Great Rivers Environmental Law Center

Tis the season for planting natives!

Native plants do more than create beautiful landscapes. They support pollinators, protect biodiversity, conserve water, and help strengthen our ecosystems right here in Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Great Rivers Environmental Law Center has also worked to help protect the rights of residents to grow native plants and ensure they are recognized for the environmental benefits they provide.

Interested in planting natives of your own? Check out resources from Grow Native (grownative.org) or connect with wonderful local organizations like our friends at Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter.

Here’s to more native gardens taking root across our communities!

On April 22, 1970, millions of people across the country came together for the first Earth Day. Watching that moment, you can feel the urgency and the energy. People knew something had to change.

More than 50 years later, that same call still stands.

At Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, we are part of that ongoing fight. Every day, we work alongside communities across Missouri and Southern Illinois, using the law as a tool to protect clean air, safe water, and public health.

Whether it is challenging harmful permits, holding decision-makers accountable, or making sure community voices are heard, this work continues because people continue to show up.

Earth Day is not just a moment to look back. It is a reminder that this movement is still very much alive and that we all have a role to play in where it goes next.

Take a moment to look back at where this began:

From the archives: 1970 Earth Day special report with Walter Cronkite From April 22, 1970, CBS News covers the first ever Earth Day with reports from across the United States. Note: This CBS News program aired in 1970 and inclu...

Nominations are now open for the Lewis C. Green Environmental Service Award!

Help us recognize those protecting our environment and supporting communities impacted by environmental harm in Missouri and/or Southern Illinois.

Up to two awardees will be honored at our annual celebration and fundraiser on September 27, 5:00 to 7:30 PM at The Sheldon in St. Louis.

Submit a nomination for consideration and help us spread the word! Deadline is May 17, 2026.

Click here to nominate an individual, organization, or community group, today!

🔗https://forms.gle/wRMqVwXVgagnd8cR8