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Articles from ‘June 2023’ Issue

2023 Tree Of The Year: Red Buckeye

By Ann Lapides

One of the hardest to find and most desirable Missouri Native trees, the Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia, has long panicles of bright red blooms in spring that attract ruby throated hummingbirds. Large glossy green palmate leaves with distinct veining form into an excellent multi-branched tree. This versatile tree can be used as a […]

A Healthy Flora Creates a Happy Gut!

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 – […]

A Season of Enlightenment

Calm the triggers and grow a healthier mind

By Christina Staff, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

The onset of a powerful season is quickly approaching as we turn the corner into June. The summer solstice will occur on Wednesday the 21st, bringing with it longer hours of sunlight, warmth, and steady growth. What better time to nurture and […]

A Summer Day at the Beach

By Jasmin Acosta, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Summer is officially here! The heat is setting in with the sun shining its beaming rays onto our skin. This time of year is filled with endless opportunities as we reach half way through the year wondering what else the future has for us to unfold.

When the heat is […]

ARTful Living

By Michelle “Mike” Ochonicky, Healthy Planet Arts Editor

Happy Father’s Day to those great dads!

Instead of a necktie this year, try these ARTful suggestions to make the holiday unique:

On June 8, the National Museum of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station Road, begins its 2023 Speaker Series (who knew?!) with The Mystique of Route 66 in Missouri, by […]

Can Energy Therapy REALLY work?

We live in a world where we THINK we are invincible. We can just Google EVERYTHING for a resolution. Right?! We will just ‘be fine’… somehow. Wake up, eat, work, take care of many demands, then lie in bed scrolling for a tiny, temporary hit of dopamine. Repeat.

But we don’t feel like ourselves. Monkey Mind. […]

Conservation Corner: The Northern Watersnake





and a Forked Tongue that Speaks True  

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo Caption: No, it’s not a copperhead . . . it’s a nonvenomous northern watersnake! Photo by Jim Rathert, Missouri Department of Conservation.

The term “speaking with a forked tongue” usually refers to someone who tells lies. Yet for a reptile like the […]

Dental Parasites, Fungal and Bacterial Infections: Dreaded Periodontal Surgery is like Oral What?!

By Simon Yu MD

Have you ever had periodontal surgery for gum disease? To see what Canadian dentist Murray Vimy calls it, see the full version of this article on my website. The initial oral surgery results appear favorable, but the benefits usually do not last very long unless you can correct the underlying problems. Dentists […]

Donna’s Delights and Insights

I Do, But I Don’t!

By Donna Linn, Healthy Planet Columnist

 It occurs to me that many of us are guilty of saying yes when we really mean no. Being gracious and thoughtful human beings, we’d rather hurt ourselves than those whom we love. I remember a friend popping by who cheerfully announced she was no longer […]

Earthworms’ Castings

By Jean Ponzi

 Webster Groves Goes NO MOW

It started in the UK in 2019, blew like dandelions across Wisconsin towns, and sprouted this spring on traditionally trim suburban lawns of Webster Groves.

The No Mow movement aims to nourish emerging pollinators in a practical, generous, grounded way.

Up north, this means No Mow May. Prime time here is […]

Founder’s Forum: We Need Two Fresh Teams To Rally Around

By J.B. Lester

As an independent, I used to think what we need to break this political logjam in Washington is a third party. But I came to my senses. As tempting as it sounds, the reality is it would only add to the chaos, as members of both main parties would try to coerce and […]

Get Glowing For Summer!

By Amy Williams, Licensed Massage Therapist and Esthetician at Vitality Unlimited Spa

Summer is back and so is the Mimosa Facial at Vitality Unlimited Spa! This specialty facial is packed with Vitamin C to brighten your skin. Vitamin C, also known as Ascorbic Acid, is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits. This nutrient plays an […]

Good People Doing Good Things

By Susan Hunt-Bradford, Healthy Planet Publisher

Lisa Pitt, is a baker, and owner of Lisa Lou’s. I’ve tasted her desserts at a couple of expos and they are delicious, the best tasting cake I’ve ever had. Lisa is not only special because of her baking abilities but she is one of the most positive and upbeat […]

Irresistible Community Builders, LLC presents: Year-round Urban Ag in St. Louis

by Tom & Carol Braford

We invite you to join us in creating a demonstration project of hi-tech year-round urban agriculture by participating in our regular Saturday morning gardening workdays at the Ecovillage.

We are creating a place where more and more people can learn how to grow their own food in the city. Our project is […]

Join Missouri Botanical Garden’s “Summer of Sustainability” — Green Living Festival Event Series





Monthly pop-up events planned at five cultural institutions

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s 22nd annual Green Living Festival is back again as a series of pop-up events at institutions throughout the heart of St. Louis.

