Hello Mr. Steward

To be straight forward, I am exploring my career paths right now, so this is more like an open cover letter than a blog post.  This is in light of the 3 million ‘green’ jobs that were available last year.  I’ll have one of those, please.  But what makes a job green?  What qualifies someone

Recommended Reads on Nature and Sustainability

These are just a handful of the books that have helped shape my understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability, my deep appreciation for nature, and my hope for an ever-improving future.  Add some of these to your book wish list! John Muir was the founder of our national park system, an ardent and expert

Deer for Dinner? Bison for Brunch?

It’s deer season here in Missouri.    That’s made me think about sustainable food choices…any meat, native meat, or no meat at all? I have a few friends who are vegetarian or vegan.  I commend them for their efforts and their discipline when it comes to not consuming various foods (I don’t think it’s ever possible

Muir’s Biblical Reason for Praising Plants

On his 1,000 mile walk from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico, not long after the Civil War ended, John Muir encountered a man who questioned his motive to study plants, or ‘botanize’ as he often put it. The man said, “You look like a strong-minded man, and surely you are able to do something

Fall Bloomer in the Prairie

This was also in the prairie at Shaw Nature Reserve along with the Gentian (See previous entry).  It appears to be Slender False Foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia), formerly known as Gerardia tenuifolia.  It is a beautiful native, late-season annual.

A Call for Candelabra LED Lighting

I’ve recently moved into a place with several ceiling fans.  I think ceiling fans are fantastic for air circulation and important for reducing the need for constant air conditioning. But now I have a problem with the lighting situation.  In many rooms, these fans also serve as the primary light source.  Unfortunately, all of my

The Butterfly House

We visited The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri today.  It was hot and humid outside…and hot and humid inside the Butterfly House.  But the butterflies seem to love their tropical paradise.  It’s difficult to chase butterflies around with a camera, so I ended up mainly capturing resting individuals.  This facility promotes environmental

Your wall should be alive!

You’re likely reading this from within the walls of your home or business.  If you are reading this outside, you’re likely not far from a building or any other man-made structure.  People spend 90% of their time inside.  And 82% of the people in the U.S. reside in urban or suburban areas.  Urban areas have

Second Visit to Shaw Nature Reserve

I saw Shaw a couple months ago to find fantastic flora.  I returned today to find a different palette of color. Fields of Coneflower (Echinacea simulata?) Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) dotted the Whitmire Wildflower Garden.  Indian pink apparently grows rather easily in well-drained semi-shady areas.  Just another rewarding native for your gardening consideration…

Almost Sunset in Sunset Hills

I took a brisk walk around Claire Gempp Davidson Conservation Area near Sunset Hills.  The land appears to be part of an old dairy estate.  The small but quiet acreage offers solitude under forest canopy, on the boardwalk over a small wetland, and among interesting plants in their demonstration prairie. A turtle chillaxes in the