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The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has selected five Missouri cities to receive a total of $1.1 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund grants to improve public outdoor recreation areas.

“As an agency, we are continually focused on improving the quality of life for Missourians,” said Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Dru Buntin. “Communities can accomplish this with the financial assistance of these grants. We also hope to build long-lasting partnerships with these communities.”

“These grants provide much-needed park improvements to cities that might not be able to afford them otherwise,” said Missouri State Parks Director David Kelly. “From upgrading and improving swimming facilities to installing new playground equipment, the towns and cities will be improving their outdoor recreation opportunities for their citizens and visitors.”

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Have you ever gazed at the night skies and wondered what exactly you were seeing? Are those glistening objects stars, planets, satellites or something else? Join team members for an evening of stargazing at Ha Ha Tonka State Park at 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 29, weather permitting.

Participants will be able to view the night skies through at telescope. There will be a new moon, allowing the best opportunity to view more distant and faint objects. With any luck, the Delta Aquarids meteor shower may be seen as well.

The program will be held at the Post Office Shelter. To get to there from Highway 54, turn onto State Road D and continue approximately 2.3 miles. The Post Office Shelter is on the left. Ha Ha Tonka State Park is located at 1491 State Road D in Camdenton. For more information about the program, contact 573-346-2986..

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Explore your St. Louis environmentally and nature friendly organizations! 

The St. Louis Audubon Society offers a program to help homeowners support native plant and animal landscapes across the St. Louis region, including even the smallest urban yard.

“The Bring Conservation Home Program provides on-site advice to private landowners in the greater St. Louis area for the restoration of native plant and animal habitat on their grounds.”

The program website describes the following program examples.
The Bring Conservation Home Program will offer advice in:

• Landscaping with environmentally healthy and sustainable native plant species
• Removal of invasive plant species, such as bush honeysuckle
• Water conservation for urban landscapes
• Other stewardship practices to promote healthy habitat for birds, native wildlife, and people

To learn more about the “Bring Conservation Home Program” and how to become involved – CLICK HERE.

Photo by Holly Shanks

Looking for a fun way to experience the “Green” areas in St. Louis?  Check out the tour itineraries from Explore St. Louis!

Garden Tour itinerary – Find your “green” in St. Louis’ family fun tour of the gardens and revered parks! CLICK HERE.

Environmentally Friendly itinerary – Celebrate St. Louis’ green and environmentally friendly attractions!  CLICK HERE.

Class presented by Seed St. Louis:
Some fruiting plants benefit from pruning in the summer time. Sign up for a virtual class to learn how to manage and maintain these summertime fruiting plants to help produce yummy yields for years to come.

This class is for adults and registration is required. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering.  A recording of the virtual program will be posted to YouTube within three business days.

To register CLICK HERE.

Columbia Bottom staff has planted additional sunflower fields for viewing and photo opportunities again this year. MDC crews have staggered the timing of the plantings to spread the blooming periods out through mid-August. Photo: MDC

The 4th of July brings spectacular aerial fireworks shows.  However, this time of year nature also puts on its own explosive displays of color.  Sunflower fans will have the opportunity again this summer to view and photograph remarkable sunflower displays at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake.  Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff has planted multiple sunflower plots again this year.

Showy sunflower fields have been an annual tradition at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.  MDC staff have been planting sunflowers for years as part of their management for mourning doves.  The area is known for dove hunting each September.  The large flowers supply seeds that entice the birds, and their lofty stalks create cover for the hunters who pursue them.  Sunflowers also benefit a wide variety of other birds and pollinators.  They lure plenty of photographers, too.

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Members of the Loess Hills Master Naturalists work on a tree planting project along Highway 36 from St. Joseph to Hannibal. Photo: MDC

Protecting Missouri’s natural resources is an ongoing and challenging task. The challenge is made easier when private citizen groups can coordinate efforts with state agencies to provide education, outreach information, and services. That’s the idea behind Missouri’s Master Naturalist program.

The Meramec Hills Master Naturalist Chapter will hold a Master Naturalist informational meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 3 at the Rolla Technical Institute (RTI) Building, Classroom 121. The RTI Building is located at 1304 E. 10^th St. in Rolla.

The Missouri Master Naturalist program mixes science with service. Master Naturalists engage Missourians in stewardship of the state’s natural resources through science-based education and volunteer community service. The program is a partnership between MDC and the University of Missouri Extension.

The Aug. 3 meeting will have information on the program and on the Master Naturalist training course that will be held on Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m. from Aug. 31 through Nov. 9. Some scholarship opportunities are available.

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May 30 incident, a 19-year-old was standing on the banks of the river at Castlewood when he slipped into the Meramec at mid-afternoon. He was underwater for 10 minutes before two men were able to find him in the river and pull him out.

He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. This area has experienced an unusually high number of drownings. The surface of the water often may look calm, but there are strong currents and undertows just below.

Charlie Woodruff, a 22-year-old Webster University student, knows the Castlewood Park area well. The bluffs along the river offer excellent views. Trails above the river offer pretty walks past the ruins of a 1950s’ resort area.

Hikes on trails along the river offer nature rewards as well, but Charlie Woodruff says the park’s reputation for bucolic trails and natural beauty is being ruined and overwhelmed by the sheer number of fatalities among those who decide to take a dip in the Meramec River.

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