Category Archives: Outdoor/Nature

This French statue depicts the American “New World” as a young woman propping up a sickly old woman – France. The grateful French erected it at Montpellier in gratitude for U.S. help in defeating phylloxera, a parasite destroying French vineyards. Photo courtesy of Robert Scheef

by Don Corrigan

Americans visiting wine country in France often express surprise when coming upon an intriguing statue in Montpellier. It depicts a younger woman holding and soothing an older woman.

The statue is a representation of France and America helping one another with viticulture. When France’s vineyards were dying from the pest, phylloxera, in the 1800s, Missourians came to the rescue.

Missouri vineyard experts gave French winemakers American rootstock, which is resistant to the parasite. The trick involved grafting the majority of France’s grape plants with hearty American rootstock.

The “Wine Ladies” statue celebrates this curative. An older woman depicts France as ill and dying, whereas the younger woman illustrates America coming to help and soothe. It is a very touching story.

Missouri Wine Country gave a vineyard gift not only to France, but to the world. The Missouri Botanical Garden’s Henry Shaw was a lover of grapes, a wine enthusiast, and he consorted with Missouri’s viniculture experts.

Shaw’s cadre of viniculture specialists included George Engelmann, Charles V. Riley, George Husmann and Hermann Jaeger. When the parasite known as phylloxera began destroying Europe’s wine industry in the 1870s, Shaw’s experts reacted.

Engelmann and other Missouri horticulturalists, including Husmann and Jaeger, developed and organized a shipment of phylloxera-resistant American grapevines to send to France.

The shipped grapevines were used as hardy root stocks to which European vines were grafted. The grafting enabled the French vines to withstand the deadly attack and Europe’s wine industry was saved.

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Alan Hopefl of Kirkwood, who has earned a nickname as the “Honeysuckle Slayer,” said he cannot understand why any state legislator would support nurseries selling harmful invasive plants.

by Don Corrigan

This past fall youngsters volunteered with Back To Nature STL to hack out invasive bush honeysuckle in St. Louis suburbs. Volunteers have an uphill fight, in part, because state nurseries continue to sell invasive plants.

“Volunteers can take heart now because there is legislation in Jefferson City to stop the sale of these plants,” said Bonnie Harper of Open Space St. Louis, which had 45 “Honeysuckle Hack” events in 2024 with its Back To Nature STL program.

“Honeysuckle Hack” events had their origin under the Open Space Council in Kirkwood, an organization renamed as Open Space St. Louis with a new headquarters in Sunset Hills. Regardless of name or headquarters location, the hacking continues.

“We have ‘Honeysuckle Hack’ events scheduled to summer now, with the most recent in January at Jefferson Barracks,” said Harper. “Hacking out invasives is labor intensive work, so it’s great to learn that the legislature may end their sale at nurseries.”

Rep. Bruce Sassmann, R-Bland, is sponsor of HB60. Sassman said honeysuckle hackers should take heart, but he said his proposed law is just a small step in the right direction on a big problem.

“Every day invasive species are threatening the health of our nation’s vital agricultural and natural lands,“ said Sassman. “Forests are being infested, cropland production is being impacted, streams are being impacted, wildlife is losing habitat.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines an invasive species as one whose introduction causes economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.

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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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Photo by Dan Zarlenga, MDC.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is beginning construction of a new road on Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake.  When completed, the road will create a more direct connection from the area entrance to the boat ramp on the Missouri River.  MDC estimates the construction project will be complete by spring 2025, depending on weather.  The contractor will begin staging equipment on the area by the end of July.

The construction project will significantly improve public access to the boat ramp when completed. The current route to the ramp is six miles; more than half of the travel is on gravel roads.  The new route will only be two-and-a-half miles long, with just one mile of gravel road.

“The new road will provide quicker access to the river for the public as well as emergency services. The current road will still be accessible for those wishing to access other parts of the area,” said Clinton Owenby, MDC Regional Resource District Manager.

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