University of Missouri
OP-T2-20: Wildlife Habitat

The Baskett Wildlife Research and Education Center is owned by the University and operated by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. The Baskett Research and Education Area (BREA), a 2,266-acre facility located five miles east of Ashland, Mo., on Highway Y, is an integral part of the School of Natural Resources mission of teaching, research and extension. The University's objectives for the area were to: * Operate and manage the area as an arboretum and wildlife refuge; * Conduct investigations, experiments and research studies in botany, zoology, wildlife and game management. These objectives have been held to throughout the history of the Baskett Wildlife Area. BREA is used as an outdoor laboratory for several classes including dendrology, ornithology and resource measurements, and has been the source of more than 125 publications. Students and faculty work together on a variety of projects including the development of strategies to mitigate invasive species, wildlife population research, investigation into predation and predatory patterns, the absorption of carbon dioxide in natural environments and much more. Students in the wildlife management techniques class live at Baskett for a week during August and carry out exercises night and day. Although the environment is much more challenging than any classroom, without exception, these students rank this week as one of the more enjoyable and informative experiences in their college education.