The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is holding a “Power of Plants” contest for students with a Grand Prize of a $1,000 Savings Bond.

The contest is divided into separate categories for elementary, middle school and high school students. In addition to the Grand Prize, there will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category.

The Missouri Botanical Garden wants to introduce students…[more]

Take advantage of the opportunity to view bald eagles as they come in to roost at Roaring River State Park near Cassville. The park will host three eagle-viewing events. The first is Saturday, Nov. 15. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the programs are free and open to the public.

Join a park naturalist at the park’s nature center at 3:30 p.m. for a short video…[more]

The Nature Conservancy paused in its effort to protect the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction today to celebrate the first clear photos and video taken of the small porpoise swimming freely in its habitat.

“This is a historic accomplishment — the vaquita was the Holy Grail for marine photographers,” said Rosario Alvarez, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Mexico program. “Up until now we have mostly had photos of…[more]

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Animal and public health professionals are aware of the brewing of a “perfect storm” - a human, animal and emerging disease convergence. Fueling the perfect storm are the threat of terrorism using animal diseases, increasing resource use and animal production, warmer conditions, unhealthy water supplies, urban growth, booming transportation networks and colliding ecosystems.[more]

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Uncle Ray called to harass me last week about his ability to predict the upcoming winter weather. I made an attempt to get him off track by commenting that his cows should really be getting fat on good fall pasture. ‘No sir-eee,’ he complained. ‘And it’s because of the dad-blamed persimmons!’ Knowing Uncle Ray, I braced for the rest of the story.

Approximately 200 kinds…[more]

Once again, 5th graders across Missouri are being challenged to create posters in honor of Arbor Day.

The Missouri state level contest winner receives a $50 savings bond and has their poster entered in a national competition. The national winner can earn a $1,000 savings bond as well as an expenses…[more]

At least 25% of the world’s mammal species are at risk of extinction, according to the first assessment of their status for a decade.

The Red List of Threatened Species says populations of more than half of mammalian species are falling, with Asian primates particularly at risk.

The biggest threat to mammals is loss of habitat, including deforestation.

But there is good news for…[more]

When it comes to Halloween creepy crawlies, spiders are near the top of everyone’s list for scare power, but that reputation is largely undeserved, says John Hopkins, extension entomologist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“Since the Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders are the only poisonous species known to occur in Arkansas, this leaves hundreds of species of spiders in our everyday environment that are…[more]

PINE BLUFF, AR – Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wasted little time before agreeing to purchase their first piece of property utilizing funds from oil and gas leases on the state’s wildlife management areas. At its monthly meeting today, commissioners agreed to pay just over $2.12 million for over 1,800 acres near the Choctaw Island WMA in Desha County.

AGFC chairman Freddie Black of Lake…[more]

At a “site dedication” and progress announcement today by the Friends of theGarden, Inc. and Springfield‐Greene County Park Board, attendees were given updatedfinancial information on the future Botanical Center in Nathanael Greene/Close
Memorial Park.

To‐date, approximately $1,372,942 has been raised for the $4.3 million project.With the most up‐to‐date costs as of this morning, news today from Parks Director Jodie Adams was positive for those involved with…[more]