STLPR • 26th January 2023

Don’t be surprised to discover jellyfish in Missouri freshwater bodies

An invasive species of jellyfish from the Yangtze River Basin in China is thriving in St. Louis region freshwater habitats. The species , also known as the peach blossom or freshwater jellyfish, are common throughout Missouri’s lakes, reservoirs and other slow-moving bodies of water, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The jellyfish have been in the United States since 1888. The first one collected in Missouri was in 1930 from a quarry pit in St. Charles County, said Will Mab

STLPR • 10th January 2023

Tower Grove Park’s restored stream teaches about the Osage Nation and reduces flooding

Tower Grove Park revived a stream buried for more than 120 years to reduce flooding in the nearby Shaw neighborhood. The restored stream on the east side of the park now contains rain gardens that capture and redistribute stormwater to prevent flooding. It will also be the site where people in the St. Louis region can learn about Missouri’s first inhabitants, the Osage Nation. The park has renamed the stream Nee Kee Nee, which means “revived waters” in the Osage language. In consultation with

STLPR • 13th December 2022

Christmas Bird Count could confirm decline in bird species across the St. Louis region

For conservationists like Erin Shank, a wildlife biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, data collected by various citizen science initiatives is important to track bird populations that are declining due to climate change and avian influenza. Starting Wednesday, people in the St. Louis region can participate in one of these initiatives right in their own backyard. Until Jan. 5, the Christmas Bird Count will take place at Pere Marquette State Park, Weldon Springs Wildlife Area a

St. Louis Public Radio • 14th November 2022

Drought impacting southwest Missouri reveals section of rimstone cave

Fluctuating water levels are normal for Smallin Civil War Cave in Ozark, Missouri. But the prolonged drought has revealed a section of the cave that has been underwater for decades.

Nexus Media News, Yes! Magazine, Planet Detroit • 17th October 2022

Young Farmers Can Help the US Meet Its Climate Goals. Is Washington Listening?

At Sanctuary Farms on Detroit’s East Side, Jøn Kent and a team of volunteers use cardboard and paper bags to starve invasive weedy plants instead of herbicides; they plant marigolds and lavender amid squash, melons, and collards instead of pesticides; and turn food scraps into lush, clean compost.

Native News Online • 10th October 2022

Prayer, Justice, and Remembrance: Diné Woman Reclaims the Past As She Walks to Bring Her Missing Aunt Home

In June 2022, a year after her auntie went missing, Seraphine Warren readied herself to take the first steps on a 2,400-mile walk from Arizona to Washington, D.C.

Next Generation Radio St. Louis Public Radio 2022 • 16th September 2022

Extreme Weather Uproots Spanish Lake Farmer’s Routine and Bounty

Urban farmer Mitchell Pearson provides nutritious fruits and vegetables to food insecure neighborhoods in North St. Louis. He’s also passionate about teaching young people how to farm sustainably. He worries that climate change is making it more difficult to grow culturally important crops like okra, tomatoes, and mustard greens.

Next City, Religion News Service • 15th September 2022

How St. Louis Churches Are Revealing The Disparities In The Air We Breathe

Congregations in St. Louis are working with local scientists to monitor the air quality in communities affected by industrial pollution.

Atmos • 18th July 2022

Healing Body, Mind, and Earth Through Natural Hair

Growing up, I was my mom’s Barbie doll. In Omaha, Nebraska, I won a contest for the most beautiful baby three years in a row. She donned me with layers of dresses: a thin slip under a white tutu trimmed with sky blue fluff that peeked out beneath a shiny pink polyester dress.

Focus Black Oklahoma • 29th June 2022

FBO: Prairie Chicken Conservation

Riverfront Times • 24th June 2022

St. Louis Skating Events Provide Fun in the Name of Violence Prevention

Dellwood Recreation Center was the place to be for roller skaters on June 9. The weather, though unpredictable, wasn’t blazing hot like it is now. The smooth, concrete surface of the outdoor skate rink hummed as 80 or more skaters jammed to DJ Reala and DJ Dasho’s mixes of trap, R&B, gospel, and funk.

Focus Black Oklahoma • 24th January 2022

FBO Culture Keepers: Food sovereignty

Focus Black Oklahoma • 1st December 2021

FBO Culture Keepers: Indigenous Language Learning during the pandemic

Grist, Fix • 30th November 2021

How 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' created a generation of climate activists

On the night of September 2, activists with Fandom Forward, A Tribe Called Geek, and Honor the Earth held a rally that mobilized 100 young adults — including me — to take action against the Line 3 Pipeline.

Nieman Storyboard • 7th April 2021

Two anti-racist scholars and writers take on the cultural limits of "objectivity"

As an early-career environmental journalist, I guessed that objectivity was the most important goal in the field. But as a poet finishing up an MFA at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this kind of writing doesn’t come naturally to me. Poetry requires that I use the first-person pronoun a lot, and when I do, I often get frustrated because I want to tell a narrative that means something to the collective “we.” Journalism challenges my comfort zone and urges me to become a more versatile wr