Articles from ‘September 2026’ Issue
Mississippi Earthtones Festival Returns
TO ALTON AMPHITHEATER ON 9/19
Photo: MEF Clean Up Youth Volunteers
Alton Main Street, the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project, and Jacoby Arts Center are announcing the return of the Mississippi Earthtones Festival to the Alton Amphitheater on Saturday, September 19th from noon until 10:00 p.m. The 20th annual festival in Downtown Alton is a vibrant […]
Listening Beyond the Words
By Dr. Gail Cloud
Have you noticed how we all can react to how people around us speak with us? What I mean by this is I am constantly amazed and curious about how people hear what they want to hear instead of what the person actually said or what the person meant by their words?
We […]
Biochemical Individuality and Functional Medicine
By Dr. Amy Davis, M.D.
Functional Medicine is focused on overall health by using personalized and system-oriented medical care. We are all truly unique in our genetic makeup and in how our environmental exposures impact us. There are two different components that contribute to biochemical individuality.
First, the genes inherited from your parents and ancestors determine physical […]
Rest and Relaxation are Vital to Overall Well-Being
As the school year begins, schedules quickly fill with classes, activities, deadlines, and daily responsibilities. In this busy season, it’s important to make time for self-care. Regular rest reduces stress, restores energy, and keeps your body and mind at their best.
Reconnect Through Self-Care: Benefits of CBD
At Vitality Unlimited Spa, we believe wellness begins with balance. […]
Fuel Monarch Butterflies for Their Trip Home
By Ann Lapides
Photo: Vernonia missurica – Missouri Ironweed
Bring countless Monarch butterflies and other flying delights to your late-season garden with Missouri Ironweed, Vernonia missurica. An exceptional Missouri and Illinois native perennial, this pollinator powerhouse brings needed food to many species. In late summer, its plump buds burst open with bright purple florets. Its soft, velvety leaves add […]
Koi Show and Pond Expo September 18-20
The Gateway Koi and Pond Club of St. Louis will host the 24th Annual Northern Midwest ZNA Koi Show & Pond Expo on September 18-20, 2026. The event will be held at Timberwinds Nursery in Ellisville, MO and is open to the public with free admission. Hours are Friday 3-5pm, Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 10am-2pm. […]
Internal Spirit Holistic, September 25 and 26
The Internal Spirit Holistic Fair is a two-day wellness and spiritual event taking place on September 25 and 26, 2026, at Machinists’ Hall in Bridgeton, Missouri. Designed for people interested in holistic living, spiritual exploration, and alternative wellness practices, the fair will bring together a variety of services, products, and experiences in one welcoming setting.
Visitors […]
Neighborhood Co-op Grocery to Host Farm Crawl Fundraiser Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13.
Proceeds to Benefit Food Works
Photo: Dakota Ranch
Area families and individuals of all ages are invited to participate in the
2026 Neighborhood Co-op Grocery Farm Crawl, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, from 1pm -6pm both days. Tickets go on sale online August 1st!
The Co-op’s annual Farm Crawl is a great opportunity for families and friends […]
Abolition in My Bones
Being named after the Abolitionist Wendell Phillips, I have abolition in my bones. As I visited Pakistan’s brick yards of families in the slavery of bonded labor, I looked up and said; “You KNOW about this.” God answered, “That’s right, now you do too”. Since then, we have schools in 17 brick yards, 2 villages, […]
“Good Fences Make Good Neighbors’
Or / “I Wish I Could Say the Same About Good TREES”
By Phil Berwick
My Wife Theresa, whom I fondly call ‘TREE’, came up with our motto; ‘We’re in the Business of Saving Trees’. Now, thirty five years later, with an acceleration of breaking trees, perhaps we should change the motto.
Several seasons of spring and summer […]
CONSERVATION CORNER: Spirits on the Wing
By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation
Photo caption: A monarch butterfly takes to the sky.Photo by Noppadol Paothong, Missouri Department of Conservation.
