The St. Louis Water Gardening Society members offer a wide variety of private spaces for the 14th annual Pond-O-Rama pond and garden tour. There are 47 locations on the two-day tour, 43 of which are private gardens of SLWGS member that are on display only for this tour. Of these 22 will be open on […]

by Terry Winkelmann, Sustainable
Backyard Tour, Founding Director

Ahhh, the backyard: ignored and unvisited six months out of the year in St. Louis, yet vitally important to our world every day. Aesthetically, backyards can make or break a neighborhood especially if they wrap around to include the front yard and side yard. And whatever they look like, […]

With Kate Schroeder, M.Ed, LPC, NCC

Remembering Your Body

As a culture, we are proficient and instinctual at disconnecting from our physical bodies. We live in a society that is heavily based on a “Western medicine” approach for attending to physical symptoms. When we have a headache, we are immediately encouraged to take an aspirin to relieve […]

NEW EXHIBITS

Through June 21
CHRIS D. SMITH: INTERACTION
MARTIN LANG: FOREVER UNTITLED
Bruno David Gallery, 3721 Washington; for info, call 314-531-3030 or visit www.brunodavidgallery.com.

May 30-June 22
BLOOMING ARTISTS PROJECT EXHIBITION
Local established artists mentor young artists; opening reception 6-9 p.m.; Clayton Fine Art Gallery, 21 N. Bemiston; for info, visit www.claytonfineartgallery.com.

June 1-30
UNDER THE MOON: PAINTINGS BY ANDREA VADNER
Opening reception, […]

With Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky
Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Summer Is For Children

For more years than I care to count, I’ve spent summers teaching art enrichment classes. It delights me to wonder which of these budding young art enthusiasts will someday blossom into a prominent artist.

Personally, I believe that artistic skill does not necessarily correlate to age. Often […]

With Cathy Schram

What is Alpha Lipoic Acid?
Is There a Non-Drowsy Antihistamine?

Q: Can you tell me what Alpha Lipoic Acid is and what it is used for?

A: Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a vitamin-like coenzyme. It is referred to as “universal”, because it is both fat and water soluble. This means that it can neutralize free […]

By Crystal Stevens

One of the images that come to mind in the summer is a freshly mowed lawn with beautiful landscaping. Unfortunately, most landscape companies are not practicing sustainable techniques. With over 300,000 residents in St. Louis alone, non sustainable front and back yards can truly leave a negative carbon foot print. Pesticide and herbicide […]

By Heather Navarro,
Executive Director Missouri Coalition for the Environment

Climate Change Hits Home For Missouri

For those of us in the middle of the country, climate change can seem remote and distant. Recent stories about the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet or submerged islands in the Pacific, for example, push the impacts of climate change […]

by Linda Wiggen Kraft

The garden is where humans can experience life more fully. We do this through full engagement of our senses when we are outside surrounded by nature. We sense through our nervous system, plants have other ways of being aware. We share more of the experience of life with plants than often imagined […]

By Kari Hartel, RD, LD

Program Coordinator, Cooking Matters, Operation Food Search

It is no secret that Americans get way too much sodium in their diets. The recommendation for the maximum daily sodium intake is 2,300 mg (the amount in about one teaspoon of salt). People with diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, adults over 51 […]

With Jean Ponzi

Milkweeds for Monarchs

Let’s throw a lifeline to a beautiful bug!

Remember studying Monarch butterflies in grade school? We learned cool words like metamorphosis by watching a creature you couldn’t miss, with those gorgeous orange and black patterned wings – preceded by an astonishing yellow, green and black striped caterpillar – who hatched out of […]

By Johanna Schweiss,
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator,
USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

The St. Louis High Performance Building Initiative’s 25×20 Voluntary Energy Benchmarking Campaign is challenging buildings in our region to reduce their energy consumption by 25% by the year 2020!

Energy benchmarking is measuring a building’s energy consumption and comparing its performance to similar buildings. Benchmarking is the first step […]

June 6
Yogis and Runners Unite in the Fight Against Cancer
Yoga Six is inviting all yogis and runners to unite in a movement to end cancer by participating in the Yoga Six 6K Run to benefit Pedal the Cause. The Upper Muny parking lot in Forest Park will be the site of the 6K Run on Friday, […]

Article courtesy of the Clean Air Partnership

With May 1 marking the start of daily air quality forecasting for 2014, the St. Louis region is facing more grim news regarding its air quality. According to the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air Report, St. Louis is now ranked 13th out of 217 metropolitan areas […]

By Rosa Kincaid, M.D.

All of us are allergic to something. We have gotten so used to the symptoms that we don’t even realize it. With eye drops that “get the red” out and over-the counter anti-histamines, self-treatment is the norm. We no longer really want to go to the doctor for these things. When things […]

By Amy Davis, M.D.

