Environmental Echo

by Don Corrigan

Ever since the introduction of gasoline engine, cars and roadways, our highly-mobile highway culture has exacted a tremendous toll on our companions – earth’s creatures.

Scientists estimate the animal fatalities in the U.S. number one million per day. Many early “roadkill scholars” hail from the Midwest, perhaps because of the first casualties on the “Mother Road” known as Route 66.

Creature killings by cars have littered Route 66 from Chicago, to St. Louis, and onto L.A. for 100 Years.  It should be no surprise that so-called “Roadkill Cafés” sprouted up along U.S. Highway 66 and featured menus with items like “Rack of Raccoon,” “Bambi Burgers,” and “Long-Gone Fawn.”

Route 66 was established on Nov. 11, 1926. Two years before that, scientists Dayton Stoner and his wife, ornithologist Lillian Stoner, began the first creature casualty counts on Iowa highways.

Their research has been followed by roadkill studies of zoologist Joseph Grinnell, James R. Simmons, and Roger Knutson who was mortified by the flattened fauna in his native Michigan. He wrote a book, “Flattened Fauna” which invites readers to count and monitor motorway mayhem in their own locales.

Roadway deaths have been chronicled in popular culture in paintings, sculpture, film, and music from Loudon Wainwright III’s “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road, to the more recent work of Phish with “Possum, Possum.” Animal roadway deaths are not all the same, as journalists and artists have discovered. Different creatures are hit at different times of the year, and they react to oncoming vehicles in different ways.

Here’s some insight on just a few of the losers in the mortal combat on our highways and byways:

• Take the SKUNK, for example. Roadkill skunks are memorialized in a very famous song by Loudon Wainwright III. The most famous cartoon skunk is Pepé Le Pew, who fell in love with the Loony Tunes character, Penelope Pussycat. Skunks are our friends because they eat enormous numbers of grubs, yellow jackets, mice, rats, and voles.

• POSSUMS as roadkill are memorialized in a very famous song by Phish. The most famous cartoon possum is Pogo Possum, the gentle, philosophical star of Walt Kelly’s iconic newspaper comic strip Pogo. Possums are our friends because they eat millions of ticks. And Climate Change has some very disease-prone ticks migrating northward in the USA. For example, the Lone Star Tick is transmitting Alpha Gal disease.

(This article is excerpted from a full presentation to be given by writer Don Corrigan at the Midwest Popular Culture Association (MPCA) conference in Muncie, Indiana, from Oct. 9-11. Corrigan is the author of American Roadkill by McFarland Publishing.)

A special event on state nature sites, sponsored by MoNep (Missouri Nature & Environmental Photographers), is slated for the theatre at Powder Valley Nature Center at 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The event is free and open to the public, but MDC registration is necessary. Register: https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/219665.

This presentation is by author Don Corrigan and photographer Diana Linsley, who recently published Scenic Natural Wonders of Missouri. They will share stories and images of some of the places of great beauty in Missouri.

Their book is an outdoor nature guide featuring more than 80 sites of natural wonder in the Show-Me State and offers valuable insights on how to visit and enjoy each of them.

For those interested the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event. Don Corrigan has served for more than 40 years as a professor of journalism at Webster University. He was also the editor and co-publisher of  Webster-Kirkwood Times, South County Times, and West End Word.

Diana Linsley is a MONEP member and has been a professional photographer for more than 40 years. She served as photographer for the Webster-Kirkwood Times, South County Times, and West End Word.

She has exhibited her nature photography at galleries throughout Missouri. Her work is on the website https://www.scenicnaturalwonders.com/.

Corrigan’s reporting on outdoor/environmental issues can be found at environmentalecho.com. He has published numerous books on the outdoors and popular culture, including Nuts About Squirrels and American Roadkill.

Corrigan and Linsley also will talk about their book and sign copies at the Conservation Expo at Cooper’s Landing on Sept. 12-13 in mid-Missouri. More information coming in early September on Diane Linsley’s nature website and at environmentalecho.com.

Friday, Aug. 14, from 8 p.m. to midnight – Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing Event at Elephant Rocks State Park.

To mark this summer’s biggest meteor shower, the Perseids, Elephant Rocks State Park will be open to the public for a rare after-dark event. You’re invited to view this spectacular phenomenon from 8 p.m. to midnight on Friday, Aug. 14. If you like stargazing or light shows and can brave the August bugs and heat, come join us at the park to create a lifelong memory.

Elephant Rocks State Park is located at 7406 Highway 21, Belleview.

Event guidelines and reminders: This viewing event is free and open to the public; there is no need to register.
Park staff will be available to direct you to the best and safest areas to view the shower.

Elephant Rocks is a carry-in, carry-out park; please bring in only what you will be able to carry out when you leave. Trash receptacles will be provided in the parking lot.

You do not need to use any viewing devices to see the shower, but you are welcome to bring your own devices if you want.

Attendees are expected to be respectful of others and should avoid excessive noise and use of artificial light.

No tents or other invasive camping equipment such as lanterns or propane heaters will be allowed, but you can bring portable chairs for seating and blankets to keep warm.

Absolutely no campfires will be allowed.

Please remember to dress for the weather. During the summer, the rocks are often hot early in the evening and then become cooler as the night progresses. Be prepared to add layers as needed.

Mosquitoes and ticks are common during this time of year. Come prepared with insect repellent.