For generations, Indigenous people in parts of central Mexico have associated the arrival of monarch butterflies in early November with the return of departed souls during Día de los Muertos, the Day of the […]
ARTful Living
Welcome, September!
We’ve been waiting for your cooler weather! But, no matter what the weather brings, this month is positively packed full of ARTful experiences:
IMAGE: “Bocce Ball,” by Jack Decoteau, at Bruno David Gallery
After the long, hot summer, Bruno David Gallery reopens September 4 to inaugurate its 22nd season with four solo exhibitions by Thomas Sleet: […]
Publishers Corner
September is a Month of Transition
By Susan Hunt-Bradford
I always look forward to September. It’s a month of transition from the heat of summer to the cooler days of fall. I know September can still be warm, but at least the temperature is heading in the right direction! September is also my birthday month, and even […]
Earthworms Castings
By Jean Ponzi
The Light Eaters
Covering climate change for Atlantic magazine for seven years, science journalist Zoë Schlanger was burning out. She sought refuge reading nothing less than academic botany journals. Like lichen in fog, her curious spirit revived.
Her pivot-project book, The Light Eaters, climbed the 2024 New York Times Bestseller list, compellingly subtitled How the […]
Founder’s Forum: The Heat is Making Me Balmy
By JB Lester
I prefer summer over winter. Warm weather over cold weather. But this is ridiculous. Looks like global warming has caught up with us in a big way. It only got down to 80 degrees last night. Today is supposed to be 95 with it feeling like 110 degrees with the humidity figured in. […]
When Emotional Wounds Become Physical
By Diane K. Wilson
A traumatic experience may end in minutes, yet its effects can remain with us for years. Sometimes we consciously remember what happened. Other times, the experience seems long behind us—while our nervous system and body continue responding as though the danger never completely passed.
Stress and trauma can influence sleep, muscle tension, digestion, […]
A Fresh Start For Fall: September is the Month to Try New Things
By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher
September is a month of transition. We move away from the heat and humidity of summer, settle back into routines, return to school schedules, and adjust to shorter days. Pumpkin spice is in the air, and although thinking about the upcoming holiday season may seem a little too soon for […]
Recycling 101: It’s a Two For One Sale
By Steve Davies
Healthy Planet Columnist
So, recently I started to do what I’d like to think is an annual house cleaning by recycling what I can but, unfortunately, throwing out what I can’t. It always feels good going through the house and getting things organized by cleaning but, at the same time, it’s also hard.
It also […]
A Bad Day Does Not Erase Your Progress
By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer
Progress is rarely a straight line. Some days you may feel stronger, calmer, and more like yourself. You notice that situations that once overwhelmed you no longer have the same impact. Then without warning, a difficult day arrives.
Suddenly, the thoughts you thought you had overcome return. The emotions feel […]
Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents:
Neighbourisms
By Tom & Carol Braford
UK-based researcher, Savannah Faishell, says that the concept of what she calls “Neighbourisms”, daily practices that reignite the lost art of neighboring, are being enabled through the kind of intentional design choices and relationship centered housing that spotlight best practices for conflict management and inclusive and long-term affordability.
All of these, she […]
The Future Can’t Wait for More Green Buildings
By Maeve Elder, Communication & Outreach Coordinator, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council
This year is MGGBC’s 25th Anniversary and we’ve been busy celebrating 25 Years of Green Building this year. We’re also intentionally staying future-focused with our tagline – The Future Can’t Wait, which reasserts the urgency of continuing to green the built environment as we […]
The Builders Home & Remodeling Show
The Builders Home & Remodeling Show, presented by James Hardie, is the One Stop for Expert Help with Your Next Home Project and a Fun Family Day Out!
The 46th Annual Builders Home & Remodeling Show, presented by James Hardie, returns to St. Charles Convention Center October 2-4. The Show, produced by the Home Builders Association of St. Louis, […]