Sustaining the Environment

Area Events

• Bike, Walk & Wheel Week [1]
  This weeklong spring program is designed to encourage all Columbians to use active modes of transportation as a viable alternative to using a car.
• Columbia Earth Day [2]
  An annual festival in downtown Columbia, including educational booths, entertainment and more.
• Missouri Earth Day Celebration [3]
  Sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources, this event at the Capitol. The website also includes links to other earth day events [4] across Missouri.
• Sustainable Living Fair - Columbia [5]
  Annual fall fair with workshops, displays and speakers.

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Environmental Issues & Conservation

• City of Columbia Solid Waste Services [6]
  Also includes hazardous waste disposal, batteries recycling [7] and more.
• Columbia Water & Light Conservation [8]
  Provides information about free energy audits, solar systems, water-efficient landscaping, Super Saver Loans, Conservation Tips Videos and much more.
• Columbia / Boone County Rain Garden Program [9]
  Program designed to improve water quality of nearby creeks and streams by preventing polluted rainwater from getting there.
• Grownative.org [10]
  Native plant information and landscape guide from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and Dept. of Agriculture.
• University of Missouri Extension – Environmental Quality [11]
  Find a wide variety of publications on the topics of drinking water, domestic and animal waste, pesticides and more.

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Green Living

• Earth Easy [12]
  Shop for environmentally-friendly products for almost everything inside and outside your house.
• The Green Guide [13]
  Tips for green living from National Geographic.
• Greener Choices for a Better Planet [14]
  Resources and tips from Consumer Reports.
• Homemade and Natural Cleaning Products [15]
  Make your own cleaning products from lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda.
• “How sustainable are you?” [16]
  Article from the Columbia Missourian about Columbia residents learning to make environmentally sustainable choices.
• Mother Nature Network [17]
  News and tips for a more Earth-friendly lifestyle.
• Planet Green [18]
  Provides tips, information, buying guides and more from Discovery Channel.
• TreeHugger.com [19]
  Prominent sustainability website dedicated to sustainable living.

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Community Groups & Organizations

• Chouteau Grotto [20]
  The group’s mission is to “promote the preservation of caves, watershed areas, conservation of caves and their natural content.”
• City of Columbia Sustainability Office [21]
• Columbia Audubon Society [22]
• Columbia Earth Day Coalition [23]
  Coalition of city and other organizations who sponsor Columbia’s annual Earth Day Festival.
• Friends of Rock Bridge State Park [24]
• Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri [25]
  Started as an advocacy program for a greenbelt around Columbia, it now accepts donations of land and conservation easements and functions as a Land Trust.
• Missouri Parks Association [26]
  Non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, enhancement and interpretation of Missouri State Parks.
• Missouri Prairie Foundation [27]
  Works to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities./li>
• Missouri River Communities Network [28]
  Non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and restore the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Missouri river.
• Missouri Sierra Club [29]
• Missouri Stream Team [30]
  Working partnership of citizens concerned about Missouri Streams.
• Sustain Mizzou [31]
  Non-profit organization run by student volunteers to promote a sustainable way of life at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
• University Of Missouri Extension [32]
  Assists residents with a variety of questions, including plant diseases, infestation, soil testing and more.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) [33]
  Leading national non-profit organization that strives to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends.
• Institute for Local Self-Reliance [34]
  A nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop strategies and projects that enable local self-reliance

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Government Agencies

• Missouri Department of Conservation [35]
  Maintains Missouri’s conservation areas, trails, state parks and forests and provides educational opportunities for individuals, teachers and students to learn more about conservation.
• Missouri Department of Natural Resources - Soil and Water Conservation [36]
• Environmental Protection Agency [37]
  Information on protecting our environment through federal laws and regulations and updates on the latest in science and technology related to environmental issues.

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Databases

• EBSCO [38]
  Full text periodicals database and encyclopedia. Recommended search terms: Sustainable Living, Environmentalism, Green Movement.
• Science Reference Center [39]
  Full-text content from encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals and other sources on topics including environmental and earth science.
• SIRS Researcher [40]
  General reference database containing thousands of full-text articles exploring social, scientific, health, historic, business, economic, political and global issues. Search under leading issues: Conservation of Natural Resources, Environmentalism, Global Warming

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