Heartland Prairie

Located northeast of Alton, Illinois, Heartland Prairie is a 27-acre reconstructed tallgrass prairie on the north side of Gordon F. Moore Park (Google map). The prairie was planted in 1977 by Sierra Club members, and is managed by The Nature Institute  and the City of Alton. Boasting more than 150 native…

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Fall wildflower sale – Sept. 7

If you need some new plants after the hot, dry summer, the Fall Wildflower Sale at Shaw Nature Reserve may be just what you’re looking for. It’s smaller than the spring sale and Wild Ones will not have a booth, but it’s a great resource for fall plantings.

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August meeting

By Fran Glass At the University of Missouri-St. Louis our hostess was Jen Fruend of CHERP (Campus Honors Environmental Research Program). CHERP is an urban ecology honors college course studying natural ecosystems to restore wildness to the campus, local parks, and neighborhood. Jen is a CHERP Education and Ecology Instructor…

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Native Landscaping video series – Part 3, Law

Many local governments have ordinances to define acceptable land use. However, proponents of manicured lawns and native plant enthusiasts may have very different perspectives on what sort of yard is desirable. In the final video in the series, Joy Buslaff provides suggestions for effective policies.

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Drought doubts

By Peggy Whetzel The U.S. Drought Monitor is forecasting the drought in the Midwest to continue through September 30. I don’t miss the roar of lawnmowers, the humidity, powdery mildew, mosquitoes or Japanese beetles. But I do miss the butterflies and fireflies. And I worry about the wildlife.

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New partnership with Bring Conservation Home

Many of us heard about the St. Louis Audubon Society’s Bring Conservation Home (BCH) program at the March meeting.  It encourages homeowners to provide quality habitat for birds and other animals by: Landscaping with native plants Removing invasive plant species Conserving water Implementing stewardship practices to support wildlife

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Where do our native plants come from?

Are we inadvertently destroying the Missouri native plant Space-Time Continuum?  (The last 3 words borrowed from Star Trek.) Seriously, I wonder if we are introducing plants into our local gene pool that may change the genetic make-up of our local species. To prevent this, the source of origin should be…

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Missouri Native Grassland Conservation – Green Time TV

Green Time show 404, Missouri Native Grassland Conservation. Features local documentary about Missouri prairies and efforts at UMSL to recreate prairie areas. Don Fitz discusses prairies and their advantages with Jay Fish, of UMSL’s Campus Honors Environmental Research Program, and Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Jon Wingo. They discuss how preserving Missouri’s…

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