April 18, 2019
St. Charles County, Missouri – Nearly 50 years after it first began, Americans still embrace the importance of Earth Day. There are festivals, walks and parties throughout our region to remind us that we need to protect our planet. The official Earth Day is Monday, April 22. However, every day is Earth Day for St. Charles County Government.
“We work year-round to spread the word about how important – and easy – it is to recycle,” says Division of Environmental Health and Protection Director Ryan Tilley.
Tilley says he has seen an increase in recycling at the County centers over the past six months. Glass recycling has risen by 50 percent, and increases are notable for scrap metal, plastic, paper and cardboard as well. He attributes that to the changes several municipalities in St. Charles County have made to reductions in their single-stream recycling programs. For more information on recycling and County centers, visit sccmo.org/RecycleWorks.
“At no other time have our recycling centers been so popular or needed in our community,” says Tilley. “It’s great to see that, even with the recent changes, die-hard recyclers still exist and are willing to visit our centers to do the right thing and protect our environment for future generations.”
The Division of Environmental Health and Protection has been given 250 trees from the Missouri Department of Conservation for its annual tree giveaway in honor of Earth Day. It is scheduled for Friday, April 19, from 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m., at three locations, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 20 at the Recycle Works locations only:
- St. Charles County Department of Public Health, 1650 Boone’s Lick in St. Charles;
- Recycle Works – Central, 60 Triad South Drive in the St. Peters area; or
- Recycle Works – West, 2110 East Pitman Ave., Wentzville
Trees will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis and include the following yearling species: Loblolly Pine, Norway Spruce, River Birch, Mixed Hickory, Wild Plum (edible fruit, flowering), Red Mulberry (edible fruit), Rose Mallow (flowering), and Green Hawthorn (flowering).
Every day is Earth Day for St. Charles County Parks and Recreation as well. Parks Director Ryan Graham says his department’s strategic plan focuses on maintaining greenspaces in parks and preserving the natural environment. Programs such as Pollinator Party, Guided Bird Walk, Insects and Crawly Things, Nature Camp and more are held throughout the year to educate participants about nature and the importance of preservation. The department also sponsors controlled burns to restore nutrients in the soil and promote desirable plant growth in the future, as well as designated areas called “Prairies in Progress” in County parks for prairie restoration.
“Unlike parks in urban and suburban areas, our parks for the most part are located in more rural settings,” says Graham. “This allows us to take advantage of numerous acres of parkland to provide an abundance of open space that gives residents and visitors a place to enjoy walking, biking, horseback riding, camping and more in a natural, open environment.”
A complete list of St. Charles County Parks programs can be found under “Activity Registration” at stccparks.org.