The “Summer of Sustainability” series invites visitors to engage with experts at five events throughout the summer in a day of learning and […]

Missouri Botanical Garden Hosts Works of World-Renowned Artist with Chihuly in the Garden 2023

Ambitious 2023 Exhibition and “Chihuly Nights” Experience

The work of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly is coming to the Missouri Botanical Garden in a stunning exhibition uniting art and nature. With thousands of pieces of blown glass forms in 20 dramatic installations throughout the Garden’s grounds, Chihuly in the Garden 2023 presents these artworks on a grand scale. The […]

Organized for Life: Prepping for Summer!

By Deb Powell, Healthy Planet Columnist

Getting organized now for the summer leaves you more time to enjoy it.

Want to be organized and get more done? Make a list! Set a timer for 30 -60 minutes! Then stop and do the next task or get up and move/stretch if you’ve been sitting…

OR: Write on a time […]

Patrick Henry Downtown Academy Recognized as 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School

By Porscha Hayes, Show-Me Green Schools AmeriCorps VISTA

Photo: Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Public Schools interim superintendent Dr. Nicole Williams join Patrick Henry Downtown Academy students and staff for a celebration of their award on May 3, 2023.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Congratulations are in order for Patrick Henry Downtown Academy and their awe-inspiring recognition […]

Publisher’s Corner

Susan Hunt-Bradford

It’s been quite the year!

In June 2022, I took over as publisher of The Healthy Planet Magazine. It has been an incredible experience, not without its challenges, but I’m always up for a good challenge.

I’ve learned so much about the publishing business in the past year. I’ve met our readers at events like Earth […]

Recycling 101: First Up, the Pizza Box

By Steve Davies, Healthy Planet Columnist

So now that I’ve introduced myself and my passion for recycling, I then started to ask myself, what’s next? My first thought was to wait and see if someone asks me a question. Unfortunately, as time was of the essence and the fact that there were none, I headed in […]

St. Louis 2023 Pond-O-Rama Tour Set for June 24-25

The St. Louis Water Garden Society (SLWGS) is celebrating 33 years as a society sharing information about fish, ponds and gardens.

This year is the Society’s 23rd annual water garden and pond tour, the 2023 Pond-O-Rama, and will be held Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. It […]

STL Toxic Waste Alliance





By Christen Commuso

The STL Toxic Waste Alliance recently rounded out our first year of work. As a reminder, the Alliance was created as a partnership between MCE and the grassroots community organization, Just Moms STL. Together, we believe it is every person’s right to know the communities in which they live, work, worship, or play […]

Summer Vacation Breakfast Skillet (AIP/GF)

 By Natalie Toney M.F.A., C.H.

Summer’s here, the days have grown longer, kids are home from school having playdates, swim parties, and sleepovers! A breakfast skillet is a quick and easy way to get veggies and protein into a meal while in the midst of a staycation, camping trip, weekend at a cabin, or having a […]

The Choice is Ours

By Dr. Gail Cloud, DC

It can be a choice to feel happyAnd can be a choice to be healthyEven when we are dealt cards that seem to stealthily undermine usLike a genetic condition that hits us without our volitionOr an accident or a sudden strokeThat on the surface acts to provoke us

It is how we […]

The Urban Wood Movement: Green Your Home

Have you ever wondered why the removed trees in your neighborhood couldn’t be used for some higher purpose? Most urban trees get chipped up, sent to a landfill to rot, or a select few may become firewood. Couldn’t they be used for some of the lumber and wood products we need and use everyday so […]

To See a Flower Face to Face

By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor

In my work as a garden designer I am asked to create a unity of flowers, foliage and plants so that the whole of the garden has a rhythm, beauty, grace and joy when viewed up close as well as from afar. Because I spend so […]

Wetland Species are a Natural for Urban Landscapes

Imagine. A beautiful landscape that works with you, thriving in its setting. Native plant communities can help you create a landscape that works with you. These plant groupings evolved within natural communities to survive and be compatible within an environment.

In Missouri, forest, glade, prairie, savanna, and wetland are our five natural communities. Native plants and […]

Why Do Lawns Need Watering but not Prairies?

By Sarah Wilson, MA, Healthy Planet Staff Writer

Seeing sprinklers watering lawns is so common that most of us don’t give it a thought. Of course, plants need water during hot spells, right? No. Native plants, once established, don’t need our help. They can help themselves. Why the difference?

Because most lawn grasses have puny little root systems […]