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Free Events at St. Louis Area State Parks and Historic Sites

St. Louis area state parks and historic sites have a variety of events planned for September. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources have posted a list of activities with something for everyone.

Thursdays, Sept. 25 and Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. – Toddler Thursdays at Mastodon State Historic Site. Come learn, create and play at Mastodon State Historic Site! These Toddler Thursday programs are designed for toddlers and their grown-ups. Each session focuses on a different topic and includes a story and a craft. There is no need to register; just show up to the museum auditorium located at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive in Imperial and enjoy. Upcoming program topics: Sept. 25 – Bird Songs.
Oct. 9 – Autumn Leaves.

Friday, Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. – Outdoor Classroom: Petroglyph Research at Washington State Park. Join the team at the park’s amphitheater, 3041 State Highway 104 in De Soto, to listen to a presentation about the petroglyphs at Washington State Park and the connections between this site and other Native American archaeological sites.


Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m. – Living With Water: An Introduction to Your Rock Creek Watershed at Mastodon State Historic Site.
Members of the local community are invited to come out to the historic site on Tuesday, Sept. 30, to learn more about the Rock Creek watershed. This free event will take place at the picnic shelter from 4:30-7 p.m. Guests are welcome to come and go as they please.

Representatives from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson County Public Works, University of Missouri Extension and more will be present to answer questions. This event is open to all ages and will include activities for children. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, please call the historic site at 636-464-2976. The event will be held at the historic picnic shelter at 1800 Seckman Road in Imperial.

For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit mostateparks.com/events. 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.

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Posted on September 21, 2025 in Home, Local Events

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Bring Conservation Home Expo Sept. 21 in Tower Grove Park

MDC and the St. Louis Audubon Society invite the public to the Bring Conservation Home Expo Sunday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in St. Louis’ Tower Grove Park. Photo: MDC

Conservation doesn’t just happen on conservation areas.  The Bring Conservation Home (BCH) program is a collaboration between the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the St. Louis Audubon Society.  It offers homeowners consultation visits by trained habitat advisors.  They provide tailored advice and resource connections to help transform yards into native plant havens for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.

MDC and the St. Louis Audubon Society invite the public to a Bring Conservation Home Expo Sunday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in St. Louis’ Tower Grove Park.  This free event is open to everybody and will be a special exhibition of native plant benefits, resources, and native landscaping information.

“Community members can welcome a wider variety of birds and pollinators to their neighborhood by including native plants and nature stewardship in their own yards and other community spaces,” said Dan Pearson, director of the BCH program.

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Posted on September 16, 2025 in Home, Local Events

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GRG’s 25th Anniversary: St. Louis Hikers & Bikers To Celebrate Great Rivers Greenway Birthday

by Don Corrigan

A 1,500-foot long dinner table would normally suffice for most birthday parties, but revelers may want to show up early to get a place at the table got GRG’s 25th anniversary shindig.

The table will be set for Monday, Sept. 15 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the circle drive at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. The Great Gather Round Table event will feature local DJs, free cupcakes, sweet art for everyone and local food trucks.

Webster-Kirkwood hikers and bikers have benefitted from trails close to home, including the River des Peres Greenway, Gravois Greenway (Grant’s Trail), and the Meramec Greenway with a major tailhead at Kirkwood’s Greentree Park along the river.

GRG’s  system of trails features 140 miles of paved pathways that bring neighborhoods together and give people safe places to walk, bike, run, and roll – on skates. They’re available for exercise, to commute or for making memories.

“This anniversary reminds us of how much we can accomplish when we work together across the region,” said Mark Perkins, incoming CEO at GRG. “The greenways we’ve built are only the beginning. We’re excited for what the next 25 years will bring.”

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Posted on September 10, 2025 in Environment, Home, Local Events

MDC Virtual Program Reveals the Scoop On Missouri’s Black Bears, Sept. 5

Posted on September 2, 2025 | Leave a comment

Get to know Missouri’s black bears at an MDC virtual program Sept. 5 and learn more about these charismatic mammals which are expanding toward the St. Louis region. Photo: MDC

Black bears are becoming a common part of the Missouri landscape, especially in the southern parts of the state.  But sightings are becoming a regular occurrence even in the St. Louis region.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a chance to learn all about these charismatic creatures through an online event.  Missouri Black Bears is a free virtual program happening Friday, Sept. 5, from 3 – 4:30 p.m.  MDC naturalists will cover the most important information Missouri residents should know about the Show-Me-State’s expanding bear population.

