Art In The Age of COVID-19

By Michelle “Mike” OchonickyHealthy Planet Arts Editor

photo: Karlovsky & Company Dance premieres INTERWOVEN.

March 2020 seems like eons ago. It remains incomprehensible that we still find our lives dominated by COVID-19. Just yesterday, I received notice from my county’s health department advising me that I could make my vaccination appointment. Unfortunately, […]

EarthDance is a 14-acre organic teaching farm tucked away in the middle of a neighborhood in Ferguson, Missouri, where their mission is to grow food, farmers and community through hands-on education and delicious experiences. With that mission in mind, the non-profit organization has made a tremendous impact over the last twelve years, especially with its […]

By Jean Ponzi

A retired recycling colleague rang me up seeking a use for orphan coffee pots, from the charity where she now volunteers. Naturally, I thought: PLANTS!

That call seeded a fun eco-project. The iconic home-brew coffee pot (not plastic!) growing sedums, adorable succulent plants so good at living that one of their folk-names is Never […]

Trees Work for Your Health

By Holly Dentner, Natural Resources Communication Specialist, Missouri Dept. of Conservation

St. Louis Public Radio aired a story in late November 2020 about how the COVID pandemic has pushed people outdoors in record numbers. The story featured a quote from the executive director of Tower Grove Park, who noted that weekday foot […]

By Jay Devineni, Food & Farm Policy Intern.

The Missouri General Assembly, led by a Republican Party that holds 70 percent of the seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, is currently considering dozens of bills and resolutions that affect food access, renewable energy programs, and the democratic process.

Among this massive stack of […]

By Tom Braford

Ready for something completely different?

Join us in creating networks of Regenerative Ecovillages where you can live and work in cooperation with your neighbors and in harmony with Nature.

We are finding that many people want and need skill-building opportunities in the new green economy that can lead to family wage jobs and co-op business […]

By Daniel F. Hellmuth, AIA, LEED AP, EcoDistricts APUSGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter FounderPrincipal, Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects, www.hellmuth–bicknese.com Director, Urban EcoBlock, www.urbanecoblock.org 

Back in 2001, when the St. Louis (now Missouri Gateway) Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council was founded, it was heady times. I was lucky enough to become the first chair and we were […]

By Pat Tuholske

This past year has been different than any other. For many of us, it’s been a challenging time on numerous levels… jobs, school, home, relationships, isolation, finances. Many have forgone gatherings, seminars, fairs, concerts, theater, and travel. The pandemic has brought stress, frustrations and deep grief. This virus has become a constant companion […]

It’s About People, Not Politics

As the snow melts and temperatures rise, there is reason for some optimism. Pandemic numbers are declining and vaccinations are slowly reaching the arms of those who want them. It has been a very tough winter as Mother Nature, angered by global climate change, has brought us the results of our […]

The Vaccine Maze

I got my first round of the Pfizer vaccine this past week and I am scheduled to get my second dose in a couple of weeks. I am one of the fortunate ones. Missouri has been called a vaccine desert because so few vaccines are available. People, elderly people, are driving hundreds of […]

By Linda Wiggen Kraft

This year spring is a most welcome time. The soon greening earth and longer days are balms for our souls. Last year, gardens helped us find solace, food and beauty. We can again find that healing when we can put our hands back into the soil. Fortunately, March is the month when […]

By Jeff Jensen – Co-Owner Four Muddy Paws

Dogs and Humans have been on a 10,000-year journey together and we consider ourselves to pretty compatible, yet how much do we really know about our canine companions?

Truly understanding how your dog perceives the world and how they navigate their environment is fascinating and largely unknown until relatively […]

Re-envisioned during COVID-19 pandemic

If you’re disheartened by the cancellation of earthday365’s historic St. Louis Earth Day Festival, fear not! We at earthday365 have re-envisioned how to safely celebrate Earth Day at home and invite you and yours to join us! 

In order to bring Earth Day to you, we have put together Earth Day Celebration Kits […]

Conservation Corner

By Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation

Photo: Bloodroot flowers are some of the very first blossoms you’ll see as winter begins to fade. Photo by Dan Zarlenga.

You might not be able to get blood from a turnip, but you can get it from a flower.

Take a walk through your local woodland starting as […]

By Simon Yu, MD 

Is it possible to reverse engineer unsuspected mental illness? Several years ago, I saw a 59-year-old nurse from North Carolina with chief complaint of parasites coming out of her oral cavity through her teeth and gums. Nobody believed that she had parasites. Her family wanted her hospitalized in a psychiatric unit for […]

By Jan Herzog

I have been teaching and training in yoga for over 30 years. I have personally benefited immensely. I have taught countless students that have reported reduced pain and stress and increased happiness and joy. Many are now accomplished teachers themselves.

 Since yoga has gotten so popular since I started teaching in 1997, I also […]

By Abby Lapides

Of the thousands of perennials grown, some stand above the rest. These plants have pushed the boundaries with the extreme flowering of annuals, but with the low maintenance, disease and pest resistance, and drought tolerance of perennials. These fantastic plants are dreams for flower beds, edging, containers, cutting and pollinator gardens. Use them […]