Monthly Archives: March 2023

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Radioactive Nightmare Continues: Never-Ending Story Of How St. Louis Pays For Atomic Age

“We need not even make war; only by preparing, by playing with our new weapons, we poison the air, the water, the soil of our plants, damage the health of the living, and weaken the chances of the newborn.”   —  Martha Gellhorn, War Correspondent

By Don Corrigan

A new book published at the end of 2022 explains the complex and  traumatic legacy of the atomic age in the St. Louis region. Given the half-life of radioactive materials, it seems no book can ever be the last word on what is a continual crisis.

Many American baby boomers can recall their fathers explaining to them that the atomic bomb was necessary to end World War II; that the human loss would have been much worse without it; that the legacy of the bomb was likely a Pax Americana and a lasting peace.

The baby boomers’ fathers had it wrong. They did not realize how atomic weapons would proliferate; how they would become more lethal; and, how the contaminant byproducts of the first bombs would endlessly plague the “Gateway City” of the American Midwest.

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Posted on March 26, 2023 in Environment, Home

Learn About Missouri’s Endangered Lake Sturgeon Recovery, March 30

Posted on March 25, 2023 | Leave a comment

MDC Fisheries Management Biologist (right) helps Gavin Stukenburg hold an 86-pound lake sturgeon Stukenburg snagged in 2022 at Maple Island Access. Photo: MDC

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) confirmed that state-endangered lake sturgeon spawned on April 23, 2022, along the Mississippi River in West Alton below the Melvin Price Lock and Dam (Number 26).  The event occurred at USACE’s Maple Island Access.  This was the first spawning to be confirmed since the activity was last seen in the same area in 2015.  These historic spawning events were the result of recovery efforts dating back more than 30 years.

What is the current state of lake sturgeons in Missouri?  What is the outlook for the future?  MDC Fisheries Management Biologist Travis Moore will address these questions and more at a special presentation Thursday, March 30 at 6 p.m.

The presentation will be held at the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, located less than two miles from where the spawning events took place in 2015 and 2022.  The program is offered in cooperation with the Audubon Society and the USACE.

Moore has been closely involved with the lake sturgeon recovery and monitoring program for 25 years and will talk about the history of the species in the Show-Me-State and the efforts to restore them to our waters.

Register for the event HERE.

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SEED St. Louis: Spring Plant Sales

Save the Dates!

Saturday, April 1, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Six-packs of spring seedlings will be available as well as Seed St. Louis seed packets, t-shirts, and stickers. We will have two varieties of lettuce, bok choy, collards, kale, green and red cabbage, a variety pack of broccoli with staggered harvests, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.

Saturday, May 13, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Summer veggie, perennial seedlings, and sweet potato slips will be available as well as Seed St. Louis seed packets, t-shirts, and stickers. We will have tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, basil, parsley, and tomatillos.

Location: Seed St. Louis Carriage House, 3815 Bell Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108

Free street parking is available along Bell Avenue. The sales will be located outside behind the Carriage House building. We will accept both cash and credit for payment.

Find more information about what will be offered at each sale HERE.

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Posted on March 22, 2023 in Local Events

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“A Sewer Runs Through It: A History of the River des Peres” Film and Discussion, March 22

In the 1920s, wide sloping plains by the River des Peres absorbed flood
water, resulting in minimal damage. What changed to make the floods
of July 26 & 29, 2022 so destructive?

The event is NO COST but you need an EVENTBRITE ticket. Get tickets by clicking HERE.

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Posted on March 20, 2023 in Home, Local Events

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Environmentalists Defend Initiatives: State Legislators At Odds With ‘Will Of The People’

By Don Corrigan

Environmentalists are among those opposed to actions by the Missouri legislature to cripple the initiative process in the state. They say the initiative process is often the only way to get environmental protections enacted in Missouri.

In the past, environmental groups have used the process on issues such as renewable energy and the financing of nuclear power facilities. In Missouri, these groups have included the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and the Sierra Club.

