My dogs stay indoors most of the summer, neither of them, Jazzy or Kiba like to be outdoors for long. I take them out more in the summer since they drink more water but they don’t stay out long when they do go out. My big boy, Kiba, 86 lbs. was adopted from Los Angeles […]

By Dr. Amy Davis, MD

When intestinal flora is healthy, it favorably impacts your overall health and vice versa. Understanding how to rebuild your flora is key to improving your digestion, ability to fight infections and a healthy weight for starters. 

The flora (trillions of microbes that inhabit your intestines) is important for many reasons. 

DigestionVitamin production – […]

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Caption: Interior of Spring Church, a renovated area for art.

(NOTE: While we all hope to stay healthy and well this summer, please verify any restrictions due to unexpected Covid-19 changes on the provided websites). 

Just around the corner from The Pulitzer and the Contemporary Art Museum, on Spring Avenue, […]

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: An adult eastern pond hawk dragonfly rests on a blade of grass.Photo credit: Dan Zarlenga

There truly are dragons in nature. Instead of breathing fire from their mouths like the creatures of myth, these “dragons” expel water from the rear ends.

If there’s an insect that is even […]

By Jared Opsal, Executive Director, Missouri Coalition For The Environment

MCE has worked on nuclear and other hazardous waste issues throughout Missouri for decades, and recently we have been engaged with addressing the public health disaster at West Lake Landfill and Coldwater Creek. In partnership with Just Moms STL, we were successful in receiving a record of […]

by Sarah Wilson, MA

With dogs and overheating, their tongue tells the tale. Once you know what you’re seeing, you can keep them safer. Here are the four signs of overheating:

Mouth wide open.Your dog’s mouth and tongue are their AC system. The wider the mouth is open while panting, the more cool air they are trying […]

By Jean Ponzi

Photo caption: Team EarthWays: Nature Noodlers Rally for Action.

This summer husband Dale and I celebrate 26 fabulous years — of the FunNoodle in our circle of friends.

We were newlyweds on a steamy midnight date — to our neighborhood Schnucks market — stocking up together for a big annual summer party. Cruising the store […]

By JB Lester

By the time you are 70 years old, you have plenty of memories to keep you going. Some are great and some are, well, better forgotten. And yet, we can’t forget our faux paws. Being in the publishing business, I have had a common nightmare over my 44 years in this business. My […]

July 9 at St. Louis Science Center

Help your family, friends and coworkers live green! The Missouri Botanical Garden’s annual Green Living Festival is back in person and will be hosted in a series of pop-up events during a “Summer of Sustainability” at institutions throughout the heart of St. Louis.

Ready for the “Summer of Sustainability”? Join […]

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

If bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators could put an advertisement out for the help they need, it would read: “help wanted – desperately needed pollinator gardens”. Pollinators need us now more than ever to help them thrive and survive. In response to this need, […]

Original recipe created by Julie M. Hale and Matt Allen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Prep time 15 minutesCook time 20 minutes

Ingredients for blueberry muffins:

1 cup plain yogurt½ cup honey½ cup olive oil2 eggs¼ cup fresh lemon juiceSave some lemon zest for on top1 tbsp vanilla2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour1 tbsp baking powder¼ tsp salt2 […]

By Tom Braford

The term ‘terraforming’ usually describes how we can utilize the science of biomimicry to make other planets more Earth-like and habitable to human beings.

A friend, Peter Fiekowsky, an MIT-trained physicist and engineer and climate activist, shares my concerns about climate change and has been researching mostly hard science solutions for years, while I […]

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

According to the American Lung Association’s latest “State of the Air” report, the three years covered by the report (2018-2020) ranked among the seven hottest years on record globally. With June already having seen some of the hottest days in years in the St. Louis region and the prime […]

By Abby Lapides

A charming shade perennial, Twinkle Toes Lungwort, Pulmonaria, will make you want to frolic with joy with its periwinkle-blue spring flowers and unique foliage. Starting in mid-spring dainty blue flowers cover its fascinating silver-speckled foliage. After the flowers fade, you’ll be mesmerized with its stunning mounds of gorgeous ornamental leaves. Named the 2022 […]

By Simon Yu MD

Skin care is a big business for cosmetic industries, anti-aging medicine, dermatology and pharmaceutical giants. New psoriasis and eczema treatments called Biologics are leading many TV commercials. Skin is the largest outer surface sensory organ in the body, metabolically active with the sophisticated immune complex system to protect your body. Changes in […]

By Mitch Leachman, Coordinator, St. Louis Open Yards

Native plants are simply plants that naturally occurred in an area prior to human settlement. Gardening with natives, instead of traditional ornamental non-native plants, seems straightforward. Fortunately, native plants are quite readily available these days, thanks to efforts like Grow Native! which generates public awareness of the value […]

As I have gotten older, I have found that gratitude can be a very healthy attitude to adopt. I can get myself out of a slump very quickly by feeling grateful. I always thought about keeping a gratitude journal and writing down 5 things every morning I’m grateful for. I’ve done that throughout the years, […]

By Jasmin Acosta  

We all have our faults as human beings since we cannot be perfect, and we are prone to make mistakes in life. It is only natural that we trip over life’s unexpected events that occur in our lives, but it is essential how we react to life events that are rooted in […]

Thomas and Patricia Hooper own and operate ASL Pewter in beautiful, historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, MO, where we handcraft traditional, functional pewter pieces. All our pewter is 100% lead free and food safe. We use a large selection of antique molds from as far back as 1650, as well as designing and making our own […]

By Sarah Wilson, MA

It’s long been known that female Northern Cardinals prefer the reddest males around. What hasn’t been understood until recently is why?

The first clue to this mystery is that what birds eat impacts how they look. It does for us, too. If we consistently binge on carrots, overtime we can turn ourselves a […]