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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

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Outdoor Alert: West Nile: Health Department Warns of Mosquitos Showing Positive For Virus

by Don Corrigan

Missouri has reported a number of deaths over the past decade from mosquito-borne West Nile virus. Health officials recently warned that the potentially lethal virus has been found in biting mosquitos St. Louis County.

In late July, Saint Louis County Department of Public Health recorded its first instances of West Nile virus positive mosquitoes this year. The detected virus serves as a heads up that mosquito prevention remains critical, especially with this summer’s heavy rains.

“The presence of West Nile virus positive mosquitoes in our area is a reminder that preventive measures are very important,” said Dr. Kanika Cunningham, county health department director. She said measures can be taken by the county, its municipalities and informed citizens.

West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. It’s most commonly transmitted to humans by infected mosquitos during the summer months.

Most people infected by the virus do not feel sick, although about 1 in 5 people who are infected develop fever or other symptoms. The symptoms can include headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.

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Posted on August 23, 2024 in Home, Outdoor/Nature

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Junior Explorers at Mastodon State Historic Site, Aug. 24

 

 

Calling all junior explorers! Join us for outdoor learning and fun on Saturday, Aug. 24, at 10 a.m.! In this free, interpreter-led program, participants will engage in hands-on activities to explore the great outdoors.

This program is designed for families with young children, and the event will take place entirely outdoors. Participants are encouraged to wear weather-appropriate clothing that they are comfortable after getting dirty or wet.

Explorers should meet at the playground in the picnic area located at 1800 Seckman Road in Imperial.

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Posted on August 20, 2024 in Home, Local Events

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Conservation EXPO 2024 at Coopers Landing, Sept. 7-8

Coopers Landing invites the community to experience, learn and enjoy Conservation EXPO 2024, a weekend educational event dedicated to showcasing a variety of non-profit organizations and initiatives with the mission to advance Missouri conservation education and stewardship of the environment.

The event is admission-free and open to the public and is scheduled for Saturday, September 7, 9am till 4pm, and Sunday, September 8, 10am till 3pm at Coopers Landing, 11505 Smith Hatchery Road, located on the Katy Trail and the shore of the Missouri River.  Parking is available along Smith Hatchery Road in addition to off-site parking supported by shuttle service.

The EXPO features informative exhibits by over 25 organizations and community initiatives including local and state agencies, education institutions, and other conservation supportive non-profits.  Conservation EXPO welcomes rural and urban landowners, citizens engaged with community conservation initiatives and projects searching for resource information and participation opportunities.

In addition to the educational exhibits, Saturday features boat rides on the Missouri River hosted by Missouri River Relief as well as morning children’s crafts hosted by Adrienne.  Sunday features pony rides for the children hosted by Blair’s Barn of Ashland.

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Posted on August 18, 2024 in Home, Local Events

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PARTNERSHIP WITH MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN AND RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE BRINGS COMFORT THROUGH NATURE

The Missouri Botanical Garden is partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis to bring nature to guest families during their stay at the West County Ronald McDonald House.

Ronald McDonald Houses provides accommodations for families with hospitalized children at little or no cost with the mission of removing barriers, strengthening families and promoting healing. The Garden is helping enhance those services by providing therapeutic horticulture programs for residents, thanks to the generous support of Dr. Oscar and Barbara Soule.

“Through this partnership, we are building stronger connections to nature while also helping the Ronald McDonald House feel even more like home,” said Jennifer Smith-Simms, Manager of Public Education Programs at the Garden.

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Posted on August 18, 2024 in Home

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Wine Benefits Hellbenders: Stone Hill’s Hellbender Red Is Governor’s Cup Wine Finalist

by Don Corrigan

Missouri Environmentalists and Nature Lovers are elated that Hermann’s Stone Hill Hellbender Red Is a Governor’s Cup Finalist in the annual state wine competition. The wine is among the top 11 Best of Class Honorees.

The final winner of the cup was another Stone Hill selection, the Dry Red 2022 Cross J Norton. However, the Semi-Dry Red Stone Hill 2022 Ozark Hellbender followed close on its heels in the competition held in July.

Other wines in the 11 Best of Class Honorees included a Riefenstahler from Adam Puchta Winery; a Traminette from Defiance Ridge Vineyards; a Semi-Dry Rosé from Montelle Winery; and, a Sparkling Brut from Les Bourgeois Vineyards.

Missourians have cheered the St. Louis Zoo’s work to save the endangered Ozark hellbender. The amphibians’ fans can make a toast to the zoo scientists’ efforts now with a glass of award-winning Hellbender from Stone Hill Winery.

“I fell in love with Ozark hellbenders a few years ago when I ran across them at the Saint Louis Zoo,” Stone Hill Winery’s Nathan Held told EE in 2023. “I’ve always loved animals and conservation, so making a new wine dedicated to hellbenders seemed to make sense.”

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Posted on August 11, 2024 in Home, Outdoor/Nature