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A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- KRCU Public Radio at Southeast Missouri State University was recently awarded a grant from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) in support of the station’s local Discover Nature program. Through a Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Partnership grant, MCHF provided $8,000 to help produce the local program on the National Public Radio (NPR)-member station found at 90.9 FM and 88.9 FM.
"The Discover Nature radio program provides appealing reminders about the natural world around us," said Rick Thom, Executive Vice President of MCHF. "We are pleased to support this program to help MDC and KRCU spread the conservation message."
Discover Nature airs Monday mornings at 7:49 am during Morning Edition, NPR’s flagship news magazine. Each weekly topic is written by MDC staff to help listeners discover nature by highlighting timely marvels in the outdoors, according to Discover Nature host and MDC media specialist Candice Davis.
“Tales of river otters, Luna moths, redbuds, and other actors take center stage to promote conservation by including information on species and natural community management and restoration,” Davis said.
This timely and topical program is the audio counterpart of the MDC’s Natural Events Calendar.
According to KRCU general manager Dan Woods, the priorities of the MCHF, the MDC and the Discover Nature program align perfectly with the goals of public radio.
“Public broadcasting helps educate children and provides high quality programming and materials for classroom instruction,” Woods said. “The goal to help southeast Missouri families discover nature fits perfectly with our mission.”
The MCHF is a nonprofit, charitable organization that helps meet financial needs placed on natural resource conservation and conservation-related outdoor recreation. Since 1997, the MCHF has provided more than $10 million for conservation and outdoor recreation. The Foundation receives funding from the Stream Stewardship Trust Fund, sales of Conservation Heritage license plates, private and public grants and individual donations.
This grant from the MCHF will enable the continuation of the Discover Nature radio program, which went on the air in March of 2009. Missouri’s fish, forests and wildlife are so abundant, KRCU envisions many years of continuation for the Discover Nature series in partnership with MDC staff.
As the area’s source for diverse musical programming and award winning NPR news, KRCU strives to continuously excel in providing the highest quality public radio programming to Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. Nearly 1.9 million people within the listening area have the opportunity to tune in to KRCU 90.9 FM which is a 6,500 watt station located in Cape Girardeau and KSEF 88.9 FM, a 20,000 watt repeater station located in Farmington. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day from the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. More information, including podcasts of Discover Nature, can be found at www.krcu.org.
