HANNIBAL, Mo. — For many, our connections to the natural world have taken on new significance over the past year and spending time in nature has provided a safe haven for living life outside our homes. Even the origins of the coronavirus pandemic reveal important lessons about how we think about our connections to ecological communities.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a series of virtual presentations based on the One Health approach to understanding these connections. This interdisciplinary lens offers opportunities to evaluate how plants, animals, and human health intertwine. Studying the topics at the intersection of these themes provides teachers timely and relevant, science-based content to incorporate into their classroom lessons.

“The health of people is connected to, even dependent on the health of animals and the environment,” said MDC State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Sherri Russell. “Therefore, it is vital to solve the interconnected challenges in all three of these areas.”

The One Health speaker series will consist of five 60-minute virtual sessions, each focused on a unique topic. Seminars will take place 3:45–4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays this spring:  

• March 2 Preventing the next pandemic: One Health solutions MDC State Wildlife Veterinarian Sherri Russell
• March 23 Trees Work: A One Health campaign rooted in Missouri MDC Natural Resources Communications Specialist Holly Dentner
• April 13 Physiological responses to contaminants in a One Health context MDC Ecotoxicology and Conservation Physiology Program Coordinator Katrina Knott
• May 4 Toxic algae: Working together to keep nature and people healthy MDC Water Pollution Biologist Becca O’Hearn
• TBD One Health connections between urban agriculture, pollinators, and human health MDC Urban Wildlife Biologist Erin Shank

MDC invites educators to register for any or all of these FREE webinars via MDC’s online Teacher Portal at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/teacher-portal/teacher-workshops. Teachers will need to create an account in the Teacher Portal and then register for each session listed under Teacher Workshops.

For more information about this unique opportunity, contact MDC Conservation Educator Kathi Moore at Kathi.Moore@mdc.mo.gov or (573) 248-2530, ext. 6378.