A culmination of a lifelong pastime, at age 56, Moreland will embark on a solo journey from the headwaters of the Missouri River to the confluence with the Mississippi river – solo, via kayak.

Moreland always has a smile on her face. Photo from her blog.

Just around the corner

Moreland explored the rivers of southern Missouri for a few years in the mid-‘90s then moved to Columbia, eventually moving not far from Cooper’s Landing on the Missouri River. She spent her first few years adjusting to the community; five years passed before she discovered the Missouri River was no more than ten minutes away. With that revelation, Moreland went to the Alpine Shop and bought two kayaks in 2001. That purchase signified to her that Columbia was home.

With the kayaks purchased, Moreland confided to the salesperson their intended use on the Missouri River. She remembers the salesperson remarking that the sale would not have happened with that knowledge. Moreland, who once lived in Yosemite, busts the myth that the Missouri River is dangerous with a laugh. “It’s my lazy river,” she says.

The Big Muddy does not scare her. She remembers once losing a paddle during a kayak race, and without pause she backpedaled with her hands to retrieve the floating paddle. “I like a challenge,” Moreland says. If she completes this spring’s trip down the Missouri, Moreland will be the first woman to paddle the Missouri River solo.

Missouri River Relief is hosting a benefit concert for Janet tonight at Mojo’s.

Motivated by future generations

This feat is not just self-serving for Moreland. A recent graduate of University of Missouri’s School of Education, she plans to use her trip as a teaching tool to her future students. She hopes to teach science and/or social studies at a local middle school and incorporate lesson plans on the Missouri River into her curriculum. Just before our interview, Moreland had attended a job fair. She hopes to land a teaching position before she leaves so that she can tailor lesson plans to certain subjects and ages of her future students.

The history of Native American habitation along the river, French exploration of North America, early pioneer hunting and trapping, Lewis and Clark’s voyage, the steamboat era and the Army Corps of Engineers dredging and damming of the river will all be incorporated into Moreland’s teaching. “There is so much untold history to teach our children,” Moreland says, especially referring to Native American history, for which she has a soft spot. In July she will stop at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for a 2-day education event.

Moreland plans two books to interpret her trip: one full of lesson plans and the other a memoir. She will closely study the wildlife at the source area of the Missouri River, where there are several lakes – the largest 230 miles long, and take weather samples.

Above all, Moreland will focus on teaching about stewardship of the Missouri River through lessons on watershed management and water quality. She actively promotes the nonprofit Missouri River Relief through her blog and will continue to do so on her journey. “There’s some sustainability issues that need to be addressed,” Moreland says. She does not want the Missouri to one day have the same fate as the Colorado River, which no longer flows into the ocean because of human interference.

If she does not get a teaching position for the fall, Moreland entertains the idea of continuing her paddle to the Gulf of Mexico, via the Mississippi River. She is not scared of running out of steam; endurance is not an issue for her. Among the many provisions on Moreland’s list, she hopes to construct a terrarium that will hold sprouts of leafy greens so that she can pluck fresh lettuce and spinach at her heart’s desire. Sponsors such as the Alpine Shop and Walt’s Bike Shop have given her gear. She will have a solar charger for her laptop and cell phone, and her kayak already made the trip down the Big Muddy once before. It is the same kayak that Australian man Bob Bellingham took down the Missouri River last summer.

Community support is vital to Janet’s successful voyage. See below for online donations and a benefit concert.

Music and fundraiser tonight

The Riverbillies are coming to town and you’re invited!!!  Please join us for a rockin’ send off and fundraiser for our inspiring, adventure-seeking friend Janet Moreland, as she prepares to embark on a 2600-mile kayaking expedition down the Missouri River as the first WOMAN to ever paddle the entire length of the river solo, from “source to sea”!

A “Love Your Big Muddy Blues Benefit” will be held at Mojo’s on Wednesday, March 27^th from 5-9 pm.  A $10 donation is requested at the door, and there will be a raffle full of awesome prizes, not to mention a Charlie Brown Boogie Down dance-off competition.  Local blues musicians John D’Agostino, Scott McCullough, Dennis Ternamian, Dave Bandy, Steve Andsager and the power Debbie D among others will come together to celebrate and raise awareness about Janet’s trip of a lifetime.

One Woman, One River, 2600 Miles

EVENT DETAILS:

Date:  Wednesday, March 27^th

Time:  5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Location: Mojos, 1013 Park Ave. Columbia, MO 65201

Donation: $10 at the door.

Event Page:  http://www.facebook.com/events/427915293960865/

Donate Online: http://www.gofundme.com/loveyourbigmuddy

Who funds the green roof?

The Student Fee Capital Improvement Committee (SFCIC) awards a maximum of $275,000 annually for equipment or renovations that benefit future MU students. Ben is president of Environmental Science Club and an active member of Sustain Mizzou. He presented this plan to the SFCIC, which graciously approved $27,000.

Additionally, Mizzou Advantage supplied $1,100 for an engineer to determine the roof holding capacity of Rollins Dining Hall in April 2012. Campus Facilities contracted Bob D. Campbell Structural Engineers from Kansas City, MO to conduct a review of the building’s structural integrity.

