Getting back to our roots; Department of Natural Resources' Earth Day celebration returns

More than 1,700 fifth-grade students, with parents and teachers in tow, scurried across the Missouri State Capitol's south lawn Friday.

Groups of students tossed flying discs to each other, raced each other up the Capitol's steps, tried their mettle in bean bag tosses and checked out the many activities set up around the lawn.

"I could run up these stairs all day!" one student exclaimed.

After one group's most recent sprint up the steps, another student said, "This is the best view ever."

What brought so many kids to the seat of Missouri's government?

Earth Day.

After a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Friday marked the return of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Earth Day celebration. DNR has hosted Earth Day celebrations since 1994.

More than 20 canopy-shaded booths were scattered along the lawn's sidewalks and circle drive, each with a unique experience for anyone who visited.

The booths were run by DNR's various divisions, as well as a couple other agencies and businesses, such as the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri American Water.

Students had the opportunity to learn all about Missouri's natural resources.

At one booth, Missouri State Park rangers gave away bicycle helmets and showed off the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) they use to patrol Missouri's two ATV parks.

A park ranger said one of the parks had 83 miles of trails that Missourians can traverse with ATVs.

"Wheeeeeeeeeooooooooh!" The piercing sound of the ATV's siren cut through the cool morning air as a student pretended to drive the vehicle.

Right next door, a worker from DNR's geological survey division showed students how water can move through rocks.

Set up in a glass box full of water were four rocks, all with bicycle pumps hooked up to them. The geologist showed the students how different rocks, an igneous versus a sedimentary, for example, interacted with the water differently.

As she pushed down on one of the pumps, streams of bubbles poured out of the rocks and bubbled up to the surface of the tank.

Another booth held a model of a landscape. A DNR worker used the model to show students how contaminants from cars can be washed off by rain and flow into bodies of water.

In the same booth was a crate full of dressed-up worm dolls. The worms were each more than a foot long, and made of some fabric that had been filled with some sort of stuffing. The worms wore glasses, wigs and a variety of clothing.

A DNR worker at the booth said a co-worker had made them long ago, but they had found the worms in a closet as they prepared for Earth Day.

"We were like, 'This is perfect!' But also, it was kind of creepy to find them in the closet like that," the worker said.

Almost every booth had something for students to take with them, whether it was a keychain, a book, candy or a flying disc.

Many of the booths were interactive as well.

At one, children could feel red-tail hawk and owl feathers. Just across the circle drive, a Runge Nature Center tent had turtles and snakes they could touch.

Nearby, the DNR's Environmental Emergency Response team was showing off its equipment and even letting students try on an oxygen tank.

While many Missourians probably haven't even heard of the department, the Environmental Emergency Response (EER) team keeps busy.

One of the responders at the booth said EER takes care of mercury or petroleum leaks or spills, meth-lab cleanups and more. EER actually has a "spill line" that is manned 24/7, 365 days a year -- something no other agency in the state has.

The responder said he actually used to spend two days a week disposing of materials law enforcement took from busted meth labs. That changed when access to pseudoephedrine was restricted, he said.

Now, EER can stick to responding to spills and other natural and manmade environmental emergencies.

Another booth on the lawn showed how different filters handle pollution from factories.

The workers at the booth used a model factory with smokestacks to simulate how smoke is spewed out of factories. Then, students selected which filters they thought would stop the pollution. The most successful filter was topped with grass.

"And that's what we do at the DNR. We see which filters work best for stifling pollution from factories," a DNR worker at the booth said.

There were also some very special guests present at the celebration. In front of the main stage, surrounded by children sitting on the lawn, handlers from the World Bird Sanctuary showed students an owl and a bald eagle.

Perched on the handler's gloved arms, the birds of prey looked around curiously and flapped their wings as the students learned all about them.

The Earth Day celebration went from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. In addition to the hundreds of fifth-graders, the activities were also open and free to the public.

In addition to the efforts of the DNR and other state agencies, several donors also contributed via a raffle.

Entrants stood the chance to win a Walmart gift card, St. Louis City Museum tickets, merchandise and a family pass to the Titanic Museum in Branson and more.

With the COVID-induced hiatus over, the DNR is planning to celebrate Earth Day again next year.