Photo by Roger Brandt. All photos courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
A wild, arctic wonderland with over 1 million twinkling holiday lights and festive family fun awaits you at U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo!
Photo by Robin Winkelman.
2020 Event Dates
Photo courtesy MDC.
Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center and its grounds will be closed Saturday, Nov. 7 through Monday, Nov. 9 to accommodate a managed archery deer hunt on the area. During this time, the nature center building and grounds, including the surrounding trails, will not be accessible to the general public. Powder Valley will resume normal operational hours starting Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Visitors should note that while the trails will be fully accessible after the hunt, the nature center building will continue to be available for front desk access for information, gift shop sales and permit purchases only.
Forest Park Forever recently published an update on the construction of Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape in Forest Park. Please continue below for the full announcement.
To the Forest Park community:
Forest Park Forever and our City of St. Louis partners are thrilled to share a special update about the 17-acre Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape under construction in Forest Park.
Since spring 2019, the site has transformed from just mowed grass into natural landscapes with native and diverse plant species, water-based activity areas and more. The destination features nine distinct activity areas — including Mounds, a Spring, a Meadow, a Wetland and more — and a series of accessible paths and boardwalks between them. Visitors, especially children, will connect with nature and engage their senses as they explore, discover and learn.
Forest Park Forever and our City partners are anticipating a late spring 2021 opening of this remarkable new destination. Our teams will work together to ensure that the site opens to visitors with the proper health and safety protocols and guidelines in place.
Continue reading below for more details included in the project.
The St. Louis Media Hall of Fame Foundation recently posted on YouTube all of this year’s inductees, including Environmental Echo’s Don Corrigan. A professor of journalism and long-time newspaper editor, Corrigan is introduced here by the Webster University School of Communications Dean Eric Rothenbuhler.
In his acceptance speech, Corrigan recalls his early years of journalism in grade school with his neighborhood newspaper. He ends his remarks with his interest in covering outdoor and environmental issues, from Times Beach to TMI radioactive rail shipments, to the radioactive waste problems such as those at West Lake and Coldwater Creek in the St. Louis region.
Corrigan also thanks the many inspirational women who have helped with his journalism projects over four decades.
Photo courtesy Great Rivers Greenway.
by Don Corrigan
2019 Boo at The Zoo.
Photo By Micah Usher, courtesy Saint Louis Zoo.
What: Boo at the Zoo presented by SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
Photo courtesy MDC.
Having food when venturing outdoors might be essential for survival. Having good food is certainly essential for fun. What’s the best way to prepare food when away from the comforts and conveniences of a modern kitchen? What will you need to bring? The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering an online class that can help take the mystery out of making great meals in the wild.
Outdoor Cooking for Camping and Hiking is a free virtual class which will be held Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 6-6:45 p.m. The class will include an interactive Q&A session via online chat. (Online registration is required.)
Participants will learn how to cook outdoors whether they’re camping in one place for an extended period, or they need to keep things light while on the move. Heat is crucial for cooking, and the program will cover various ways to start a fire. It will look at different types of heat delivery options, including portable hiking and camping stoves. Tools and utensils needed for cooking and baking in the field will also be addressed, along with other special considerations when prepping food outdoors.
For more information and registration details see below.
The pandemic has prompted many people to make their households more efficient and for some St. Louis area residents that means investing in solar power. Twin programs, Grow Solar St. Louis and Grow Solar Metro East, make this process easier and more affordable.
In 2020, more than 60 property owners have already committed to go solar through the programs. All are expected to be producing electricity before the end of the year. The 500 kW of new capacity will offset more than 700,000 pounds of carbon dioxide in their first year of operation. It will save solar homeowners roughly $40,000 on electricity bills, collectively, in that same time period.
“Another 60 households are actively considering their own commitments, and hundreds of people are joining us to learn all about solar,” said Peter Murphy, Solar Program Director for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, which is co-facilitating the programs with local sponsors. “It’s really exciting to see how much interest there is in solar in the Gateway Region as we approach the September 30 program deadline.”
Continue reading below for more information about the program.
Earthworm photo courtesy MDC.
Many people think of them as helpful little critters, but you might be surprised to learn they’re not so beneficial after all.
Invaders can come in many forms. Just like the plot of a horror movie, some of them might even seem benign and helpful, while they secretly wreak havoc. You might be surprised to discover that earthworms are just such creatures.
The Truth about Earthworms is a free online program presented by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and takes place Friday, Sept. 11 from 12-1 p.m. The presentation is free and open to all ages.
“Most earthworms are not actually native to the United States and were brought here by European settlers,” said MDC Naturalist Rena Schmidt. “They may be known to be great for gardens and fishing bait, but they can have enormous negative effects on our forest ecosystems,” she said.
Environmental Echo 