Laura Semken is a seasoned volunteer and a naturalist, dedicating her time and efforts to restoring the connections within our ecosystems, and between us and nature. She exemplifies her passion in every program and event she leads, and she imparts her knowledge, wonder, and appreciation for the world around us with everyone.
When asked about her experience this past year, she had this to say:
I am dedicated to working with MCC as a naturalist because I am passionate about developing educational programs that inspire participants to then engage in environmental stewardship activities like restoring native plant communities, understanding bird populations in relation to native plants and studying monarch populations.
Last summer and fall I was able to host seven Monarch Journey programs for over 160 people. These programs explored the Monarch life cycle and conservation efforts that helped us better understand what Monarchs need to survive. Other programs explored bird biology and how restoring habitat leads to stronger, more resilient food webs. We learned about the challenges of raising a brood, migrating, and hunting for prey with experiential lessons. By the end of an MCC program I feel a calm invigoration settle in my bones. This is immersion learning at its finest; diving into the forest or prairie, getting covered in plant material, wading through tall grass, finding deer beds, hearing birds sing above my head from the tops of giant flowers. This is life worth sharing, worth connecting with, worth supporting.
In 2026, we hope to continue building on and expanding the amazing programs Laura leads, and a donation to Missouri Conservation Corps during CoMoGives 2025 will help Laura share the magic of nature with even more people.
