over 300 landowners (impacting approximately 50,000 acres), wildlife enthusiasts and resource professionals participated.  To evaluate the program, participants voluntarily provided responses to a 34 question pre- and post-course assessment, developed to determine if knowledge of ecological and wildlife management concepts improved.   Questions were grouped into 8 Ecological Concept Areas (corresponding to the subject matter taught during each session) to facilitate analysis of responses using paired sample statistics. Mean responses of the learners perceived “current level of knowledge” and perceived “level of knowledge gained” indicate a significant increase in knowledge scores occurred (pre-knowledge mean: 2.1668; post-knowledge mean: 3.9928; using a Likert Rating Scale of 1-5).   A 6-month follow-up evaluation was also conducted to assess whether management practices were adopted.  Over 95% of the learners gained knowledge and skills enabling them to implement ecologically sound management practices for wildlife benefits on their property.  We conclude that Missouri Master Wildlifer is an effective educational model for delivering science-based information featuring ecological and wildlife management concepts to adult learners.

Robert A. Pierce II
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
302 ABNR Bldg.
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
573/882-4337
573/884-5070 Fax
piercer@missouri.edu