Safety, Aesthetic Issues: Billboard Lobby Calls Highway Visual Clutter Study A Waste
Billboards on interstates 44, 55, 70 and 65 are ubiquitous with the roadway on I-65
between Springfield and Branson being one of the most cluttered in the nation.
by Don Corrigan
Missouri’s rank as 6th among states with the most billboards is once again drawing scrutiny. Concern comes as state officials eye the continuing $2.8 billion project to widen Interstate 70 between Wentzville and Kansas City.
Scenic Missouri President John Hock is urging legislators to commit to a serious study on safety issues, as well as the aesthetic impact of so many billboards along the 250-mile highway from St. Louis to Kansas City.
Hock notes that I-70 is called the “Main Street of Missouri” as part of the vital 2,200-mile interstate. I-70 has a significant footprint in nine states. Missouri has 3.64 billboards per mile along its I-70 corridor.
This is 2.5 times the average of its adjacent neighbors. Missouri has a billboard problem, according to Hock. He said Missouri’s “Main Street” travelers are not only deprived of natural beauty, but distracted driving caused by billboards puts them in danger.
John and Marilyn Hock are in the fight against highway billboards for the long haul.
Several legislators, both Democrat and Republican, agree with Hock that now is an opportune time to take a look at billboard clutter in the state. Proposals include a moratorium on the signage and hikes in billboard placement fees.
Billboard companies and the Missouri Outdoor Advertising Association are telling legislators that a commission to study the issue is a waste of taxpayer money. They also question any studies suggesting billboards could present traffic safety hazards.
Many Missouri legislators have spent thousands of election dollars on their own billboard advertising to improve their facial recognition among voters. Some state politicians are sympathetic to the billboard industry as a force promoting the local economy.
Hock said his organization, Scenic Missouri, has seen this rodeo before. His group tangled with the billboard industry over a Nov. 7, 2000 ballot issue. The ballot Proposition A was identified for voters as, “Save Our Scenery 2000.”
Save Our Scenery
Proposition A would have ended construction of most new billboard advertising along highways; granted authority to local governments to regulate existing billboards within their communities; halted the practice of allowing billboard companies to cut down trees on public land next to highways.
Prop. A’s “Save Our Scenery 2000” was a coalition of over 70 different business, environmental and professional organizations from across Missouri. It was placed on the ballot by 130,000 citizens who signed petitions across the state.
Opponents of Prop. A were led by the Citizens Against Tax Waste Committee. The group said Prop. A would raise taxes and effectively kill small businesses relying on outdoor advertising to attract customers.
Citizens Against Tax Waste Committee also claimed that requirements for compensation to landowners and sign owners after billboard removal would cost the state $500 to $600 million.
Supporters of Prop. A fired back that the Tax Waste Committee was simply a tool for the Missouri Outdoor Advertising Association. They also said the billboard industry was attempting to mislead voters with “ridiculous” figures of up to $600 million in reimbursements required.
In the end, state voters chose to side with the billboard industry in the 2000 election. The margin was as close as could be: 51% to 49%. At the time, Scenic Missouri spokesperson Karl Kruse lamented the state had about three times as many billboards per mile as its eight neighboring states.
Kruse said Missouri was 40 years behind the times in its laws regulating billboards. Four states, Maine, Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont, have complete bans on billboards along primary highways. About 20 states have laws prohibiting new billboard construction along interstates.
Today, Scenic Missouri’s John Hock can say the Show-Me State is now 65 years behind the times in its laws regulating billboards. Hock will also insist that the organization, Scenic Missouri, has not given up the fight against billboard clutter he says distorts the natural beauty of Missouri.
Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale in St. Louis County on April 12
Native plants beautify landscapes and help support songbirds and other cherished wildlife.
The sale is located at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park.
A wide variety of native wildflowers, grasses, sedges, vines, shrubs, and trees supplied by four Grow Native! professional members will be available for purchase at a Missouri Prairie Foundation native plant sale organized in partnership with World Bird Sanctuary, 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Rd., Valley Park, MO 63088 on Saturday, April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Note: The World Bird Sanctuary has an entry fee of $12 per car that all plant sale customers will have to pay to enter. This fee grants access to the plant sale and the live bird displays.