Once considered extirpated from the state, Missouri black bears are beginning to make an impressive comeback. This program will explore the complicated history of these fascinating mammals, and the research efforts which are helping them return to their former range. It will also discuss how to reduce human-bear conflict as their numbers continue to grow.

This virtual program is free and open to the public; however, each participant must register separately in advance at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4vU to receive an online meeting link.   Log in instructions will be provided to participants beforehand.  The program will be held via Webex and participants will have the chance to use the chat feature for a Question and Answer portion with the naturalists.

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MDC will remove invasive carp from Platte River

Invasive carp removal efforts, as photographed above, aim to combat the overpopulation of fish that outcompete native species for resources in Missouri waters. MDC will close Schimmel City Access on Sept. 8-11 and 22-25 to continue this work on the Platte River. Photo: MDC

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is conducting an invasive carp removal on the Platte River. This effort will seek to inform management of invasive carp populations in the state’s big rivers and their smaller connected rivers and creeks. On Sept. 8-11 and Sept. 22-25, MDC will close the Schimmel City Access for the fish removal project. The access is located in Platte County, just north of Farley, Mo. The project is being conducted in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Crews will be removing the carp from the river, and a commercial fishing operation will then process the fish into various products such as a protein additive for animal feeds and for prepared fish bait for anglers.

Removal efforts like this project have potential to increase the available food and habitat for native fish in the Platte River such as buffalo, multiple catfish species, and the many smaller fish species that are part of the ecosystem. The invasive carp tend to spawn during periods of high water, and both young and mature carp congregate in the slower feeder streams and in the nutrient-rich water of deep pools. Continued work in those areas has the potential to remove large numbers of invasive carp for the betterment of the native species competing for resources in those areas.

Invasive carp reproduce prolifically and grow quickly to sizes too big for native predator fish to consume. They filter food and nutrients from the water that are needed by the many fish species native to the rivers, including those popular with anglers. One invader, silver carp, grow to large sizes and leap from the water when startled, and they can seriously injure boaters. The removal will target silver, bighead, grass, and black carp. Any other fish species captured will be measured and released as part of research and monitoring of the river’s fishery.

MDC has fish population sampling data from prior years and populations will be sampled after the carp removal. Biologists will monitor how native fish populations respond and how quickly invasive carp re-populate the stream section.

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Posted on August 31, 2025 in Home, Outdoor/Nature

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GRG Does Last-Minute Cancellation Of Aug. 19 Meeting On Unger Park Plans in St. Louis County

by Don Corrigan

Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) canceled its Aug. 19 meeting on proposed Unger Park trail plans. Isolated thunderstorms in the area prompted GRG to call off the meeting which was slated for the pavilion at the park.

About 25 area resident showed up for the late afternoon meeting at the park. Residents expressed some frustration that they were unable to offer feedback face-to-face due to the cancellation of the meeting.

“We at Great Rivers Greenway are sorry we had to cancel the open house with such late notice – the decision to cancel was made due to predicted severe weather, and our first priority is always our community’s safety,” said a GRG spokesperson.

“Sometimes that means cancellations closer to the actual event, which we know is frustrating,” she added.

GRG is asking area residents to share comments and questions about the project on its on-line comment card (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UngerParkOpenHouse) or share them by phone: 314-936-6256.

Comments and questions can be routed  to the appropriate project team members at the headquarters of Great Rivers Greenway. 

Also, the Unger Park proposed improvements and trail project can be found at a webpage for more information about the Meramec Greenway in Unger Park: Meramec Greenway: Unger Park – Great Rivers Greenway 

Stay tuned to Environmental Echo for updates on the Unger project in the southwest St. Louis area, and also for plans for Great Rivers Greenway’s celebration events later this year for its 25th Anniversary.

