by Brigitte Zettl of Crown Valley Organics
What is Organic exactly?
To know for certain that something is organic, look for the USDA Certified Organic logo.
There are two main guidelines required for farms and greenhouses to be certified:
The plant must be grown without the use of synthetic chemicals. An organic grower works with nature simulating the balance […]
by Glenda Moore
When I was a child, I played outside all day, every day, catching tiny frogs and fireflies, watching the clouds for the pictures that they created, building tiny gardens for small unseen friends. These days children are inside more than ever connected to the world through screens, large and small. This modern trend […]
NEW EXHIBITS
April 4-May 3
CARMON COLANGELO: STORMS
THOMAS SLEET: MODEM: TOPOLOGY
LANA Z CAPLAN: WOMAN IN THE DUNES
Opening Reception 5-9 p.m.; Bruno David Gallery, 3721 Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.
April 4-June 15
GOOD AS GOLD
Gold-themed exhibition in celebration of Craft Alliance’s 50th Anniversary; opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; 6640 Delmar; for info, call 314-725-1177 or […]
With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor
Spring Has Sprung On The St. Louis Arts Scene…
I don’t often use “art” and “science” in the same sentence — except for this exhibition, they do belong together perfectly. DINOSAURS IN MOTION is a fascinating, interactive exhibition at the St. Louis Science Center. Kinetic sculptures blend science and art […]
With Cathy Schram
What can I take to keep my heart strong?
Q: Heart disease runs in my family. I want to make sure that I do everything possible to keep my heart strong. Besides exercising and eating healthy, what else can I do?
A: You are very smart to realize that you must be proactive in your […]
Story by Sally Troutman Boyd
Here’s an interesting exercise: Do you know anyone—relative, friend, someone in your community or from your past—who has a developmental disability?
Chances are that you do.
A developmental disability is mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, head injury, autism, a learning disability related to a brain dysfunction or any other mental or physical impairment […]
Entertainment, Recycling & Eco-Friendly Products Available
Start making plans now to attend the 23rdAnnual Earth Day event in Chesterfield to be held at Parkway West High School. The Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment will host the event on Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Festival will be at the Parkway West […]
by Kathleen Logan Smith
Director of Environmental Policy Coalition For The Environment
www.moenviron.org
Eating: A Delicious Political Act
In his essay, “The Pleasures of Eating,” Kentucky farmer and poet Wendell Berry declares that “eating is an agricultural act.”
He skewers the industrialized food system for the severed connections between eaters and their food, their food and the land. He makes […]
by Cindy Gilberg
Ground cover plantings can be tremendous problem-solvers, offering sustainable options to mowed lawn and pavement. Ground covers unify the scene by visually tying together different areas within a landscape, providing textural transitions from mowed lawn to other plantings. While most gardeners think of ground covers as low-growing perennials, the definition literally means plants […]
with Jean Ponzi
Worms, Me & Radio: A Love Story
Across a quarter-century, as of this month, a company of spirit worms has faithfully joined me every week, for just an hour at a time, inviting anyone, anywhere to tune into GREEN ideas, through conversations beamed on airwaves.
In other words, I’ve been hosting “Earthworms” on KDHX for […]
by Jeanette Reynolds,
Programs and Communication Director,
St. Louis Earth Day
Be part of a community tradition at the 25th anniversary of the St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 27th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Muny Grounds of Forest Park. Enjoy three stages of entertainment, learn about sustainable products and services offered by […]
by Susan Flesch
What do landfills have to do with recycling? Sustainability with financial profits? Politics with business plans? Academically talented students, grades 3-8, will ask these and other important questions when they explore the tradeoffs between economic desires and environmental realities in ECO Academy, June 16 – 27.
ECO Academy, blending ECO-nomics + ECO-logy, is one […]
April 1–30
Shoeman Water Project Shoe Drive
Ongoing, FREE, Reservations not required. All during the month of April, Whole Foods Market in Brentwood will collect gently used shoes for the Shoeman Water Project. This non-profit organization exports donated shoes to over 75 countries around the world including Kenya, Haiti and South America. Shoes are then sold to […]
Camp F.R.E.S.H.
CampF.R.E.S.H.® is a summer day camp at Fontbonne University that takes kids on an interactive, hands-on journey toward better health. The camp, which emphasizes nutrition, wellness, physical exercise and creativity, is open to 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th graders and is hosted by Fontbonne University’s Human Environmental Sciences department. For questions, please call Mary […]
Your Ameren Missouri Pure Power program dollars in action
There are many Healthy Planet readers who are proud members of the Ameren Missouri Pure Power program. This article is aimed at you. We want you to fully understand that when you participate in the Ameren Missouri Pure Power program, you are supporting new, renewable energy generation […]
Gardening is as easy as you want it to be.
by Crystal Moore-Stevens
A good hands-on introduction to gardening can begin in a kitchen window. Fresh herbs are a great place to start. Culinary herbs are highly medicinal, fresh and dried. They serve a dual purpose and therefore are incredibly important to have on hand. Most standard […]
The Sustainable Backyard Tour, held annually in June, is a unique opportunity to see firsthand how homeowners in St. Louis City and County are transforming their yards in a range of environmentally sensitive ways.
