Happy Birthday To Us! Environmental Echo Eyes Its Future On 10-Year Anniversary

How many blogs last 10 years? Or even one year?

Statistics show the average life of a blog is less than two years. There are literally hundreds of millions of abandoned blogs on the worldwide web. In 2023, there were 600 million active blogs worldwide.

If each of those blogs had as many hits as EE has had over its 10 years, we would be talking 36,000,000,000,000 hits.
Environmental Echo is happy to report it will celebrate 10 years this October! Hurray for us! The blog started as a class project in an environmental communications class at Webster University in October 2014.

Stories posted in those early months of EE included such topics as fracking, raising urban chickens, climate change and coverage of Gateway Greening and Ethical Society events on climate justice.

Many of the first EE posts were written by Webster students. EE became independent of the university when the School of Communications pulled the plug on the Outdoor/Environmental Journalism Certificate in 2018.

Professor Don Corrigan and environmental writer Holly Shanks resolved to continue EE. They became the ad hoc co-editors of the blog and kept it lively – never going a month without some informational posts.

“I am pleased to report that EE will soon be posting some great student writing again from Jack Farish, Zoe DeYoung, Jess Holmes and more,” said Corrigan. “I’m teaching in the school’s sustainability course area and the students are as motivated as ever to make a better world.

“Unfortunately, there are fewer venues for concerned students to be read and heard,” said Corrigan. “It’s very sad that student newspapers, ’zines, and media have evaporated. Students need a voice. They are anxious about the future. That’s a big reason why Holly and I have continued EE.”

Holly Shanks’ Take

“It hasn’t been 10 years! No way,” said co-editor Shanks. “Time does fly when you’re having fun talking about the outdoors and the environment.

“This EE blog has lived longer than predicted,” said Shanks. “It has grown an audience larger than predicted. EE has brought readers along for a ride not even Nostradamus could have predicted!

Shanks joked about many unconventional stories she has posted, some drawn from Don’s unusual popular culture books on squirrels, roadkill, and dare we say it – flatulence.  Of course, flatulence works as an EE topic given the increasing concerns over methane and climate disruption.

“We’ve posted about a lot of serious local environmental issues, too,” said Shanks. “We like to give a heads-up about local events, whether they’re about Earth Day or Growing Native or Eating Organic

“I could name my favorite stories of the last decade, but there isn’t room – so people just need to go to the archives. It is all interesting whether it’s the West Lake Landfill coverage, the Morel mushroom seasons, the opening of the ‘Grow’ exhibit at the St. Louis Science Center. Wow!”

However, Shanks said that when she thinks back, it’s really the memories and experiences ­­– not just the past blog posts or articles – that come to mind. It’s about the people and the conversations had that leave a lasting impression.

“Sometimes, the people you meet inspire many wonderful things in others through their experiences,” said Shanks. “Sometimes, people shed light on misfortune and heartbreak through their own experiences and that educates others.”

Shanks said she misses the EE podcasts of a few years ago and hopes that they can be revived. If the operation of EE can become more of a professional endeavor than a hobby, perhaps the podcasts can return.

“No matter what, it’s still about all the people you encounter in keeping a blog vital and visited,” said Shanks. “It’s been my privilege to be part of this endeavor. Here’s to another 10 years together!”

EE Welcomes New Ideas

Corrigan said he hopes readers will submit ideas on the next 10 years of EE, whether that involves new affiliations, novel ways for monetizing the blog, or new social media methods for expanding readership.

“We will be exploring different options and may have a few announcements ready when we get to the official anniversary in October,” said Corrigan. “We do think there is a need for a clearing house of information for all the outdoor and environmental groups in the St. Louis region.

“We would enjoy having the wherewithal to meet that need for a clearing house operation. That is one of the things we will be looking at,” said Corrigan. “Of course, maybe we will just hang it up and hope that students will pick up the gauntlet.”

One thing is for sure, according to Corrigan, and that is that part of the 10-year EE celebration will be a presence at Cooper’s Landing on the Missouri River when fall will be in the air.

The Conservation Expo at Cooper’s Landing in mid-Missouri will be a gathering of many outdoor/environmental groups with music performances, children’s activities, educational outreach.

Groups invited to be represented at the September 7-8 event include:

· Boone County Resource Management/Bonne Femme Watershed Alliance

· Conservation Federation of Missouri

· Environmental Echo

· Forest ReLeaf of Missouri

· Legends of Conservation

· Magnificent Missouri/Katy Trail & Rock Island Trail

· Mid Missouri Green Belt Land Trust

· Missouri Coalition for the Environment/Known & Grown

· Missouri Department of Conservation

· Missouri Department of Natural Resources/Parks

· Missouri Environmental Education Association

· Missouri Organic Association

· Missouri Prairie Foundation/Grow Native! & Missouri Invasive Plant Council

· Missouri River Relief

· One Health

· Sierra Club

· Southern Boone Schools Learning Garden

· The Nature School/Columbia Public Schools

· University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture

· University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry

· University of Missouri Extension/Natural Resources

· USDA/NRCS