Environmental Echo

Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently released information about efforts to bring changes to St. Louis City’s O’Fallon Park.

The MDC entered a partnership to restore natural habitat to O’Fallon Park through MDC’s Back to Nature St. Louis Grant.  This grant provides funding for habitat restoration and/or reconstruction on a public park property in St. Louis County or City through a competitive application process.

The result of the agreement is the Back to Nature in O’Fallon Park project.  The goal of the project is to revitalize and enhance the park to improve the visitor’s aesthetic experience, facilitate nature enjoyment, and enhance nature programming opportunities.

Read more details about the program from the MDC below.

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In 2016, the Missouri Prairie Foundation established National Prairie Day—registered on the National Day Calendar as the first Saturday in June—to enhance public awareness of what prairie is, educate about its value, and motivate all who learn about prairie to be inspired to support prairie conservation, restoration, and enjoyment. This year, National Prairie Day is Saturday, June 2, 2018.

“All are invited to join us in celebration of National Prairie Day,” said Carol Davit, executive director of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, a 52-year-old non-profit prairie conservation organization and land trust. “National Prairie Day provides a day of focus across the United States to inspire learning, appreciation, exploration of our national prairie legacy, and success of national, regional, statewide, and local prairie conservation efforts from coast to coast.”

The Missouri Prairie Foundation will celebrate National Prairie Day by hosting its 9^th annual Prairie BioBlitz at its Pleasant Run Creek Prairie near Nevada, MO on June 2 and 3—free of charge and open to all—with biologist leaders, a potluck dinner, after-dinner speaker Chris Crabtree on Native American history in Missouri, star-gazing with astronomers, and tent camping on the prairie. For details and to register for 9th Annual Prairie BioBlitz, and many other upcoming Missouri Prairie Foundation events, visit moprairie.org.

Find more about why maintaining prairie is important below.

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Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.

The St. Louis County Police Athletic League (PAL) is embracing the benefits of archery, which has been shown to improve school attendance, boost self-esteem, and increase physical activity.  They will soon begin teaching a competitive target archery program to St. Louis County kids, with the help of a donation from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

MDC presented a kit of archery equipment used to teach the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) to the St. Louis County PAL April 13 at Hazelwood Middle School in Spanish Lake.

According to the St. Louis County PAL website, the program is volunteer-based with the goal of enabling members of the police department to coach young boys and girls in sports, help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community relations, and deter children from becoming involved in criminal activity.  The PAL also strives for youth enrichment with educational and youth leadership programs outside of sports.  The program has plans for members to train in and begin teaching MDC’s Discover Nature Fishing program in the future as well.

Read more from the MDC information release below.

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