Vendors at this event are Gaylena’s Garden, River City Natives, Ozark Soul Native Plants, and Papillon Perennials.
Some vendors accept cash, check, or credit cards; some only cash or checks. Shoppers may begin browsing product selections, making purchases, and picking up pre-orders from each vendor at the advertised start time. “Early birds” will be asked to wait until the advertised start time to begin shopping.
“Choosing native plants for home landscaping is one of the best actions homeowners can take to support nature’s web of life—including beloved birds—and add beauty to their yards or property,” said Carol Davit, Missouri Prairie Foundation Executive Director.
Posted in Home, Local Events
More St. Louis Area Sightings! Coyotes Proliferate After Much Cicada Munching in 2024
By Don Corrigan
Photo: MDC
Coyote sighting photos have been finding their way onto Facebook sites in the St. Louis area. If you want to know why the wily coyotes are now appearing in abundance, blame it on … cicadas. Cicadas?
“This is an exceptional year for seeing coyotes on the landscape,” said Erin Shank. “This is due to the cicada emergence last spring, which produced plentiful food resources. This has led to high survival rates for coyotes and many other species.
Photo: MDC
In other words, many critters enjoyed some ready-made dinners – feasting on literally billions of cicadas last year. Among the many diners were coyotes and their pups who benefited from a banner year of bountiful bugs in 2024.
“The most important item to stress now is to not feed the coyotes, whether on purpose or inadvertently,” said Shank, a once-familiar face at Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood.
These days Shenk spends a lot of her time at Busch Wildlife Center. She works there as the St. Louis Region Community and Private Land Conservation Unit Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Shenk has a soft spot for coyotes, but she concedes their presence in St. Louis suburbs can become problematic, especially if they become aggressive. They should not be fed.
“The cicadas are gone, but coyotes are here and they’re very opportunistic eaters. They’ll feast on anything from pet food to trash,” said Shank. “Fed coyotes have a much higher tendency to become a nuisance.”
Forest ReLeaf of Missouri: April Open Nursery Potting Day, April 12, 2025
April Open Nursery Potting Day, Saturday, April 12 · 9 – 11am, located at CommuniTree Gardens Nursery, 2194 Creve Coeur Mill Road South Maryland Heights, MO 63146. Register HERE.
Each year Forest ReLeaf pots over 20,000 bare root seedlings in preparation for distribution to tree planting projects across the state of Missouri in the spring and fall. This is made possible through volunteer efforts!
Helping hands of all ages are welcomed to the nursery to help make sure these young trees get planted properly. Potting days begin with a tour of the nursery and a quick overview of the process, and ample opportunities for breaks. We’ll provide gloves, training, and snacks.
Please dress for dirt and weather and bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated!
Great Rivers Greenway: St. Vincent Greenway Walking Book Club
Great Rivers Greenway offers many great events to join! Checkout the monthly walking book club! Find more events at the Great Rivers Greenway online event calendar.
Monday, May 12, 20255:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Cabanne Branch Library, Union Boulevard, St. Louis, MO.
Embark on a literary journey with our walking book club, Book Talk and Walk!
Each month, we gather at the Cabanne Library and set off on a delightful 2-mile walk along the scenic St. Vincent Greenway, Delmar main street, and Ivory Perry Park. As we stroll, we’ll dive into engaging discussions about the month’s selected book. Some print copies will be available at Cabanne Library for check out. May book: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Posted in Home
2025 Urban Gardening Symposium
Join Brightside St. Louis, Saturday, May 31st, 2025 for the St. Louis Urban Gardening Symposium located at Brightside St. Louis’ Demonstration Garden at 4646 Shenandoah Avenue.
The symposium will feature Dr. Ed Spevak as the keynote speaker. Dr. Spevak is the Curator of Invertebrates at the Saint Louis Zoo and Director of Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Institute Center for Native Pollinator Conservation (CNPC). He will share his expertise in native plants and pollinators.
