Celebrate Earth Day at Prairie State Park April 19

Earth Day is just around the corner and Prairie State Park would like to invite visitors to help celebrate with an Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 19. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the event will take

place from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The event will include activities and games designed to educate participants on how to keep the planet healthy. The fair will also feature a performance from Emmy award winning educators and entertainers, Jan and George Syrigos, who make up the musical group WildHeart. The duo invites children and families on a musical adventure exploring wildlife, habitats and natural history.

Prairie State Park is located at 128 NW 150th Lane in Mindenmines. For more information about the event, contact the park at 417-843-6711. For information about 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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Osage Beach student goes “with the flow,” wins Earth Day 2014 slogan contest

An Osage Beach student’s suggestion to “go with the flow” won top honors in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Earth Day 2014 Slogan Contest.

Mallory Bartels, a fifth-grader at Camdenton R-3 –Capstone Gifted Center, submitted the slogan, “Watersheds: Go with the flow, clean H₂0,” based on the 2014 Earth Day theme, “Watersheds”.

Bartels will be honored on stage at Earth Day 2014, which will be held April 25 on the South Lawn of the Capitol in Jefferson City. She will also receive a $50 gift card donated by Central Bank of Jefferson City. The department received nearly 250 entries in the contest.

Earth Day 2014 is the 20^th annual Earth Day event sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Between 1,000 and 2,000 students are expected to attend the event, which will include educational activities, contests and stage shows. For more information on Earth Day 2014 visit www.dnr.mo.gov/earthday/.

Bellflower student offers “bright idea” for 2013 Earth Day slogan contest

Bellflower fifth-grade student Shelby Stille wrote the winning submission in the Department of Natural Resources’ Earth Day 2013 slogan contest. Shelby’s slogan, “Energy Efficiency: It’s a Bright Idea,” was selected from nearly 500 entries based on the theme, “energy efficiency.” As the slogan contest winner, she will receive a $50 gift card donated by Central Bank in Jefferson City and be recognized on stage during the Earth Day 2013 opening ceremony, April 19 in Jefferson City.

Shelby, the daughter of Ned and Maria Stille, Bellflower, is a student in Christina Harms’ class at Montgomery City Elementary School.

Shelby’s slogan reminds all of us that being energy efficient – in lighting, heating and air conditioning, and transportation – not only has environmental benefits, but is also a smart move economically.

Earth Day 2013 represents the Department of Natural Resources’ 19th year sponsoring the event, which will include educational displays and activities from the department as well as a number of other state and federal agencies. The day’s events will also include a number of stage shows and contests. Although geared toward upper elementary school age students, the event is free and open to the public.

More information about Earth Day 2013 is available online at dnr.mo.gov/earthday.

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• Earth Day volunteer workday at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site on April 20 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Earth Day volunteer workday at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site on April 20

Nathan Boone (Photo credit: carletaorg)

The public is invited to participate in an Earth Day volunteer workday at Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the event will take place on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

During the volunteer workday, site staff will lead volunteers in projects to improve the appearance of the historic site. Volunteer projects will include whitewashing the Nathan Boone home and fence, as well as weeding and mulching young trees at the site.

Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site preserves the last home and grave of Missouri frontiersman Nathan Boone. The historic site is located 1.5 miles north of Ash Grove on State Highway V. For more information about the event, call the historic site at 417-751-3266. For information about 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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Missouri Department of Natural Resources Sponsors St. Louis Earth Day Symposium

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has granted an award of $10,000 to the St. Louis Earth Day for a two-year St. Louis Earth Day Symposium project, which will provide educational training opportunities for local government officials, community leaders and professionals through annual symposiums.

The grant will help fund the 2013 St. Louis Earth Day Symposium. A smaller portion of the grant was used to fund the 2012 symposium earlier this year.


For 12 years the St. Louis Earth Day Symposium has highlighted new ideas and increased discussion about regional water quality, water pollution and stormwater management issues. The symposium provides important information and data needed to drive successful watershed planning.  The St. Louis Earth Day will provide a match contribution of $12,915 over the life of the project, bringing the overall funding for this water quality project to $22,915.  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 7 provided partial funding for this project under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The Department of Natural Resources’ Water Protection Program will administer the grant funds. The department is committed to working closely with communities and businesses to assist with funding efforts that improve water quality in Missouri. For more information, contact the Water Protection Program at P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.

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Keep Baker Beautiful Day Planned May 5 at Sam A. Baker State Park

The dining lodge at Sam A. Baker State Park was built by the CCC of native stone and wood. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You are invited to spend the day outdoors and help one of Missouri's most scenic state parks at the "Keep Baker Beautiful Day" May 5 at Sam A. Baker State Park near Patterson. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, this 20^th annual event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the public is encouraged to attend.

This special day recognizes both Earth Day and Missouri Beautification Month by getting the park in shape for the upcoming visitation season.  There will be assignments for all ages. Planting, trail care and litter patrol are just a few of the projects planned for the day. Meet at the park's visitor center around 8:30 a.m. to meet other volunteers and get your project assignments.

After the work is completed, volunteers will receive a free picnic lunch and a certificate of appreciation. Bring a pair of work gloves and drinking water, wear closed-toed shoes and join the fun. 

For more information, contact Michelle Soenksen, Sam A. Baker State Park naturalist, at 573-856-4514. To register, call the park office at 573-856-4411 by May 3. In case of severe or inclement weather, the event will be cancelled.

Sam A. Baker State Park is located four miles north of Patterson on Highway 143 in Wayne County. For information on Missouri 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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Celebrate Earth Day at Missouri State Capitol April 20

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State and federal agencies will come together to help educate young people about protecting the environment at the 18^th Annual Earth Day celebration. The event, sponsored and hosted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, will take place on Friday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the south lawn of the Capitol. The event is geared toward fifth-grade students, but is free and open to the public.

Earth Day 2012 will feature interactive environmental displays, educational games and entertainment. Students learn about Missouri’s energy, air quality, water quality, geology, land surveying, state parks, reclaiming minded land, recycling, conservation practices that help prevent soil erosion and protect water resources, and much more.

An “Earth Day stage” will feature several rounds of Environmental Survivor, hosted by 94.3 KAT Country personalities Kevin Hilley and Erin Hart, to test the students’ environmental knowledge. The World Bird Sanctuary will return this year, compliments of the Missouri American Water Company, and WildHeart – a musical duo with a strong science message – will perform, compliments of Children in Nature through Missouri State Parks.

The slogan for this year’s Earth Day festivities is “Hurry Out and Play at Your Missouri State Parks Today.” The slogan was submitted in the department’s 2012 Earth Day slogan contest by Delaney Miller, a fifth-grade student in Marie Ebbesmeyer’s class at Paris R-II Elementary School. Miller, daughter of Tony and Glenda Miller, will receive a certificate of appreciation from the department and a $50 gift card donated by Central Bank in Jefferson City. Her creative contribution will be recognized during the event’s opening ceremony at 10 a.m.
Thousands of students are expected to attend the Earth Day celebration. As a result, please be aware that a portion of Broadway Street will close temporarily on Friday, April 20 to accommodate the festivities. Vehicle access to Capitol Circle Drive will be blocked from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. for safety reasons. Street parking along the east side of the 200 block of Broadway Street will also be restricted.

For those who cannot make the trip to Jefferson City, a two-hour live streaming broadcast will be available on the department’s Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/vidoes/live.htm. The show will begin at 10 a.m. and include the Earth Day opening ceremonies, educational videos about the environment, and performances by the World Bird Sanctuary and WildHeart.

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