Southern Exposure

It’s almost as if the guy was invented by Hollywood.
He’s the perfect southern gentleman, topped off with a precise southern brogue.
He’s a man’s man, rugged and sturdy but with a demeanor that is calm and disarming. And charming … oh, brother … the ladies must love him. He is Georgia born, raised and highly dedicated to its heritage and history. He loves his homeland and believe it or not, he carries around a small bottle of red-clay dirt from his homestead whenever he leaves his beloved ground.
And wanna hear the kicker to his introduction? His name is Ted Touchstone. I kid you not.
I received a call from Ted a couple weeks ago, explaining that he was a retired 34-year wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“Sir, may I have just a short moment of your time? I promise I won’t keep you too long from your work,” he said, almost apologizing.
“Mr. Touchstone…you can have all the time you need.”
Turns out he was going to be visiting his friend Joanna, a life-long resident of Eastern Jackson County, in the near future and wanted to know whether I or someone in the Conservation Department could spare a minute or two to talk about the good work of the agency.
“Well, Mr. Touchstone … certainly I could … or anyone of several thousand employees or retirees. It’s our passion, not just our jobs.”
“Fantastic. I’m so pleased. You sir, are a real gentleman!”
“Wow,” I thought to myself. “I know the south is famous for its cordiality … but this is way beyond the pale.”
Ever meet someone and know in the first couple of seconds you like them immensely? Well, that was Ted Touchstone.
But the kicker was that the guy was a co-host of an outdoor radio show along with Doug Walker of WRGA in Rome … Georgia, that is … and the minute or two he wanted to talk about the Missouri outdoors was going to be on the radio. He would come to the Show-Me State and he preferred to do it someplace in Blue Springs.
“Great,” I told him. “I’d love to line up some guests for you, and we’ve got a beautiful nature center called Burr Oak Woods with a lovely bird-viewing room. Heck, you might even see a couple gobblers or two.”
Well, you’d thought I’d just told Ted he’d won the lotto. Again, I was on the better end of some good ole fashion southern lovin.’
Then several days later I again talked to Ted while he was on the road to Missouri. I explained I had lined up Mark Nelson, a regional forestry supervisor; Todd Gemeinhardt, fisheries biologist; Chris Blunk, a wildlife biologist as well as Assistant Director Tim Ripperger from Jefferson City. That’s when things really got interesting.
The little radio chat turned into a 90-minute, full-blown broadcast live from Burr Oak Woods. Ted would host the remote in Missouri, Doug would be back in the studios in Georgia. And, again, what would be the subject matter?
“What a terrific outdoor opportunity the citizens of Missouri have … and how wise they were to create such an excellent Conservation Department,” he expressed. “You know, it’s the model for all such agencies around the country, and the one that students study when they’re in college.”
You know, it feels pretty good knowing that the people you work with are highly thought of … but when someone from another state wants to come and talk about it for 90 minutes on a popular radio station, then you can’t help but notice an extra spring in your step.
Turns out that the Walker-Touchstone show is very much like the old 61 Country Show starring David Lawrence and, who could forget, Fat Boy. In that I mean big audience, a big slice of humor and lots of good ole boy outdoor chit-chat.
Needless to say, our very own Burr Oak Woods and Conservation Department got a very good talkin’ up to the good folks in Georgia last week.
“My partner Ted Touchstone is on the road this morning,” Doug said from the WRGA studios back in Georgia, “so it looks like we’re going to have to change our bumper music from John Denver to Willie Nelson…
“He’s at the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Missouri … good morning guys!”
“Doug we’re all here,” Ted responded. “We’ve got biologists, fisheries biologists, foresters … even an assistant director. I am so impressed.”
    And so it went; each of the conservation professionals talking about their expertise and how the state’s commitment to nature, hunting and fishing is paying big dividends in both outdoor opportunities and related revenue that is generated. Had Independence, Blue Springs and even the state of Missouri pooled their marketing budgets it couldn’t have generated the priceless good press that we got in WRGA’s coverage area of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee last week.
“I must honestly say, and I mean it,” Ted said as he continued his on-air conversation with Tim Ripperger, “You are the best … the best conservation agency anywhere. If you quiz any wildlife biologist … nine out of 10 will concur. Congratulations, but how can we get more states operating in the same way you do?”
The truth is, though, it’s no big secret how you do it and Ripperger was quick with the answer.
“The key to the whole idea of a conservation tax … the 1/8 of one percent of sales tax … is citizen support. You’ve got to have that support, and you’ve got to have key conservation leaders around the state to step up to the plate to plan and initiate an action you want to do in your particular state.
“We’re blessed to have an organization called the Conservation Federation of Missouri…
“I thank you so much for your comments and compliments about our department and our state. But when you combine the citizen’s support and the commitment of the employees that’s what carries us to that level that you describe.”
Afterward, I had the opportunity to show Ted around the area even more. Earlier this week, we even made a lunch date and Joanna agreed to join us. But an unforeseen meeting forced me to have to cancel before he headed home to Rome.
“You definitely owe me a lunch, sir!” he scolded me. “And I’m not talkin’ ‘bout you buying. I’m payin’ for your lunch … but we can’t let this end here.”
I suggested that since he loved what he saw in Missouri so much, he’d be wise to just stick around.
Without saying a word, he simply got into his pocket … pulled out his small amber bottle and held it up. I got his message.
“Tell ya what, sir, how ‘bout I come to your neck of the woods and we do a little bird huntin’.”
“Sir, you are welcome anytime in the glorious state of Georgia.”
The perfect southern gentleman to the end.