Rudy Martinez, assistant manager, Springfield Conservation Nature Center

The nature center’s been here since 1998, and it’s funded by a one-eighth of 1 percent sales tax that Missouri citizens voted on. We sit on roughly 80 acres and have about three miles worth of hiking trails. In the building, we have a number of exhibits – aquariums, a cave exhibit, wildlife bird viewing area, also a kids’ play area with wildlife puppets, and also what we call a dark room that is narrated, describing different creatures of the night. We have temporary exhibits about every month. There is no admission fee.

So there are plenty of outdoor and indoor options?

We hold a number of programs for any organized group. We have the naturalists that lead the indoor programs, along with guided hikes on the trail, on a number of different topics – anything from food chains to wetlands, mammals, bird identification and wildflower identification.

When is the nature center open?

We are open seven days a week year-round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. The building’s open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. During the summer months – March 1 through Oct. 31 – the trails stay open until 9 p.m., and come Nov. 1, they revert back to 6 p.m.

Do the trail hikes have to be led?

Those are what we do for groups, but people can come out on their own, for instance, for a short hike. They’re welcome to hike on our trails, as well as Ozark Greenways (trails) that are adjacent to ours. So they can hike from the nature center all the way to Sequiota Park, for instance, if they would like.

How can people find out about programs and special events at the nature center?

We offer a newsletter for the general public, called The Harbinger. It’s a bimonthly format that lists all the programs that we offer for the general public. We try to offer something for all age groups. You can find our activities listed online at www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/cnc/springfd/.

Are there any renovations planned at the nature center?

We are going to be doing some renovations to a section of our trails along the Sycamore Cutoff Trail. We’re replacing some of the railroad ties that support the sides of the trails from erosion. They’re starting to decompose to the extent that they need replacing. So we’re going to replace those with recycled material. It’s going to look like a railroad tie, but it’s all recycled material. That’ll be going on throughout the summer. Sections of the trail may be closed off, but we’re going to keep that as minimal as possible.

How long have you been at the nature center, and what led you to it?

I’ve been here full time four years. I was brought up with the outdoors. My father introduced me to the outdoors with hunting and fishing at a very early age. Just through being outdoors and interacting with game wardens who would check my dad’s fishing license, hunting license, things like that, that kind of drew an interest there. Ever since, I’ve always been interested in this field. Eventually, I went to college to study conservation.

I started volunteering here as a volunteer naturalist in 1998 and became a seasonal naturalist soon after that. Then I became a full-time naturalist.

Tell us about your family and spare-time interests.

My wife, Alexandra, is from West Plains. That’s what brought me into the area. I grew up in Ohio and we actually met overseas because we were both in the Navy. We don’t have any kids yet, but we do have two dogs, Boone and Crockett. I’m still very active with the outdoors … hunting and fishing and I enjoy hiking and canoeing, all those same type of things that we try to promote and instill in people as far as natural resources go. I also enjoy trapping.