The event will also showcase local experts with experience and knowledge of installing and caring for native plants and creating garden designs beneficial to pollinators and beautiful for your neighborhood. You’ll enjoy the variety of organizations represented- from MSD Project Clear to St. Louis Master Gardeners!
Following the initial showcase, concurrent workshops led by experts in their respective fields will help gardeners learn how to plan, plant and care for a neighborhood or home garden. There will be opportunities to “Ask the Experts” between sessions and to purchase native plants after the workshops!
For more information, registration and cost details, workshop line-up and event flyer click link below.
Webster’s Carol Hodson: Artist Leaves College Classroom For Work In Disaster Areas
by Don Corrigan
Rare moment of rest on last day of overlapping deployment for Helene and Milton.
After several decades of college teaching, Webster University Art Professor Emeritus Carol Hodson decided to take her expressive arts knowledge on the road – and the road has led to national disaster areas.
“We are having more and more natural disasters in America, from wildfires, to windstorms, to flooding,” said Hodson of Webster Groves. “The victims need more than just physical help or financial support, they are often traumatized. I do trauma therapy.”
Psychologists say what Hodson is engaged in is “climate change trauma,” and there’s more of it every year. Hodson has worked on the scene after hurricanes like Ida in 2021, Ian in 2022, Idalia in 2023, Debby in 2024, Helene in 2024 and Milton in October 2024.
The deadly inferno that hit Los Angeles in January and February of this year has put wildfires on Hodson’s radar. As with hurricane victims, the wildfires have caused significant mental health trauma for many residents, including those who lost homes, witnessed the fires, or were displaced.
Horseshoe Beach
In the aftermath of natural disasters, individuals feel a range of emotions, including denial, anger, sadness, shock and hopelessness. This emotional response can evolve into later phases of uncontrollable grief, hyper-anxiety, bitterness and depression.
Additionally, people can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can include intrusive thoughts, nightmares and suicidal tendencies. Increased risk of chronic health conditions and the risk of self-harm is often present.
Florida Live Oaks like this in Pinellas County, are a symbol of resiliency especially after consecutive impact of Helene and Milton.
“I’ve been in situations after hurricanes where people completely close off and are uncommunicative,” said Hodson. “Their homes are splinters and their lives are shattered. They have witnessed injuries and even deaths that are debilitating for them.
“Our first job is to look as non-threatening as possible,” said Hodson. “We wear scrubs to assure those who may be wandering around in the destruction that we are health workers. We talk and assess the individuals who need our assistance.”
Generally speaking, Hodson said she and other approved volunteers and medical personnel make assessments in three categories: Individuals who are dazed and confused; those who are agitated and often angry; those who are silent and in depression.
From her studies on trauma, Hodson has drawn inspiration and technique from many sources. She is a licensed mental health counselor in Missouri and Massachusetts. She is a certified Expressive Arts Therapist, a Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner, and Crisis Stabilization Support Counselor.
From Classroom to Crisis
Hodson joined the faculty of Webster University in 1990 as an artist and professor. Early on in her classes on the Webster Groves campus she saw students showing symptoms of addiction, eating disorders, abuse and trauma.
“I have always taught that art can be used as a powerful tool for healing one’s self,” said Hodson. “But it became evident to me that if I were to ethically support students to explore personal issues, I needed more background.
Fort Meyers beach cleanup after Ian
To complement her creative work and artist’s intuition, she sought training as a therapist. She pursued an additional degree track in 2015-2018, attaining an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling with emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy, from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
After graduation from Lesley, Hodson volunteered over 2,000 hours under the supervision of Dr. Patrick Stack, director of Webster’s Counseling and Life Development Center.
She worked as an Expressive Arts Therapist with Webster students as clients in the Center. At the same time, she has juggled her teaching commitment in the Department of Art, Design, and Art History (DADAH).
Hodson improvises with pre-schoolers in Perry County
In DADAH, Hodson developed the Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy that has been offered on the undergraduate level and cross-listed with psychology. She also began thinking about a private practice, which is established now.
