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Owner, Mark McKellar, received his B. S. in Fish & Wildlife Science in May of 1984 from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Having developed his interest in all aspects of nature through Boy Scouts, it wasnt until the summer of 1983 that he became fascinated with birds.

Mark worked as a field biologist for the Department of Defense at Fort Bragg, NC and as a wildlife management specialist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission before making the switch to environmental education. A stint developing and teaching nature programs for the North Carolina Museum of Life & Science in Durham, NC led him to accept the position of Assistant Nature Center Manager at the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs, MO.
Not one to turn down a challenge, Mark accepted the position as Director of the then struggling Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary in Liberty. After four years at MLTNS, Mark accepted the position as Executive Director for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. This turned out to be a short stay as Marks wife Melanies company transferred them back to Kansas City after just a year. As no nature center positions were available, Mark took the position of Western Missouri Field Representative for The Nature Conservancy. Because his love of teaching just wouldnt go away, Mark and his wife Melanie purchased the Backyard Bird Center in March of 2002.
Throughout Marks career, the common thread has been birds. He has led hundreds of nature hikes and programs. He has led birding expeditions from California to Maine and never passes up a chance to explore new areas for birds. Each year Mark volunteers his time to conduct Breeding Bird Survey Routes and migration counts here in Missouri.
As Mark likes to say, Come by and lets talk birds.
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