Category Archives: Local Events

The Missouri Prairie Foundation’s (MPF) Grow Native! program is hosting a free special Zoom webinar for Earth Day on Thursday, April 22 at 4:00 p.m. with Grow Native! professional member Stream Teams United. Titled “Keeping our Water Healthy” the panel webinar will feature seasoned professionals discussing the importance of native plants for a healthy watershed. Registration is required for this free webinar at moprairie.org or CLICK HERE to register. Registrants will receive a link to a recording of the webinar.

The webinar will be moderated by Stream Teams United Executive Director Mary Culler, with panelists Ronda Burnett with the Missouri Department of Conservation;, Dale Blevins, a U.S. Geological Survey emeritus hydrologist and MPF past president; and Dr. Lisa Shulte Moore of Iowa State University. The webinar will begin with Stream Teams United’s new educational video “Keeping our water healthy – it starts with you,” and the panelists will break down how native plants play an important role in providing clean water for people. There will be a question and answer session for registrants.

Learn about actions to keep watersheds healthy by watching Stream Teams United’s video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg8FjyXbyCI&t=1s and find more resources on Grow Native!’s website at https://grownative.org/learn/manage-stormwater/.

The nonprofit Missouri Prairie Foundation is a 55-year-old prairie conservation organization and nationally accredited land trust. Grow Native! is MPF’s 21-year-old native plant marketing and education program serving the lower Midwest. For more information about webinars and master classes, the Grow Native! program, or the Missouri Prairie Foundation, call 888-843-6739 or send a message to info@moprairie.org.

The Missouri Humanities Council and Heritage Programs recently volunteered to plant native trees to help replenish tree populations along the Katy Trail.  It’s all to kick-off a virtual program, “Forest & Farms: Explore the Historical Transformation of the Missouri River Valley,” to air April 22.

Panelists, Dan Burkhardt (Co-founder, Magnificent Missouri), Meridith McAvoy Perkins (Executive Director, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri), and Ken McCarty (Natural Resource Management Program Director, Missouri State Parks), will present on the historical transformation of the Missouri River Valley from lush bottom land forest to fertile farmland. They will explore how Missourians have shaped and been shaped by this landscape.

The program will showcase the “Trees of Treloar” conservation project of Magnificent Missouri, a mini-native tree arboretum at the Treloar Trailhead on the Katy Trail. Forest ReLeaf members and others will discuss finding a balance between reforesting the land and preserving the region’s cultural and agricultural heritage.

“Forest & Farms” will take place on Earth Day, April 22, 2021 at 6:30 P.M. (CST), and invites participants to discover the history of forests and farms along the Katy Trail. Today’s trail bikers and hikers can better appreciate what the landscape was — and what it can be! Participant Q&A to follow the panel discussion.

This virtual free event will be presented on Zoom and FB Live. To register CLICK HERE.

The program is a part of “Missouri’s Natural Environment: 200 Years and Beyond” series. This is a year-long series that coincides with the state’s bicentennial to explore Missouri’s natural landscapes. To learn more CLICK HERE.

 Missouri State Museum and Daniel Boone Regional Library invite the public to a virtual program titled, “Missouri Trailblazer: Thomas Hart Benton,” at 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 20.

Viewing the mural, A Social History of the State of Missouri, is one of the most exciting parts of a visit to the Missouri Capitol. Painted by Thomas Hart Benton in 1936, the mural tells the story of the state from its pioneer beginnings to the industrial 20th century. Join Dr. Sarah Jones, art historian and museum interpreter, to discuss Benton’s life and career including the story of his Missouri mural and his role in the rise of American Regionalism. 

Adults and teens are welcome. Those interested in attending must register online to receive a Zoom link to the program at events.dbrl.org/event/4946747. The event will be recorded for later viewing.

This program is a monthly series in honor of Missouri’s bicentennial, highlighting Missouri’s most significant trailblazers who have had an impact on our culture through major events, leadership, innovation and more.

For more information about the event, call the Missouri State Museum at 573-751-2854.

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.

The Missouri Prairie Foundation and its Grow Native! native program continue its popular online programming.

More than 6,000 live attendees have enjoyed the online programming offered by the Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) and its 21-year-old Grow Native! program from January through March 2021. MPF continues its popular webinar and master class schedule in April.

During these virtual learning opportunities hosted each week at 4:00 p.m., participants can learn from a variety of speakers on topics such as native rock gardening, monarch butterflies, and native plants and water quality.

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