“When we were out of the classroom in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic, I continued volunteering through the counseling center to offer support on Zoom. That’s not ideal, but it was useful,” Hodson said.
“Looking through a trauma-informed lens, it was possible to predict at the time of the pandemic, the exhaustion, numbness, and anxiety that some students, faculty and staff are still experiencing now.”
Carrie Phelps-caniosacral, Amie Leigh,commander, Stacy Brown Counselor, Carol Hodson
Trauma Therapy Treatment
Hodson finds that many people think Expressive Arts Therapy must involve sketching and painting, and analysis of what ends up on the canvas. The healing process could involve some of this, but much more is involved.
Expressive arts can include visual creations, music, song, writing, drama, and movement. The arts can empower those suffering from trauma to tap into the power of images, movement, sound, role-playing, and writing as therapeutic modes of communication.
End of a hot, rewarding day
“It’s all intended to reduce the self-blame that can come from the psychological distress of traumatic experiences,” said Hodson. “The mission is to move out of the isolating state of ‘being victims’ and to lean into perceiving oneself and others as a survivors.”
Part of Hodson’s approach is based on the life work of Peter Levine and his Somatic Experiencing™(SE). It’s therapy based on a multidisciplinary intersection of physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics.
“The goal of SE is to guide the nervous system to more effectively regulate trauma-related responses to stress,” said Hodson. “It’s a gentle approach that helps to release trauma, without the pain of reliving all the details of what caused the trauma.”
Posted in Home
Confluence Trash Bash, April 12, 2025
Register now to volunteer for the 2025 Confluence Trash Bash on April 12, 2025.
Be a part of one of the largest volunteer clean-up events in the region & help beautify the Lower Missouri River watershed.
Learn more at: https://volunteer.openspacestl.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=132647
MDC and MU Extension Thank Missouri Master Naturalists for 2024 Accomplishments
New Master Naturalist members Jerricho Jonker and Jacob Mace learn the protocol for monitoring Barn Owl nesting boxes from senior volunteers with Hi Lonesome Chapter and landowner Susan Lorde Marker.
Volunteers provided more than 75,000 hours of service to local communities in 2024.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and MU Extension thank the Missouri Master Naturalists for volunteering thousands of hours to conserving Missouri’s natural resources in 2024.
Missouri Master Naturalists participate in a chapter-based natural resource education and volunteer program within their community that is sponsored by MDC and MU Extension. They sometimes assist with MDC research or conduct habitat improvement projects, but they often serve at educational or special-event programs that are conducted with numerous chapter partners within the community.
Participants first must enroll in a core training with approximately 40 hours that is focused on Missouri’s ecological systems and conservation. Core training is conducted at the chapter-level and led by chapter advisors with both MDC and MU Extension. Master Naturalist chapters provide a corps of well-informed volunteers to serve nature and natural resources in their community.
According to Bob Pierce, Program Coordinator with MU Extension, there are 12 Missouri Master Naturalist Program chapters: Boone’s Lick in Columbia, Chert Glades in Joplin, Confluence in St. Charles, Great Rivers in St. Louis, Hi Lonesome in Cole Camp, Lake of the Ozarks in Camdenton, Loess Hills in St. Joseph, Meramec Hills in Rolla, Miramiguoa in Washington, Mississippi Hills in Hannibal, Osage Trails in Kansas City, and Springfield Plateau in Springfield.
2024 PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
Rebecca O’Hearn, MDC Program Coordinator for Missouri Master Naturalists, reports that during 2024, the Missouri Master Naturalist Program celebrated its 20th year of programming. One of Missouri’s very first chapters, the Boone’s Lick Chapter, hosted a successful Statewide Conference in the Columbia area to commemorate the anniversary.
In addition, 11 of the 12 Master Naturalist Chapters trained more than 230 new volunteers, and the Program’s volunteers dedicated record numbers of service hours to taking care of Missouri’s natural resources and to educating Missourians about those resources.
Posted in Home
Environmental Echo 