Conservation Honor for Dan and Connie Burkhardt

The Missouri Department of Conservation recently recognized a Frontenac couple whose fingerprints can be found on some of the state's most beloved outdoor spaces.

Dan and Connie Burkhardt were honored with the Missouri Conservation Commission’s Master Conservationist Award during the commission’s May 29 meeting in Washington. The award is one of the highest conservation honors given in Missouri and recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the state's natural resources.

For the Burkhardts, that work has stretched across years and across miles of trail, prairie, forest, and river country.

Commission Chair Margy Eckelkamp said the couple's impact on conservation, especially along the Katy Trail, reaches far beyond any single project.

Their efforts have included restoring historic buildings, planting burr oak trees, supporting children's conservation programs, removing invasive honeysuckle, creating native tree plantings, and helping preserve prairie habitat.

“Their conservation restoration efforts along the Katy Trail are numerous,” Eckelkamp said while presenting the award.

MDC Director Jason Sumners described the Burkhardts as people who wear many hats but always keep conservation at the center of their work.

“They serve as visionaries, motivators, educators, documentarians, philanthropists, team builders, and selfless conservationists,” Sumners said. “Their tireless efforts to preserve, promote, and improve our state will have lasting impacts for generations.”

One of the couple’s most visible accomplishments began in 2010 when they established the Katy Land Trust. The idea grew out of their decision to place their own Warren County property into a conservation easement.

Their goal was simple. Protect the land and encourage others to think about long-term conservation.

The trust focuses on preserving the agricultural, scenic, and natural resources found along the Katy Trail corridor. That effort later expanded into Magnificent Missouri, an organization dedicated to increasing appreciation for the Katy Trail and the final 100 miles of the Missouri River Valley through education, events, and community projects.

Along the way, the Burkhardts have helped turn ideas into destinations.

One of their best-known projects is the Ted and Pat Jones Welcome Center in Treloar. The couple purchased and restored the historic mercantile building before donating it to the state. Today, it serves as the only state-park-operated welcome center along the Katy Trail.

They also breathed new life into the historic Peers Store, transforming it into what they call a Conservation Outpost. Visitors can stop in for music, artwork, refreshments, and a chance to enjoy the nearby Peers Prairie.

The Burkhardts have also been strong supporters of Rock Island Trail State Park. They have spent years helping raise money for preservation and development efforts, often contributing their own financial resources to keep projects moving forward.

Their support extends beyond trails and parks. The couple has also backed conservation groups, including the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

Sumners said the Burkhardts have inspired others to think bigger when it comes to protecting Missouri's natural resources.

“From the Katy Land Trust to Magnificent Missouri, their efforts to conserve land and water for public use have inspired many to think bigger than themselves,” he said.

That may be the lasting theme behind the award. The projects are important, but so is the example.

For years, Dan and Connie Burkhardt have invested their time, energy, and resources into places they believed were worth saving. Now, those efforts are being recognized as part of Missouri's conservation legacy.

And thanks to their work, future generations will have more trails to explore, more prairie to enjoy, and more reasons to appreciate the outdoors.