The initiative process has been dubbed as a “will of the people” mechanism. That’s because measures are approved by a statewide majority of voters, rather than passed by lawmakers in the statehouse where they can be beholden to special interests..

In this year’s session in Jefferson City, lawmakers have seemed determined to codify their disdain for the grassroots democracy of initiatives placed on the ballot by petition.

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Posted on March 19, 2023 in Environment, Home, Opinion

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Registration Is Open for 2023 Callery Pear “Buyback”

Photo: MDC, David Stonner.

The Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP), in partnership with Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, Forrest Keeling Nursery, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, will host a Callery pear “buyback” program in locations around the state on April 18.

Registration is open March 15 – April 13 for participants to choose their location, register with EventBrite, select a native tree, and upload a photo of the cut-down Callery pear tree. One free, non-invasive, native tree is provided to registered participants at the selected location on the day of the event, April 18, from 3–6 p.m. (Note: Kansas City has different dates and times.)

Invasive Tree Causes Ecological Concern: Native to China, Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) include 26 cultivars that present significant ecological concerns in Missouri. Some of the most common cultivars offered commercially include Aristocrat, Autumn Blaze, Bradford, Capital, Cleveland, Chanticleer, Red-spire, and Whitehouse.

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Posted on March 19, 2023 in Home, Local Events

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Pallottine Officially Opens Low Ropes Challenge Course

Information from the Pallottine Renewal Center about a new learning opportunity in the local St. Louis area.

A multi-year dream finally becomes a reality this month as the Low Ropes Challenge Course opens at the Pallottine Renewal Center in Florissant. PRC Executive Director Marillyn Baner and team have worked to bring this vision to life over the past several years, made even more critical by the 2020 Covid Shutdown and people’s inability to get together publicly. With those fears and restrictions now behind us, it is the perfect time to open the course to the public.

“I am beyond thrilled that we are finally able to provide this amazing experiential learning opportunity to the communities in and around North County and St. Louis,” Baner said. “Starting this month, we are taking reservations for groups of all shapes and sizes, from 10 to 100. Call us to schedule a tour and see everything Pallottine has to offer from ropes to retreats.”

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Posted on March 19, 2023 in Home

Forest Park Replaces Trees Along “allée” Walk

Posted on March 12, 2023 | Leave a comment

After researching replacement options, Forest Park Forever’s horticultural team selected the “yellow bird” flowering magnolia.

Out with the Callery pear and in with the “yellow bird” magnolia!

Our friends at Forest Park Forever are always moving forward for the good of nature and the park!

Recent information released by Forest Park Forever:

Forest Park Forever, in partnership with St. Louis City’s Forestry team is removing the Callery pear trees along the “allée” walk that bisects the twin parking lots between the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center and Pagoda Circle.

In keeping with the original design intent of the allée, we will replace these trees with 60 ornamental “yellow bird” flowering magnolias sourced from a nursery in Kansas City. The project team plans to begin removal of trees on Tuesday, February 28, so the site is ready for installation of the new trees some time over the next month.

Read more about the project and the invasive Callery pear tree HERE.

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4,500 Serious Crashes in Missouri: Costs For Roadkill Collisions In U.S. Approach $10 Billion

Posted on March 7, 2023 | Leave a comment

Taking animal safety into consideration when building roads and highways doesn’t have to cost taxpayers’ money. In fact, preventative measures can reduce costly road accidents and save human lives

In a new study by the Federal Highway Administration, reported animal crashes are now estimated to cost Americans over $10 billion annually with a total of more that 200 crashes which prove to be fatal for humans.

Regional figures show that crashes with animals in the Midwest cause damages upwards of $3.8 billion with collisions mounting to well over 160,000 annually.

Missouri has about 4,500 animal crashes, with anywhere from 6-12 human fatal animal crashes yearly. Michigan had the greatest number of reported animal-vehicle crashes, with an average of over 54,000 each year.

The new study titled, “The Strategic Integration of Wildlife Mitigation into Transportation Procedures,” recommends use of a collision prevention manual for transportation professionals and their partners.

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