Monthly Archives: September 2024

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Lewis & Clark Awards: Bruce And Jan Sassmann Honored At Conservation Banquet

Newly-elected state Rep. Bruce Sassmann and his wife, Jan.

by Don Corrigan

The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) honored Bruce and Jan Sassmann at its annual National Lewis & Clark Conservation Awards banquet on Sept. 18, 2024.

Environmental Echo recognized their work in early 2021. A two-part series can be found in the EE Archives in February.

Lewis & Clark Conservation Awards recognize conservation and outdoor leaders for appreciation and advancement of natural resources in Missouri and beyond.

Other 2024 National Lewis & Clark Conservation Awards honorees are: Chad Pregrack, Jeff Churan, James T. Blair, Sara Parker Pauley and Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund.

“This year’s honorees are prime examples of the importance of strong partnerships and how we will continue to advance vital conservation work across the state, as well as the country,” said Will Coates, president of the Conservation Heritage Foundation Board of Directors.

“The 2024 honorees represent leaders in business, philanthropy and conservation,” added Coates. “We are pleased to recognize these champions and their incredible commitment to conservation.”

Bruce and Jan Sassmann are lifelong Missouri conservationists. As active members of numerous conservation groups, including MCHF, Conservation Federation of Missouri, and Missouri Prairie Foundation, the Sassmanns have tirelessly promoted nature, shared their prairie restoration work and ensured lasting benefits for future generations.

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Posted on September 27, 2024 in Home

Informational video updates for state parks and historic sites are posted online

Posted on September 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

Team members from Missouri State Parks invite the public to visit mostateparks.com this month and view informational videos for many state parks and historic sites.

After watching the videos, the public is encouraged to provide input and comments, as well as submit questions about the historic sites or parks and their operations. Park team members will respond to the comments, answer questions and provide information.

The videos will be online and available for comment through the month of September for visitors to view at their leisure. Once the month ends, the comment function will be turned off, but the video will remain online for viewing.

Input from the public is important to Missouri State Parks. The online videos help to inform the public on the current status and future plans for parks and historic sites, and offer visitors the opportunity to comment on the facilities. For a list of scheduled informational meetings and a list of videos, visit mostateparks.com/page/66611/informational-meetings.

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Conservation Expo 2024 Deemed A Success; 2025 Expo Plans At Cooper’s Landing Underway

Environmental Echo’s Don Corrigan hawked outdoor books to support the blog started by Webster University environmental students 10-years ago.

Coopers Landing in Boone County, Missouri, hosted the first annual Conservation EXPO 2024 on Sept. 7-8. The weekend event showcased organizations with a mission to advance state conservation education.

Brie Vonyo of southwest Missouri picked up a guide to nature sites in the Show-Me State at the EXPO.

The EXPO featured exhibits by more than 30 groups including local and state agencies, as well as educational institutions. Conservation EXPO hosted rural and urban landowners, citizens engaged with community conservation and new educational projects.

Among the exhibitors:

·  Conservation Federation of Missouri, which was organized with the purpose of taking conservation out of politics, raised awareness of its citizen wildlife initiatives and CFM’s more than 100 affiliate organizations with thousands of members.

·  Environmental Echo, which is a blog created by Webster University environmental students, raised funds for the website with book sales. It also highlighted the “Save the Hellbender” wines of Stone Hill in Hermann.

·  Magnificent Missouri, which has promoted the beauty and recreational value of the Missouri River Valley in eastern Missouri, released its new coffee table book, “Trails Across Missouri: The Katy Trail and Rock Island.”

·  Legends of Conservation brought its life-size illustrations of some of the top environmental and conservation leaders in U.S. history. These include such leaders as Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold.

·  Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, which has a mission of enriching communities by planting and growing trees, explained its efforts to promote a resilient tree canopy that supports heathy habits and a healthy planet.

·  Sierra Club/Mid Missouri Group, which sponsors walks for the climate and protection of public lands, welcomed inquiries about its legislative work and outdoor volunteer activities.

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Posted on September 17, 2024 in Home

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MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN WINNER OF WATER LILY WEIGH OFF

Viral social media contest challenged botanical gardens to see how much weight their water lily pads can hold
Denver Botanic Gardens started a viral social media contest challenging botanical gardens around the world to see how much weight their Victoria waterlily pads could hold.
On Aug. 29, Garden horticulturists Claire Krofft and Greta Berg hopped into the pools to measure the largest lily pad and see how much weight it could hold. The lily pad measured exactly 5 feet across and held an impressive 142.1 pounds of weight. 
Denver Botanic Gardens declared the Missouri Botanical Garden the winner on Tuesday, Sept 3.
Other participants included New York Botanical Garden, Kew Botanical Garden in London, Chicago Botanical Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden, along with many others.

