The South Central Ozark Council of Governments (SCOCOG) has been awarded a $100,000 grant from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, along with a matching grant of $33,333 from the South Central Solid Waste Management District, officials announced Tuesday afternoon.  more

Photographer Bob Anderson spent his day Wednesday capturing images of the natural beauty of snowfall on his property just outside of West Plains. Both of these photos were taken with his iPhone Pro Max 13 camera. Anderson is a regular contributor of nature photography to the Quill and another of his photos can be seen on Page 3 of today’s newspaper. The Quill welcomes submissions of all kinds of artwork to be featured on the Arts Page, published the last Saturday of each month. To submit a piece for publication, email news@wpdailyquill.net with the subject line “Arts Page,” and include a description of the image; its title; the name, location and age (if a youth) of the artist; and any other information that may be of interest to readers, such as where to see more, how to purchase or commission artwork or what inspired the piece. more

Many of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s more than 1,000 conservation areas and natural areas around the state are popular sites for photographers and videographers of all levels. The areas are often ideal locations to capture images and video of area wildlife and local landscapes, to photograph or film people enjoying outdoor activities, and to take family and other group photos or video. more

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) on Friday announced regulation changes for the 2023-24 deer-hunting season, as well as dates for harvesting turkey and deer. more

With the early youth firearms portion of deer season freshly in the past and archery season underway, West Plains Daily Quill is continuing a competitive element to its long-held tradition of publishing photos of hunters free of charge. more

This week of the fall photography contest series, “Ozarks Sunset,” proved to a week great submissions. Several of them could have easily been named the winner. The Quill would like to thank all the photographers who took the time to submit their work. more

With fall returning to the Ozarks, photo worthy scenery will soon be all around. The West Plains Daily Quill is launching the second annual fall photography contest series: For the next seven weeks, a theme will be announced on each Saturday’s Outdoors Page with the details for that week’s theme. more

With beauty abounding in this neck of the woods, it is possible to take off walking in pretty much any direction, from any starting point, and have an enjoyable hike. With this column, I like to highlight some of my favorite hikes and hopefully turn some of you on to places you’ve yet to discover. more

Welcome back, my dear fellow explorers, to The Plains West of Thomasville. Where each week I take you along as I explore everything these Ozark hills have to offer. As always, the hope is that you will read my stories, see my photographs, and feel spurred to go out and have adventures of your own. more

Ozark National Scenic Riverways Superintendent Jason Lott announced the selection of new members of the park’s management team. Stacey Griffin was selected as the chief of administration, assuming her position May 8. William Terry was chosen as the chief of facility management and joined the staff Aug. 29. more

Ozark National Scenic Riverways will celebrate and remember the Alley community of yesteryear from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday. All are invited to attend the free event, which will be hosted in partnership with the Shannon County Museum Association and Ozark Riverways Foundation. more

Ozark National Scenic Riverways will be hosting an annual volunteer event in recognition of this year’s National Public Lands Day on Saturday at locations along the Jacks Fork River and middle Current River.  more

Late summer mushroom hunting season is here, and the fall season will soon be upon us. more

Columbia, Mo.—The Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP), alongside the Grow Native! native plant marketing and education program, is highlighting fall as an ideal time of year to plant native trees. From September 15th through October 15th, MoIP will be promoting information about the types of trees that are native to Missouri, as well as planting tips and tricks to help give your new tree a great start at a new life. more

The Missouri Conservation Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation are seeking nominations of Missourians who make or have made outstanding contributions to conservation in Missouri for their Master Conservationist award and Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame award. more

Area residents who have made it nearly halfway through June without turning on their air conditioners may be considering a change in practice by Sunday. The National Weather Service long-range … more

“What plant is that” is a commonly heard question on hikes, camping trips, and other outdoor outings. Now that spring has greened up the outdoors, it’s a great time to take a guided … more

One of the keys to being successful at fly fishing is learning how to cast. People can learn more about how to cast with fly fishing equipment at the free Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) … more

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Tim Stillings of Morrisville for catching a 7-pound, 8-ounce walleye from the Sac River. Stillings caught the fish May 16 using a trotline. … more

When it comes to things people are afraid of in the outdoors, venomous snakes top many fright lists. While it’s true people should always give venomous snakes space, it’s equally true … more