Meetup pages for events that may be planned after each E-Newsletter’s publication date.
Photo by Bruce Dupree, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Photo Contest Returns for 2025
>CALLING ALL THOMAS HART BENTON GROUP PHOTOGRAPHERS<
Starting in June, the Thomas Hart Benton Group is hosting a photography contest! Online submission of nature-themed photos taken in 2025 will open June 1st and will continue through September. Then, all Thomas Hart Benton Group members will be invited to vote on the winner or winners!
By Jennifer Helber, Conservation Committee Co-Chair
We continue to monitor the 300-square-foot area along the Strother North Exit ramp, from I-470 in Lee's Summit. This is on the east border of the 1/3 acre that we plan to seed with a mixture of native grasses and seeds formulated to promote habitat for monarch butterflies.
On May 29th, we raked away dead fescue and scattered some native annuals that we hope will display a nice bloom later this summer. Inspecting weekly, we see that some fescue seeds are making a new green cover. Years ago, highway departments converted most of our roadsides to fescue, for shorter growth and easier mowing. It is difficult to eliminate it, so that native plants can compete.
In a call to Jerod Huebner, Missouri Prairie Foundation Director of Prairie Management, about reducing fescue growth, he suggests using an herbicide this summer which is selective for grasses. This is clethodim (several brands are available). Then, in the fall, a general application of glyphosate will also reduce the fescue. We may try this combination on the smaller plot--and follow on the larger 1/3 acre to prepare for the winter seeding.
We will keep you posted on the appearance of summer annuals along the east side of our plot!
Meanwhile, we are excited to hear of a big project to grow a “Butterfly Highway” along Missouri Highway 13. This was initiated by some senior citizens who hope to attract monarch butterflies and tourists! This will require several years of fundraising; it is an ambitious project, and we wish them success!
Here is some more background on the Butterfly Highway from KCUR Radio.
Photo by Jennifer Helber
Missouri Wildflowers Blooming in July
Date: Tues., July 1
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center
This month we will learn to identify Missouri wildflowers blooming in July. We will discuss the flower color, shape, leaf arrangement and habit of growth. Natalie Ison, naturalist, will give us tips inside at the Discovery Center before we go outside to the native gardens to see how many we can identify. If you like, bring your phones to practice the basic photography skills of good lighting, the rule of thirds, using a tripod and knowing the dates of recurrent flowering of plants in season.
At the end of the evening, one lucky person will win the “Missouri Wildflowers” book by Edgar Denison. This book is also on sale at the Discovery Center. Afterwards, we will have some lemonade and cookies at the shelter.
Join us for a special day celebrating the establishment of George Washington Carver National Monument 82 years ago in 1943!
Did you know that there is only one national monument in Missouri and that this is the first unit of the National Park Service dedicated to an African-American? The park is the birthplace and childhood home of the famed agricultural scientist, educator, and humanitarian. The young child known as the "Plant Doctor" tended his secret garden while observing the day-to-day operations of a 19th-century farm. Nature and nurture ultimately influenced George on his quest for education. Carver Day features programs interpreting the life and legacy of George Washington Carver, with a guest speaker, music, and exhibitors. See below in Photos for directions, schedule of events,
and map of grounds.
We will meet at the visitor center at 10 a.m. to walk the Carver Trail. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive there from Kansas City, MO so be sure to plan accordingly. Wear sturdy shoes (no sandals), and bring sunscreen, bug spray and water. The one-mile, self-guiding loop leads you into the woodlands, across streams, and along a tallgrass prairie restoration area. You can see the birth site of George Washington Carver, the Boy Carver Statue, the 1881 Moses Carver house, and graves of Moses and Susan Carver (George Washington Carver is buried at Tuskegee University in Alabama).
After the hike, we will go to the visitor center for the music performers at 11 a.m. and/or peruse the interactive exhibits about history, science and George Washington Carver’s life.
Lunch will be at noon in a shaded picnic area. Bring a sack lunch or buy your lunch (hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks) at the Diamond Lion’s Club concession stand. We will go to the visitor center for the speaker at 1 p.m. and/or finish up exhibits at the visitor center and park store. After our outing, if you have time, you may be interested in an on-your-own outing to the incredible Crystal Bridges Museum which is about an hour south in Bentonville, Arkansas.
For July 16’s virtual book club, we will be reading and discussing A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson.
“Written in a comic style,” explains Wikipedia, “the book mixes accounts of Bryson's walk with broader discussions about the Trail's history, and the sociology, ecology, conservation status and people of the places Bryson walked through.” This book has long been praised for being rather funny and educational at the same time.
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