Missouri Botanical Garden archive photo: Victoria Water Lily and Violin

The Garden has had Victoria waterlilies in its collection since 1894. One of the largest waterlilies in the world, the lily pads of Victoria water lilies can grow as large as 10 feet across in the wild. In 2019, a generous donation allowed the Garden to heat its waterlily pools in front of the Climatron, allowing the lilies to grow even larger than they had in the past.

Visitors can see the impressive water lilies in the pools in front of the Climatron through the end of September.

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Posted on September 15, 2024 in Home

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Greenhouse Gas Study: Suburb’s Residents Get Preview of City Emissions Report On Their Town

SIU-E Professor of Environmental Sciences Dr. Sharon Locke has been conducting GHG inventory studies throughout the St. Louis metro area. Inventory studies of greenhouse gas emissions provide cities with benchmarks to track and compare emissions for years to come.

by Don Corrigan

Webster Groves, Mo., might seem an unlikely candidate for a greenhouse gas emissions study. It lacks factory smokestacks or methane-belching landfills. Nevertheless, residents can learn about a city GGI study in September.

The Webster Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GGI) Report is preliminary. A full report goes to the city council in October. The GGI presentation at 7 p.m., Sept. 3, at Webster Groves Public Library will provide details on how and why the study was conducted.

Residents may be surprised to learn that quiet, idyllic, suburban Webster Groves is responsible for hundreds of tons of emissions sent into the atmosphere annually. Also of note: Something can actually be done about this situation.

The session on the inventory program will be presented by Sharon Locke, professor of environmental sciences at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; and by Shawn Finnegan, who serves as sustainability coordinator for Webster Groves.

“Webster Groves contracted Dr. Locke and a graduate student intern to conduct an inaugural inventory of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Finnegan. “The initiative identifies major sources of GHG emissions at, both, the community and government levels.

“By analyzing these emissions and their sources, our city can adopt ‘best practices’ to reduce its carbon footprint,” Finnegan explained. “And, by doing that, the city can contribute to regional and global sustainability goals.”

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Posted on September 6, 2024 in Environment, Home

Native Plant Sale at World Bird Sanctuary on September 7, 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 | Leave a comment

Shoppers enjoy a past Missouri Prairie Foundation native plant sale at the World Bird Sanctuary. Photo by Felicia Brundick.

Four Grow Native! professional members will sell a variety of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, trees, vines, and sedges.

Native plants beautify landscapes and help support songbirds and other treasured wildlife. You can shop for native plants at this Missouri Prairie Foundation sale hosted by the World Bird Sanctuary on Saturday, September 7, 2024, located at 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road, Valley Park, MO.

The World Bird Sanctuary will host the sale rain or shine from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The World Bird Sanctuary has an entry fee of $12 per vehicle that all plant sale customers will have to pay to enter. Enjoy the magnificent live birds while at the World Bird Sanctuary.

River City Natives, Ozark Soul, Papillon Perennials, and Gaylena’s Garden will supply a variety of native plants for your landscaping needs.

“We are pleased to partner with the World Bird Sanctuary, which will host this native plant sale,” said Carol Davit, Executive Director of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. “Native plants—as the basis of food chains here and around the world—are critical to sustaining bird populations as well as monarch butterflies and other wildlife we all enjoy.”

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Powder Valley Nature Center presents concert by Ozark music duo Shortleaf Sept. 6

Powder Valley Nature Center presents a special concert by the band Shortleaf, featuring Mike and Tenley Fraser, on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. The evening of music and storytelling offers a unique connection to nature and the Missouri Ozarks. Photo: MDC

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center invites you to discover nature through music.  The nature center will present a special concert by the band Shortleaf, featuring Mike and Tenley Fraser on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.  The performance promises an enjoyable mix of entertainment and education suitable for the whole family.

Mike, an accomplished Ozark fiddler, and partner, Tenley, are a husband-wife duo who specialize in performing traditional music of the Ozarks.  Honoring a long-time heritage of music and storytelling, the two use tales of Ozark history and Scots-Irish culture to create an engaging blend of songs and spoken word.  The Scots-Irish people settled in the hardscrabble Ozarks after migrating west from the Appalachian country and gave the region much of its unique character.

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Posted on September 1, 2024 in Home, Local Events