STLPR • 8th March 2023

Warmer winters in Missouri could change bird migration

Robins, tree and barn swallows, and other birds chirping in the morning is usually a welcoming first sign of spring in the St. Louis region. But bird-watchers are hearing birdsongs earlier than usual.

STLPR • 24th February 2023

Ben the bear escapes from his St. Louis Zoo habitat for the second time this month

An Andean bear named Ben escaped from his outdoor habitat at around 1 p.m. on Thursday. It marked the second time this month Ben had gotten out.

STLPR • 13th February 2023

St. Charles pushes Ameren to pay for cleanup of toxins found in groundwater

After the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed Ameren as the source for two toxic chemicals found in St. Charles groundwater wells, the city is demanding the power company bear the cost for cleanup.

STLPR • 6th February 2023

Here’s why Missouri is seeing more mountain lions across the state

Mountain lions are rare in Missouri, but sightings of the big cat are increasing. Conservationists believe this is a sign of a healthier environment in the region.

STLPR • 1st February 2023

St. Louis urban farms to receive $350,000 in ARPA funds

A Black-owned nonprofit urban farming organization, A Red Circle, will use $350,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support established and new urban farmers in north St. Louis County.

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.

STLPR • 23rd January 2023

MoDOT looks to improve St. Louis bridges and interchanges along I-64 corridor

The Missouri Department of Transportation is proposing three improvement options along I-64 to make the corridor safer for St. Louisans who walk, bike or take public transit, and less confusing for drivers.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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