Sarah Foran of Warrenton received an award by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Protection Division for donating 500 hours of volunteer service.Foran was presented with a framed wildlife print to commemorate her exceptional service.MDC District Protection Supervisor Scott Corley and Lincoln County Conservation Agent and MDC Protection Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Eulinger presented the 500-hour service award to Foran this past June at MDC’s St. Louis Regional Office in St. Charles.Another MDC Protection Division volunteer, Dan Busekrus of Troy, also received a 500-hour service award.“Both Dan and Sarah have made significant contributions to help conservation agents in the St. Louis region protect and conserve Missouri’s fish, forest, and wildlife resources,” said Eulinger.MDC’s Protection Division and its conservation agents are charged with enforcing the Wildlife Code of Missouri, which governs the state’s hunting and fishing activity.Agents also help facilitate hunter education in their counties, perform numerous public outreach activities, work with private landowners and assist Missourians with enjoying natural resources in many other ways.“The primary mission of the protection volunteer program is to aid and assist Protection Division personnel in providing quality service to Missouri’s citizens through a coordinated program of resource law enforcement, education, information, and one-on-one contacts,” Eulinger said.Protection volunteers work with local conservation agents by assisting with programs, group patrols, surveys and ride-alongs as conservation agents enforce the Wildlife Code of Missouri throughout their assigned county.The protection volunteer program also can provide an opportunity for participants to gain valuable, hands-on experience working with the protection division to help prepare them for a career as a conservation agent.For more information about MDC volunteer programs, go to http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z4s.MDC