The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Community Forester, Ann Koenig, is retiring this year. In fact, I just attended her retirement party, two days before writing this piece, at the MDC Central Regional Office. Surrounded by a roomful of foresters, biologists, land specialists, nonprofit leaders, MDC administrators, family and community members, Ann was as talkative and energetic at the end of her 28th year at MDC as she was when she first started out. Ann Koenig has been a steady partner, ally and champion of our organization, Missouri Conservation Corps, since our very early days in 2021. Indeed, our nonprofit might not exist had it not been for Ann’s encouragement and guidance in her role at MDC.
The first time I worked with Ann was on a schoolyard forestry project back in 2015. I was serving on the Outdoor Classroom Committee at Columbia’s Russell Elementary School, and our group of parents and volunteers was very interested in planting trees on the school’s campus. When we connected with the Community Forester from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Ann Koenig, we were guided on a path that led us from an optimistic plan for tree-planting, to a detailed funding proposal that included a professional landscape architect’s plan that focused on native trees, a cost-share summary, and an educational component that would help us introduce the new trees to the students and the teachers at Russell Elementary. The plan was accepted by Columbia Public Schools, and the funding was approved by MDC. In April 2017, 38 new trees were planted at Russell Elementary School. I have a wonderful photo of my kindergarten-age sone standing next to one of the new balled and burlapped trees before planting took place.
The next time I got a chance to work with Ann was in the fall of 2021. I had teamed up with a fellow member of the Outdoor Classroom Committee to start organizing volunteer workdays in Columbia’s Kiwanis Park, and the goal was to cut and remove honeysuckle from this 20-acre park in central Columbia. Ann was very supportive of our efforts in the park, and she encouraged our group to formalize our efforts by applying for 501c3 status and by drafting a funding proposal to the Missouri Department of Conservation. We organized a board of directors, chose Missouri Conservation Corps as our organization’s name, and officially achieved our nonprofit status with the IRS.
Our early board meetings were held in park shelters, coffee shops, and in meeting rooms at the Columbia Public Library. In December 2022 we entered the first year of a three-year funding agreement with MDC, offering volunteer work events, tree-planting events, and educational opportunities to interested community members. Three years later, we have expanded our goals to include an emphasis on environmental education, urban tree planting and community engagement. Without Ann Koenig and her incredible energy and infectious enthusiasm, our organization would not be where it is today. Thank you so much Ann for your assistance, guidance, and support! We will miss you in Columbia!
Stephen Bybee
Project Director
Missouri Conservation Corps
