MPF’s Linden Prairie. Photo: R. S. Kinnerson
About the Missouri Prairie Foundation
The Missouri Prairie Foundation is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) land trust governed by a volunteer board of directors. A staff of five carries out daily operations of the organization and several technical advisors provide valuable technical assistance. Numerous, valued volunteers assist with prairie management and outreach activities.
The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) was founded in 1966 by a small group of conservation professionals and volunteers who were concerned about the rapid decline of greater prairie-chickens and the degradation and loss of grassland habitat throughout the state of Missouri. Since that time, MPF has grown and developed with several goals in mind, including the permanent protection of prairie habitat and the need for greater understanding of the role of native grasslands in wildlife conservation, energy security and carbon storage. MPF also became the home of the Grow Native! program in July 2012, and through this education and marketing program, promotes the use of native plants in the built environment and altered landscapes. Through its Grow Native! program, MPF also runs the Missouri Invasive Plant Council.
What began as an all-volunteer advocacy group has grown into an organization that both owns and/or manages more than 4,900 acres of land, produces one of North America’s only magazines on native grasslands and has members from more than 1,400 households in Missouri and across the United States. We continue to advocate for state-wide prairie protection. Our work would not be possible without the many hours of service from our dedicated board members, our generous members and other supporters, our loyal volunteers and our committed staff members.
Missouri Prairie Foundation Statement on Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Read about our first 50 years.
Read a summary of our work from 2016-2021.
Current Strategic Plan: 2022-2026
Our mission: The mission of the Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) is to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities through land acquisition, management, education, and research; to promote the use of native plants through its Grow Native! program; and to support the control of invasive plants through its administration of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council. Read more about our Vision and Mission.