Antibiotics are threatening the achievement of modern medicine” stated the NBC Evening News’ Brian Williams recently. According to the World Health Association, “antibiotics are serious medicine – not to be taken lightly. Antibiotic resistant superbugs are an increasing threat with names like — MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

So what […]

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

I have been thinking about my father recently. Maybe because Father’s Day comes up in June. I was thinking what it would have meant to me to have a cell phone when I was 20 years old and vagabonding through Europe with a friend. If I had a smart phone back then, […]

Article Courtesy of St. Louis Composting

One of the most frustrating things gardeners face in the St. Louis area is clay soil. It is gooey in the spring and solid in the summer. For some reason weeds don’t have an issue developing in it, but fruits, vegetable plants and landscape ornamentals loathe it.

You can dramatically improve […]

By Vera Gabliani, Ph.D.

Parents often ask me “How can I talk to my teenager? They never want to listen to what I have to say!”

As someone who works with teenagers every day, I have had my share of these frustrating experiences. What I have learned the hard way is that teenagers know the difference […]

View The Healthy Planet’s Summer Craft & Specialty Beer Guide

By Maureen Zegel

A familiar mantra for environmentalists, concerned citizens and a few industries – Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. has become a way of life for the region’s burgeoning craft breweries. St. Louis’ two largest craft brewers, St. Louis Brewery, makers of Schlafly beers and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company not only […]

By Dr. Doug Pernikoff, DVM

Allergies occur in our pets when their immune system is reacting to chemicals or compounds that have entered the body by any number of pathways. Your vet may use the term ‘ATOPY’, to describe recurring allergic responses by your family pets. These compounds, referred to as ‘allergens’, can enter the body […]

By Bethany Budde
SqWires Owner & Executive Chef

In June we make it official – Summer arrives with the rollicking enthusiasm of bar-b-que, holidays, tours, concerts, and baseball. One of the tastiest times of the year; we’ll indulge you with incredible fresh veggies and fruit, tempt you with the coolest summer cocktails; and turn you into the hottest host when […]

By Dr. Raffi Krikorian, M.D.

At St. Louis Body Balance and Weight Loss, we specialize in listening to and solving the unique problems of our patients. We have expertise in weight loss, balancing body hormones (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy BHRT), detoxification, nutrition, anti-aging, and wellness with a focus on preventing cardiovascular conditions and making our patients […]

Have you noticed the abundance of beer festivals in St. Louis? As craft breweries have multiplied in the last several years, beer events have grown with them until it seems there is one almost every weekend May through October. With so many to choose from, does it really matter which to attend? Could there be […]

Breweries

2nd Shift Brewing
www.2ndshiftbrewing.com

4 Hands Brewing Co
www.4handsbrewery.com

AB InBev
www.ab-inbev.com

Alpha Brewing Company
www.alphabrewingcompany.com

Augusta Brewing Co.
www.augustabrewing.com

Cathedral Square Brewery
www.cathedralsquarebrewery.com

Charleville Brewing Co.
www.charlevillevineyard.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co
www.crownvalleybrewery.com

Excel Bottling Company
www.excelbottling.com

Exit 6 Brewery
www.exit6brewery.com

Ferguson Brewing Company
www.fergusonbrewing.com

Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Company
The Griesedieck family has been involved in the brewing industry for over 245 years, spanning two continents, surviving the Napoleonic Wars, two World Wars and Prohibition. At […]

By Simon Yu, MD

Physics is considered a rather boring subject for most people. When you start talking about quantum physics and theoretical physics, people start rolling their eyes and are ready to jump into a black hole in hyperspace or change the subject. Theoretical physicists are kind of mad, nerdy scientists who love to theorize […]

By Teresa Garden, DVM

In our last article we discussed various supplements used to treat or support liver disease. In this article we will focus on a specific and common liver disease in dogs and how supplements are incorporated into their treatment plan.

Canine hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver characterized by fibrosis, hepatocellular necrosis […]

By Nancy Smith

One look at Vesterbrook Farm’s website (www.vesterbrookfarm.com) is enough to convince the reader that this is a farm that is doing a great job of both growing and marketing. The growing is caring, sustainable, and beyond organic. The marketing is well presented, convenient, and tailored to the customer’s needs.

Vesterbrook Farm, owned by Mike […]

By Anita Chastain

Choosing a school for your children is one of the most important decisions parents make. It is a challenge to weigh the pros and cons of private vs. public education, and traditional education vs. a more progressive style of education.

For those parents who are contemplating a private education for their children, Montessori […]

By Linda Weber Spradling

It is a controversial problem that all women must ask themselves. What is my risk and what precautions do I need to take? For some, the answer is easy. For many, it is difficult to wade through all the information.

If you are over 50, have no family history, do monthly self exams […]