Congratulations to member Jim Mayes, who was named the Missouri Forestkeepers Network 2007 Land Steward of the Year at the annual Missouri Community Forestry Council Conference in March. (This year, no Environmental Educator of the Year award was given.)

Jim is retired and likes to work outside. He and his wife Brenda have two properties in Webster County outside of Marshfield, Missouri — 80 acres on Turnbo Creek and another 173 acres north of there, where he has about 60 head of cattle. One of the Network’s newer members, Jim joined the program in 2005 and has regularly submitted activity reports since then. In 2007, he reported that he and the others involved in his projects volunteered 671 hours, the equivalent of more than 16 weeks of full-time work! Many of these hours involved Forestkeepers projects with his two grandsons, Zachary and Nathaniel.

The Mayes family conducted tree observations to assess the health of the trees on both properties, conducted a mast survey and planted trees. Jim also attended a number of meetings during the year to learn more about best practices for his land and livestock, and express his concerns about environmental and conservation issues.

He is a Rotary Club member and helped unload trees for a large volunteer tree-planting in Marshfield. Other projects during the year included cleaning up storm-damaged trees, treating unwanted vegetation, installing food plots for turkey and deer, maintaining and protecting the water sources on his property, and picking up trash in the creek and along the roads fronting his property.

Jim has found the Missouri Forestkeepers Network to be a very helpful resource as a private landowner (and grandparent!). Through his efforts in 2007, he demonstrated excellent stewardship of his land and his desire to share his conservation values with his two grandsons.