Attendees design their own routes and set their own pace, choosing from addresses and descriptions in the tour booklet which will be […]
by Kari Hartel, RD, LD
Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search
Oftentimes in America a meal is centered on meat, and vegetables are often an afterthought. However, it’s beneficial not only for your body but also for the environment to cut back on the amount of meat you consume. In fact, a new study just revealed […]
by Shirley Stoll
Did your list of resolutions for the New Year include one or more of the following: reduce stress and anxiety or lead a healthier lifestyle? If so, consider adding one more resolution to your list. Learn to meditate in 2014 and help make these resolutions a reality in your life!
Meditation has many benefits! […]
If you’re a gardener who would enjoy watching butterflies flitting about your property, birds nesting in your trees and shrubs, and lizards enjoying a sunny spot, then you could benefit from a landscape plan that includes native plants. Birds, butterflies and other native wildlife species appreciate properties landscaped with native plants. The food chain that […]
By Simon Yu, MD
Too much of what we think of as “good for you” might not be. However it might be even more harmful than you may think. Professor Randolph Howes, MD., Ph.D. spoke on the danger and myth of the virtue of anti-oxidant supplements at the ACAM (American College of Advanced Medicine) conference in […]
by Linda Wiggen Kraft
Most of us have heard of Victory Gardens. These were gardens that were needed to help grow food for survival during the world wars. Home gardeners helped the war effort on the home front since the farmers were off at war. One by one, on private and public land, small gardens grew […]
<h3>Greenscape Garden & Gifts
Mission Gardening: A Victory for the Environment</h3>
by Linda Wiggen Kraft
Jennifer Loyet-Schamber and her family have owned Greenscape Garden & Gifts in Manchester, MO for twenty years. Jennifer is a major force in the region promoting sustainable gardens and landscapes. She brings the understanding of how and why each and every home garden can […]
by Phil Berwick, Certified ISA Arborist
Warm days woo woody vessels to open, while winds exercise the boughs in coordination with the trees’ inner plumbing and pumping. If trimming happens as trees awaken, then preferably only dead wood should be taken.
Oaks and Elms must have tree paint applied if they must be trimmed, for open pruning […]
Earth Day is About Working Together
All 7 Billion of Us!
I was asked in a radio interview recently why I thought the environmental movement has come such a long way since we started The Healthy Planet magazine in 1997. Or why there has been such an outcry of support for Green & Natural Living since the […]
Pre-kindergarteners at Raintree School (Raintree) in Ballwin are undergoing a deep-sea study of sharks with the help of the “Shark Lady” during their semester-long project.
Children at the nature-inspired kindergarten and preschool have been learning about sharks and will now learn from the best: Eugenie Clark. Clark (AKA: the Shark Lady) is a world-renowned ichthyologist known […]
Ameren Missouri provides significant cash incentives for lighting upgrades
There are significant advantages for businesses and homeowners to replace inefficient lighting with fixtures and bulbs that are more energy-efficient. In most cases the payback comes within two years. But even better than that, after your return on investment, you continue to save on your electric bill.
The […]
by Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM
It’s just about springtime and we are all excited about leaving our winter cocoons and blossoming into backyard explorers, often joined by our beloved pets, either dog or cat. The first issue regards updating your annual examinations and immunizations. Each veterinarian will host their own healthcare program for your pets, so […]
By Sara Ryan
St. Louis Composting
St. Louis Composting invites you to join in celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 5-11, 2014. This year’s theme is “Compost! The Solution to Sustainable Soil and Water”. Planned activities span the globe with celebrations scheduled across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Ireland. Composting advocates […]
On Saturday April 12, preceeding Earth Day, The City of Sunset Hills is honoring our environment in partnership with GO (Green Objectives).
This Earth Day celebration starts with a 5k run/Walk at 8:30 am. Runners will meet at Watson Trail Park; 12450 West Watson Rd. To register for the race go to www.racesonline.com and search for […]
by Teresa Garden, DVM
Liver diseases are common ailments in both dogs and cats. Signs and symptoms are similar to those found in people: anorexia, weight loss, depression, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and increases in drinking and urination. Severe cases will present with jaundice and ascites (abdominal distension due to fluid accumulation). Liver diseases can be acute […]
By Katie Dieckhaus,
Growing Green Awards Committee Co-Chair
On March 27th the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council held their sixth annual Growing Green Awards banquet at the Mad Art Gallery to announce and celebrate the 2014 winners. Attendees joined to celebrate the accomplishments of all the nominees. Winners and nominees are outstanding individuals […]
by Randel A. Agrella
Quality Modern vegetable breeding has yielded some useful varieties, but at a price: quality has been sacrificed to convenience in harvesting and shipping. Crops have been bred for uniformity, or to ripen all at once (simplifying mechanical harvesting), or to withstand rough handling. Quality, taste, and nutritional value have been casualties of […]