LICKING, Mo. — Curious about how the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) George O. White State Forest Nursery operates? Want to see how nursery staff grow, store, and ship millions of tree seedlings each year?
MDC invites the public to an open house on Saturday, March 26, with tours by appointment from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The nursery is located at 14027 Shafer Road, just north of Licking.
The tours will take guests behind the scenes through the seedling beds, sorting room, cold storage room, and more. Guests can also learn about Missouri’s native trees and plants, enjoy fishing at the nursery lake, meet Smokey Bear, watch a full-scale sawmill demonstration, and chat with Missouri’s conservation experts. Free hot dogs, chips, and cookies will be served throughout the day.
To reserve a tour time, call the nursery at (573) 674-3229.
The Missouri Department of Conservation’s state forest nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes. The nursery provides mainly one-year-old bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Orders are accepted through April 15, and supplies are limited. Find order information online at mdc.mo.gov/seedlings or pick up an order form at MDC regional offices and nature centers.