According to Ben’s documents, the Sustainability Office is also willing to contribute up to $3,000 toward the green roof irrigation system. Campus Dining and Campus Facilities have not made such financial commitments at this time.

Rollins residence and dining hall is the area slated for the green roof. It already features many sustainability components, including high-capacity bike racks, a rain garden, white roofs and porous pavement.

Where does the money go?

What’s next?

• Establish a final meeting with the stakeholders and confirm project approval
• Determine an installation date and purchase the materials
• Get the media involved and create awareness

The SFCIC grant will fund the construction of a green roof on Sector 1. The entire roof will be complete if additional funding can be found.

This is on top of a year’s worth of work, in which Ben worked with Sustain Mizzou and the Environmental Science club to:

• Find a sponsoring student organization
• Find a University employee that knows the approval process
• Research and networking
• Meet with Campus Dining (who owns the building)
• Meet with Campus Facilities (who deals with structural maintenance)
• Apply for the first round of grants
• Conduct a structural study by contracting an engineer (determine maximum pounds per square foot)
• Explore outside funding sources
• Find professors who can confirm a need for a green roof system
• Apply for the second round of grants
• Receive grant funding and communicate the message to all stakeholders
• Complete a permission request form (PRF) with Campus Facilities

If you have more questions for Ben, contact him at bgkxw7[at]mail.missouri.edu.

Snow geese land in a field at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. Photo by John Corley.

Environmental reporting might get a boost from drone technology, and the University of Missouri School of Journalism is at the forefront of their deployment. One of the drone class’s first forays tried capturing snow geese on film at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. With this challenge comes many questions. Do drones stress the geese? What if the drone crashes into the wetlands? It’s something the class, led by KBIA’s Scott Pham and J-School professor Bill Allen, is still learning.

NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition reported on these first baby steps of drone journalism, especially in terms of watchdog environmental coverage.

When I moved into my third floor apartment downtown, I didn’t expect to see much wildlife. But my desk window faces a big tree, and I’ve been getting more little visitors than I’d expected! Pigeons sleep on the tree at night, and sometimes on my windowsill, all fluffed up to keep warm. Other birds occasionally make appearances as well, singing and hopping from branch to branch.

But my favorite visitor by far has been my honorary pet squirrel, Socrates. He started visiting my windowsill while I was away over winter break. Maybe it was a bit warmer there, I’m not sure. Whatever the reason, I started seeing this furry little face pop up and peer into my room.

Socrates and I have become friends. I occasionally give him little treats of sesame seeds and peanuts.

I now recognize him and I think he recognizes me too – he’ll make eye contact with me, let me come quite close with my camera (as long as I’m on the other side of the glass) and even knock on the window to ask for peanuts if he sees me sitting there!

Seriously, how can I resist this?

If you want to feed a squirrel, first read a guide to acceptable diets, such as this one. Mostly, squirrels like fruits, veggies, and nuts – but some of these can do them more harm than good! Peanuts are one of the cheaper options, but be sure they are roasted and unsalted. And don’t feed them so much, or so often, that they become fat, dependent, or completely lose their fear of humans.

Reblogged from Show Me Oz:

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By Daniel Novak

Feeding and watching birds in the summer, spring and fall can be an enjoyable family pursuit and winter should be no different. While many of the birds we often see at other times of year travel to warmer climates for the winter a few hardy souls remain. Inasmuch as feeding can attract a plethora of birds for our viewing enjoyment it can actually be integral in seeing our feathered friends through a tough time of year when other food sources may be scarce or absent.

Read more… 829 more words

This is a “bowl and doily” spider.

Spiders occupy diverse niches even within the same ecosystem. Web placement, angle, size and hunting strategies can vary even among spiders of the same designation such as orb weavers. During the evolution of species, it must have been advantageous to have multiple similar species exploit the same environment in different ways.

An ecology student measures a funnel web.

In early October 2012, MU’s general ecology lab collected data on web placement in Capen Park, near the university campus. Many habitats, including forest edge, grassland and streams are found within the park.

Even low-lying funnel webs were clearly constructed in different sizes, at different heights and in different habitats such as leaf litter and shrubs.

In Capen Park, few orb weavers were found, perhaps because the study took place in the afternoon when wildlife and other humans may have disrupted webs. Further, diverse kinds of prey occupy the same habitat type, making it possible for two similar spider species to successfully hunt in the same place by seeking different resources.

Streams intersect Capen Park, and look particularly lovely in the fall.

PHOTO BY YI GAN, COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN. Chad Herwald, the Columbia city arborist, inspects trees July 2 at Lenoir Woods, where the city is installing a new underground transmission line.

A lot goes into keeping our city lush. Check out this sweet profile from former Footprint contributing writer, Cade Cleavlin: Chad Herwald takes care of Columbia’s public trees.

Herwald is in the process of compiling a list of trees that do well in Columbia’s urban environment, which would serve as a a landscaping resource on the city’s website. When he makes recommendations, though, he always pushes for variety.

“We’re trying to get away from that monoculture,” he said.

Wild Deer in Garner State Park 07/1972

When a deer contracts chronic wasting disease, its brain degenerates. Missouri has seen several cases of it in the past year. First in captive deer, and now wild ones. The Columbia Missourian is doing a fabulous job of covering the issue. Get informed.