Monthly Archives: December 2017

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Kick Off 2018 With The Annual “First Day Hikes” In 36 Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites

On Jan.1, the annual First Day Hikes event will take place at 36 state parks and historic sites across Missouri. Participants can choose from more than 40 free, guided hikes that range in difficulty from easy to moderate, cover distances up to 4 miles and use a variety of trails in every region of the state.

In its seventh year, the annual event is part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes effort, which gives people the opportunity to start the year off right with an outdoor hike at a state park. A list of state parks with guided First Day Hikes and other related activities is available at mostateparks.com.

Read more from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources below.

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Posted on December 29, 2017 in Local Events, Outdoor/Nature

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Donate Your Christmas Tree To Help Build Habitat For Missouri’s Fish

Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is accepting used natural Christmas trees to create fish habitat in Lake 33 on the August A. Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles and in north St. Louis County at Spanish Lake Park. Christmas trees can be donated at these lakes between now and Jan.10, 2018.

Read more below from the MDC about how recycled Christmas trees help native Missouri fish.

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Posted on December 26, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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Gateway Journalism Review: TV meteorologists warm to climate change

Meteorologist Cindy Preszler, who is well-known in St. Louis for her past work at KSDK-TV, now uses Climate Matters’ graphs and data to emphasize the impact of global warming on the local weather on her new WeatherSTL.com.

TV meteorologists have a new informational outlet to help provide localized climate information. The project is called Climate Matters.

“Supported by the National Science Foundation, the project is designed to increase the quality and quantity of reporting on climate-change science, impacts, and solutions.

According to Shari Bell of Climate Central, TV meteorologists were somewhat skeptical of the program at first.  Weather forecaster Cindy Preszler, now retired from KSDK-TV in St. Louis, was one of the first to sign on.”

The article, written by Don Corrigan and published in the latest Gateway Journalism Review, showcases the program’s pilot project in Missouri. And also provides an inside look at how Climate Matters can help local audiences bridge the gap between weather and climate change. The project currently works with about 460 weather professionals in 135 markets across the country.

Find links to the Gateway Journalism Review article and Preszler’s new local weather website by reading more below.

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Posted on December 20, 2017 in Environment

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Hey, What Are You Going To Do With That Old Computer & Outdated Electronic Devices? Recycling E-scrap May Be More Important & Easier Than You Think.

Photo: GreenStar via Pixabay.

Here’s a headline for you: “E-waste grew 8 percent in just 2 years. Just one-fifth was recycled. – A growing global middle class and our tech-saturated lives are burying the planet in electronic waste.” The article appeared in Environmental Health News (EHN) recently.

While the public happily pursues the latest popular new technology and electronic gadget, what is happening to the discarded electronic devices?  Apparently, recycling the equipment is not on top of the list. Check out the EHN article HERE.

Many people are conscious of recycling glass, plastics, and other materials – so why not electronics? It could be many reasons, like the items could be bulky or the items may not be able to be picked up with the rest of a household’s recyclable materials. It’s not just households – businesses can also produce a large amount of electronic waste.

A step in the right direction may be as simple as knowing where to take our e-scrap to be recycled.

So what should we do with our electronic waste in the St. Louis area and Missouri? Find a few informational resources that can help below.

Also, can our electronic waste be a threat to national security? One national advocacy organization says – yes.

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Posted on December 16, 2017 in Environment, Home

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Maple Sugar Festival Returns To Rockwoods Reservation Feb. 3

Photos by Holly Shanks

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has announced that the Maple Sugar Festival at Rockwoods Reservation will be back in 2018.  The festival took a year off in 2017 due to a construction project in the area.

The family-friendly event will take place Saturday, Feb. 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is open to the public at no cost.

For more information from the MDC about the event – see below.

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Posted on December 14, 2017 in Local Events

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West Lake Landfill Named In Top 10 Superfund Sites Targeted For Immediate Action

The advocacy group, JUST MOMS STL, released a statement after West Lake Landfill landed on the EPA’s top 10 list of Superfund Sites slated for immediate action. For more information, and comments from Karen Nickel and Dawn Chapman, see the release below.  

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Posted on December 12, 2017 in Environment

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2017 Has Been A Tough Year For Environmental Issues

Don Corrigan

Let’s be honest: nature, the outdoors and the environment have taken a beating this year. But before we get to the bad news, let’s chalk up some much-needed good news – much of it is local.

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Posted on December 8, 2017 in Environment

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Don Corrigan Talks Missouri Hiking Hot Spots With St. Louis Magazine

Don Corrigan at Rocky Falls. Photo by Emery Styron

Where does Don Corrigan go to relax and enjoy nature?

St. Louis Magazine asked Corrigan a few questions about his favorite Missouri hiking spots in a new article by Jeannette Cooperman.

Find out where Corrigan recommends visiting in Missouri and a few tips to help in your journey!  Read the article HERE.

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Posted on December 6, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature

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It’s Easy to Go Local With New Website! Shop Missouri Produced Vegetables, Fruits, and More!

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has released information about MissouriGrownUSA.com. The website gives users the ability to find locally grown products nearest to their location.

 

That’s right! Do you want to purchase fresh locally grown items quickly and near where you live? Do you need tomatoes, onions or lettuce? How about apples or peaches?

The answer can be found at MissouriGrownUSA.com. Type in what item you are looking for, and your zip code, and with the press of the enter key you will find where the nearest farmer or local retailer is located. OR select a category from a list of choices, like berries, cheese, eggs, meats, pickles, vegetables, fruits, relishes, salsa, and more. Easy! And everything chosen is produced right here in Missouri!

Check it out HERE!

Read more from the Missouri Department of Agriculture below.

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Posted on December 4, 2017 in Environment, Outdoor/Nature

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New State Record Northern Hog Sucker Caught On Current River

Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports Jeff Rowland of Poplar Bluff became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he gigged a northern hog sucker on the Current River in Ripley County. The new “alternative method” record fish caught by Rowland on Oct. 15 weighed 2 pounds, 8 ounces with a length of 18.3 inches. Rowland’s recent catch broke the previous state-record held by his cousin of a 2-pound, 3-ounce northern hog sucker gigged in 2010.

“I knew it was big fish when I gigged it, but I was shocked to see it outweighed the state-record,” Jeff Rowland said.

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Posted on December 2, 2017 in Outdoor/Nature