Graphic: MDC
(The events start in August and end in October of 2017.)
Category Archives: Outdoor/Nature
Image ImageJune Hutson: St. Louis Horticulture Legend
Photo by Diana Linsley/South County Times
After spending more than 40 years working at the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT), one might think, June Hutson, a master gardener and horticulturist, retired this past January for some much-deserved leisure time. Nope. She says she retired to do the exact opposite. She wants to spend as much time as possible feeding her passion – getting her hands dirty in the garden.
Got A Conservation Project? MDC Offering Up To $75,000 In Grants
This native habitat restoration work at Eberwein Park in Chesterfield is an example of the kinds of conservation projects MDC is seeking for its Community Conservation and Back to Nature StL grants. Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently released information for two grant funding opportunities for conservation-friendly projects in the St. Louis area. The funds are available through two partnership opportunities: the Community Conservation Grant Program and the Back to Nature StL Grant.
Application periods for both grants are currently open through September 15, 2017. Find more details below.
A New Way To Explore Forest Park!
Photo: Forest Park Forever
Forest Park visitors can now rent stand up paddleboards and explore the Park’s waterway!
To get more information, rental location, prices and photos of paddleboarding at Forest Park CLICK HERE.
Vandalism Couldn’t Keep Him Down: Smokey Bear Returns To Rockwoods Reservation In Wildwood
Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.
Smokey Bear returned home to Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood recently. His homecoming is thanks to a partnership between the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) and the Metro West Fire Protection District of St. Louis County.
Smokey’s Journey…
In August 2015, Smokey Bear was stolen from his post along Route 109 in an apparent act of vandalism. Part of the mascot turned up about a week later in a local junkyard, but there was not enough left to put back up.
According to MDC Forestry District Supervisor Gus Raeker, the facility received a number of calls expressing concern over the disappearance of the local icon.
Bees Take Up Residence In Florissant Parking Lot
This was the scene in a Florissant parking lot on April 24 – Bees swarming in a tree outside several businesses. The sight created quite a stir. People were taking photos, and gathering outside business entries to watch the spectacle. Watchers wondered what the bees were doing and why they decided to do it in that spot.
We don’t have answers to those questions, but it was an unusual and interesting sight to see.
Photos by Holly Shanks.
Redear Sunfish: New State Record Caught By O’Fallon Resident
Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports James Lucas of O’Fallon became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri after catching a redear sunfish from a private pond in Lincoln County.
The “alternative method” record fish was caught by Lucas on March 24 and weighed 1 pound, 1 ounce. The previous state record was 6-ounces, caught in 1996.
Read more from the MDC release below.
Outdoor Passion & Beauty Meet In The Night Sky
Pictured: Dan Zarlenga, the St. Louis Regional Media Specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Dan Zarlenga is the guest on this week’s Environmental Echo podcast series.
Zarlenga, the St. Louis Regional Media Specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, has a unique hobby – he photographs the star filled night sky while incorporating night-time landscapes. The photographs are stunning!
In the podcast interview, Zarlenga shares his technique, how long it took to learn the craft of nighttime photography, and his passion for the outdoors.
All photos courtesy Dan Zarlenga.
The topic of light pollution and how it affects wildlife and the environment is also briefly discussed. Find out more about light pollution at the International Dark Sky Association – HERE.
To hear the interview with Dan Zarlenga and Holly Shanks click continue reading below.
From Pocket Parks to Our Beloved Forest Park Author Carver Chronicles 600 Parks of St. Louis
A new book by Nancy Carver, Discovering Public Parks in St. Louis, Missouri, has put hundreds of St. Louis County and St. Louis City parks in one combined reference place. The details of each park are included and readers get a glimpse into elements, such as the history, sculptures, amenities, special features, size, location, and little-known facts about each park. The book is comprehensive and incorporates all parks, whether federal, state, city, county, or neighborhood.
“Only three other major cities have more parks than St. Louis City and County combined. Only three other major cities have a signature park with more visitors than our Forest Park.”
Carver shares insights with Don Corrgian about her new book, and how St. Louis parks and the parks system developed, and why St. Louis should be considered a premier city with access to numerous local parks and green spaces.
Listen to the interview below.
Suburban Memories Of The New Year’s Eve Twister
Photo courtesy James Kramper, NWS. (Tornado in the photo does not represent the Fenton, Crestwood, or Sunset Hills 2010 twister.)
Environmental Echo’s Editors Note: Starting the week of May 22, Environmental Echo will begin a series of weekly podcasts about the most destructive tornadoes to ever hit Missouri. The stories will be based on the research by Don Corrigan for his book, “Show Me … Nature’s Wrath,” and he will be interviewed by Holly Shanks of Environmental Echo. Stay Tuned.
The first tornado covered will be the half-minute hurricane that beat down St. Charles. We hope you will add to the conversation by posting your own observations about Missouri’s tornadic tales. Should Missouri be included in Tornado Alley?
Read about the New Year’s Eve Twister that hit Fenton, Sunset Hills and Crestwood below…
Missouri marked its annual Severe Weather Awareness Week this past March. Residents of Fenton, Sunset Hills and Crestwood, who recall the New Year’s Eve tornado of 2010, don’t necessarily need a “heads up” that the skies can turn deadly in an instant.
Environmental Echo 