If there is bad weather, the event will be moved to Saturday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m. to midnight.

Saturday, Aug. 15, at 9 p.m. – Starry Sky Night at Onondaga Cave State Park.
Onondaga Cave State Park is hosting a series of night sky viewing events in 2026. Join astronomy enthusiast Joe Parish in the visitor center parking lot to view the cosmos with a high-powered telescope. These events are free and open to the public, and there is no need to register. Although a telescope will be provided, visitors are welcome to bring viewing devices of their own. Onondaga Cave State Park is located at 7556 Highway H, in Leasburg, Missouri.

Saturday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. – Cathedral Cave Night Tour at Onondaga Cave State Park.
This tour consists of a guided walk to and through the cave. As you hike the trail under the stars and step into the cool, silent depths of Cathedral Cave, you’ll see incredible rock formations in a completely different light. Once you’re in the cave, you might even catch a glimpse of a rare cave-adapted grotto salamander!

Participants will depart from the campground woodlot at 8 p.m., with the tour lasting approximately two hours, including the hikes to and from the cave. The walk to the cave covers about a quarter mile on Deer Run Trail, and the round-trip cave tour is about two-thirds of a mile.

The trails are occasionally hilly and slippery, and the cave has a year-round temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Participants are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes with good traction and bring a jacket. Flashlights will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Tickets are $15 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 6-12. Children 6 and under are free. Guests can purchase tickets online or pay with cash upon arrival. If you plan to pay upon arrival, please call the park at 573-245-6575 to preregister. The park is located at 7556 Highway H in Leasburg.
The primary source of funding for the state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax provides about three-fourths of the division’s budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri’s Division of State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds. For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit the Missouri State Parks Events page.

For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit Missouri State Parks Events For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit Missouri State Parks. The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

By Don Corrigan

Magnificent Missouri’s annual “Sweet Corn Sunday” will once again be rocking in the Missouri River Valley near Treloar. Festivities are slated for 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., August 16, and will be located along the Katy Trail at Treloar.

The action may extend to Peers and Marthasville, as many runners, hikers and bikers are already making plans. Some are even heading out on the Katy to Hermann after a lunch at Treloar.

Stop by the Ted and Pat Jones Welcome Center and the adjacent section of the Katy Trail Park to enjoy live music and tram rides to nearby Peers.

Sweet corn and bratwurst will be in abundance at at reasonable price, with proceeds going to the Marthasville Volunteer Fire Department.

If you miss the chance to talk to Magnificent Missouri’s Dan Burkhardt at the Sweet Corn Festival with his new book on trails in Missouri, you may want to catch him at the three-day Conservation Expo event in Columbia and Cooper’s Landing on Sept. 11-13

More details to come on the three-day Conservation Expo event slated for Sept. 11-13. And look for the EnvironmentalEcho.com booth at the Expo that Saturday and Sunday at Coopers Landing. The Landing is also on the Katy Trail,  so bike ride on over!

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.

Looking for some cool summer fun? Onondaga Cave State Park has planned some special events throughout the summer, in addition to the normal cave tours.

Saturday, July 11, at 10 a.m. – Cathedral Cave Off-Trail Tour.
These tours are perfect for beginning cavers who want a more intense cave experience, one that goes beyond the lighted tour with rails and trails. Each tour is led by an experienced guide who will provide general instructions and share information about the cave’s biology, geology and history. During the tour, participants will climb, crawl and get a little muddy, spending four to five hours in the cave and some additional time outside the cave. Each tour is limited to 15 people aged 13 and up. Paid registration is required. The fee is $75 per adult and $55 per youth. All interested guests will be asked some questions to determine whether they are able to complete the tour, and they will be shown a video of what to expect inside the cave. After registering at 573-522-3760, they will receive a list of items to bring. Caving helmets will be provided.

Sunday, July 12, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Onondaga Cave Photo Tours.
Step beyond the standard tour and take your time documenting the intricate details of Onondaga Cave. The cave’s newly upgraded lighting system highlights the stunning textures and colors of the cavern. Bring your tripod or handheld camera and join a guide for a slow-paced journey designed specifically for those behind the lens. These tours are sponsored by the Onondaga Friends Association. Please visit their website to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are $23 apiece.

Saturday, July 18 at 9 p.m. (Rain date: July 25) – Starry Sky Night.
Join astronomy enthusiast Joe Parish in the visitor center parking lot to view the cosmos with a high-powered telescope. Although a telescope will be provided, visitors are welcome to bring viewing devices of their own.
The primary source of funding for the state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax provides about three-fourths of the division’s budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri’s Division of State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds.

For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit mostateparks.com. For more information on state parks and historic site events, visit mostateparks.com/events. The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Don Corrigan, author of Scenic Natural Wonders Missouri, said the state is blessed with very diverse flora and fauna – and people for that matter!

The Missouri scribe said, “a lot gets written about how politically divided we are in Missouri going all the way back to the Civil War. But one thing that we ought to all agree on is that our natural treasures need to be protected.

“We have many wonderful naturalists and teachers in the state spreading that message, Corrigan added. “That’s why this book is dedicated to teachers who are spreading good words about a lovely world out there in the hills and wetlands of Missouri.”

Corrigan made his remarks at Peers Store along the Katy Trail. See coverage of the event in the Washington Missourian (below).