Monthly Archives: September 2017
Image ImageMissouri Department of Conservation Offers Missouri Teachers Free Nature-Based Classroom Learning Opportunites
Photo by Holly Shanks
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages teachers to get connected with conservation-education by using its new Discover Nature Schools (DNS) teacher portal.
The new portal is available to Missouri teachers who participate or have an interest in MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program. The DNS program began in 2007 and provides instructional materials for teachers and students from pre-K through high school about Missouri’s native plants, animals, and habitats and connects them with nature. It also provides grant funding for classroom supplies and field trips in nature. There are more than 1,600 Missouri schools that take part in the program.
Find more information from the MDC below.
Environmental Justice & Human Rights Conference At Webster University
Webster University’s 2017 Annual Human Rights Conference considers challenges associated with “Environmental Justice and Human Rights” on October 11-12. The conference provides intersectional analyses of environmental racism, sexism, classism, and colonialism with the aim of raising critical awareness of the human rights violations caused by environmental degradation. Sponsored by the Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies, this on-campus event is free and open to the public.
When: Wednesday, October 11, 2017, and Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: Browning Hall Auditorium (Room 160, 8274 Big Bend Blvd.)
For more information and conference schedule CLICK HERE.
What Is That On The Train Moving Through The Local Area?
Photo: Lloyd Todd.
Residents of our area keep a wary eye on what’s coming down local railroad tracks. Maybe this can be traced back to the 1980s, when radioactive rubble from Three Mile Island (TMI) passed through on the way to Idaho.
That rubble caused an uproar. Protests resulted in railroads making a number of concessions. For example, the canisters of deadly materials were put on dedicated trains. Buffer cars were placed on either side of shipment railway cars as a safety measure in case of collisions.
In recent weeks, we’ve had several inquiries about huge tubes passing by on the rails. What do they contain? Do they pose any hazard?
Academy of Science – St. Louis BioBlitz at Shaw Nature Reserve
Here’s your chance to learn about everything from butterflies to birds, crickets to katydids! Citizen science at its best! Everyone is welcome to join in this Citizen Science project. No experience necessary!
When: Saturday, September 23 @ 7:00 am-12:00 pm
Where: Shaw Nature Reserve, 307 Pinetum Loop Road, Gray Summit, MO 63039
FREE and open to all. Registration is required. Teams are filling up fast! Register now to reserve your spot. See below for more details.
DATE AND TIME: Sat, September 23, 2017, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM CDT
LOCATION: CommuniTree Gardens in Creve Coeur Park, 2194 Creve Coeur Mill Road, St. Louis, MO 63146
DESCRIPTION BELOW
“Forest Park” Book Events: Sept., 12 – noon – Kirkwood Chamber of Commerce; Sept. 14 – noon – Kirkwood Rotary
Webster-Kirkwood Times Editor and Webster University Journalism Professor Don Corrigan will speak about the new book, hot off the presses, “Images of America; Forest Park,” which he co-authored with journalist Holly Shanks. Corrigan will offer up some of those images in a PowerPoint presentation and also will talk about some of the great happenings in the park, including the April Earth Days, July 4th Fairs, the Great Balloon Race, LouFest, Shakespeare In the Park, KSHE Kite-Flying contests, sled riding on Art Hill and boating in Post-Dispatch Lake. This will be a nostalgia-fest. Corrigan will invite his audience to share their memories from these events, as well as from their visits to The Muny opera performances, Missouri History Museum, the Science Center, St. Louis Art Museum and more.
Native Trees and Shrubs Available From MDC State Forest Nursery
Native trees and shrubs can help improve wildlife habitat and soil and water conservation while also improving the appearance and value of private property. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) George O. White State Forest Nursery offers a variety of low-cost native tree and shrub seedlings for reforestation, windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife food and cover, and other purposes.
This year, the State Forest Nursery is taking orders starting a couple months early, beginning on Sept. 1 instead of in November. Orders are being accepted through April 15, 2018. Supplies are limited so order early. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the nursery near Licking from February through May.
More from the MDC information release below.
Carl’s Climate Letter Has Been Following The Flood Waters
Water over the top of Marshall Road in Kirkwood. photo by Diana Linsley.
Check out Climate Carl’s recent flooding analysis and commentary.
“How often can you expect to see a 500-year flood? This article in Vox has all kinds of interesting commentary on the subject of flood probability. One spot in the Houston area has had three of the 500-year type in just five years. New definitions are needed, and they are likely to have an effect on things like community preparations and property insurance rates.”
Find more interesting and informative environmental analysis from Climate Carl at Carl’s Climate Letters.
Environmental Echo 