Ozark Research Field Station

  • The Ozark Research Field Station is a  living laboratory dedicated to education, research, and environmental discovery. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and conveniently located minutes off of Route 66, the station is home to diverse habitats including fens, wetlands, and upland oak-hickory forests. The station offers researchers, organizations, students and faculty a unique opportunity to study the Ozark ecosystem firsthand.  The Ozark Research Field Station brings learning beyond the classroom through unique, place-based courses taught by Missouri S&T faculty from a range of academic disciplines. These immersive experiences connect students and educators with the natural world while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.  The ORFS also serves as a hub for community engagement, offering programs and partnerships that inspire environmental awareness and hands-on learning.  

  • North America
  • 16300 County Road 7550
  • United States
  • Newburg
  • MO
  • 65550
  • 37
  • 91
  • ozarkresearch@mst.edu
  • https://case.mst.edu/research/centers/ozark-research-field-station/
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • Robin Verble
  • ozarkresearch@mst.edu
  • Director
  • 400 West 11th Street, Rolla MO 65409
  • 573-341-7274
  • Robin Verble & Dave Duvernell
  • ozarkresearch@mst.edu
  • Robin Verble
  • ozarkresearch@mst.edu
  • 1-100
  • USFS
  • 1-2
  • 3-5
  • 21-50
  • 1-25
  • On Grid
  • 21-40 minutes
  • Onsite public programs
  • Terrestrial
  • Temperate Forest
  • 101-300 meters
  • 301-750 meters
  • C (temperate)
  • Rural
  • Yes
  • 25
  • 50
  • 25
Year Founded
2017
Year Joined OBFS
2018
Size of Field Station (hectares)
1-100
FSML Web Address
https://case.mst.edu/research/centers/ozark-research-field-station/

Private nonprofit organization?
No
Universities affiliated / Parent Organization
Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
USFS
Member of the Virtual Field
No

Additional Information

Private nonprofit organization?
Names of Universities affilated
0
Federal, state, or local governmental partners?
USFS
Name of partner
Tribal partners/users
No
MSI/HBCU users
No
Community College users
Member of the Virtual Field
No

Visiting a FS/ML

Open to the Public
Yes
Year round staff
1-2
Seasonal staff
3-5
Overnight housing facilities/# of beds
21-50
Distance to emergency services
21-40 minutes
Library
Yes
Hiking trails
Internship employment
Yes

Environmental Information

Biomes
Temperate Forest
Minimum Elevation
101-300 meters
Maximum Elevation
301-750 meters
Köppen climate classification
C (temperate)
Freshwater habitats
Yes
Urban or rural
Agricultural fields
No

Research

REU host station
No
Dry lab space
Yes
Wet Lab space
Research vessels available
Yes
GIS capacity on site
Long term data sets
No
On site herbarium or voucher species
Formal Data Management Plan
Mesocosms, plots, stream diversions, or other sets ups for outdoor manipulative experiments
Yes
Date Joined OBFS
February 16, 2026