A special event at St. Louis County’s Meramec Valley Library in Fenton at 6:30 p.m., July 22, will emphasize how residents can protect the natural wonders of our state parks.
The event will feature outdoor writers and speakers and a slide show on some of the state’s beloved natural wonders. These sites are sometimes “loved too much” by visitors, and they are increasingly suffering costly damage from severe weather.
Among the speakers at the July 22 meeting will be Michael Meredith, a Missouri Master Naturalist with over 5,000 hours of volunteer service. He also is a member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s Executive Committee.
Additionally, Meredith is an OpenSpace STL Community Stewardship Ambassador for the Mallard Lake portion of Creve Coeur Lake Park, and also serves on the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
His wife Sue is a past 3-term member of the Missouri statehouse.
Outdoor writer Don Corrigan, author of two guidebooks to Missouri‘s natural wonders, also will provide insights on the state’s wonders to be found in parks and special places.
Corrigan’s new 2026 book, Scenic Missouri, caters to hikers and bikers, poets and philosophers, tree huggers and flower children. They will all take delight in the guide by writer Corrigan and outdoor photographer Diana Linsley.
The OpenSpace Council, Aududon Society, and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment are all asking state residents to take a good look at Amendment 1 which has been placed on the Aug. 4 ballot. It is a key piece of protection for our state parks and related outdoor areas.
Please see the information (below) accompanying this article that is provided by the Missouri Parks Association:
Remember to VOTE. As many of you know, Amendment 1 has been placed on the August 4 ballot. The future of Missouri’s State Parks, Soil & Water Sales Tax will be decided by voters in less than a month. Missouri Amendment 1 on the upcoming primary election ballot asks voters whether to renew the state’s existing 0.1% sales and use tax to fund state parks, historic sites, and soil and water conservation efforts.
The ballot question reads, “Shall Missouri continue for 10 years the one-tenth of one percent sales/use tax that is used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites, and resubmit this tax to the voters for approval in 10 years?” The measure allows continued collection of the existing sales and use tax, which generates revenue of approximately $140 million annually. It is important to note, the amendment does not create a new tax if approved, but rather maintains the long-established 0.001% tax that is up for renewal every 10 years.
Environmental Echo 