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Posted on August 28, 2025 in Home, Local Events

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Religious Groups React: Christian Environmentalists Alarmed Over EPA Attacking Solar

by Don Corrigan

Christian environmentalist groups are becoming increasingly vocal about their alarm over the current administration’s policies on ecology, the environment, and conservation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is implementing a plan to terminate $7 billion in federal grants allocated to help an estimated 900,000 low- and middle-income households install rooftop solar panels.

These grants, known as the “Solar for All” program, were awarded and set to be distributed to 60 state agencies, tribes, and nonprofit organizations across the country. Proponents of the solar program say it had the potential to significantly lower monthly energy costs for families through rooftop and community solar.

In response to the draconian EPA cuts, the Evangelical Environmental Network’s president and CEO, the Rev. Jessica Moerman, said the decision to end the “Solar for All” program was a step backwards on green power and affordable clean energy in America.

“When energy bills soar, many struggling families turn to their local church for help,” said Moerman. “Canceling the Solar for All program will take away an opportunity for 900,000 low-income households to find financial relief and greater self-sufficiency through home-grown solar energy.

“As evangelicals, we’re called to care for the ‘least of those’ among us and to be good stewards of God’s creation and our resources, Moerman added.

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Posted on August 28, 2025 in Environment, Opinion

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“It’s Going To Get Worse” Besides Utility Rate Hikes, Missouri CWIP Action Could Hit Hard

by Don Corrigan

With gas and electric rates moving upward, Missouri newspapers warn consumers that “it’s going to get worse.” This hardly tells the whole story, especially given the actions of the state legislature this year.

In the 2025 session, legislators approved CWIP (Construction Work In Progress). This overturned a “will of the people” measure dating from 1976. That measure stopped ratepayers from having to pick up the tab for projects until they’re online and producing energy for customers.

In 1976, Ameren wanted to bill ratepayers for a second nuclear reactor project east of Fulton in Calloway County. Ameren insisted the reactor was essential to meet energy needs, but the critical need suddenly evaporated when voters said “no” at the ballot box.

So what’s happening now?

Missouri voters’ action on CWIP has been honored for nearly five decades. What turn of events this year moved the legislature to overturn the people’s will as expressed in the 1976 statewide vote?

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Posted on August 26, 2025 in Home

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41st Birthday Bash Planned For Anti-litter superhero Peanut the Turtle (8/31 Powder Valley)

Powder Valley Nature Center is celebrating Peanut the Turtle’s 41st birthday with a free Birthday Bash Saturday, August 23, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The famous, figure-eight turtle has been an anti-litter superhero for nearly 40 years. Photo by John Miller.

There was more than one famous turtle to hit the scene in 1984.  That was the year comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird first published their iconic creations, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  The reptilian superheroes heroes skyrocketed to fame that year soon after their comic book debut.

Another famous turtle crusader entered the world in 1984—Peanut the Turtle.  Her mutation didn’t come about from a mutagenic ooze; she was transformed into a litter fighting superhero by a cast-off plastic six-pack ring.  And she’s been a real deal trash basher for 40 years.

Peanut is turning 41 years old, and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is throwing her a Birthday Bash. The party is happening at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. It’s a free event and open to all ages.

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Posted on August 22, 2025 in Home, Local Events, Outdoor/Nature

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Award-Winning MDC Photographer Noppadol Paothong to Speak at Powder Valley Nature Center Aug. 22

Award-winning MDC photographer Noppadol Paothong will speak at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood Friday, Aug. 22 from 7 – 8 p.m.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) presents an evening with award-winning MDC photographer Noppadol Paothong at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood Friday, Aug. 22 from 7 – 8 p.m.

Paothong’s photography has been featured in the Missouri Conservationist and Xplor magazines, and many other publications including National Audubon, Ranger Rick, BBC, and the Nature Conservancy.

Paothong is a nature/conservation photographer and an associate fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). The iLCP is an elite group of the world’s top wildlife, nature, and culture photographers around the globe.  Paothong is also the featured artist in Powder Valley’s display gallery for August, where his photography can be seen until the end of the month.

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Posted on August 17, 2025 in Home, Local Events