Photo Credit: SquareMeals.org

Back to school time has arrived, and many of the schools in our metropolitan areas are planning their learning gardens. School gardens teach children how to tend gardens, about proper nutrition and not surprisingly, increase physical activity, according to a recent Cornell University study.

The two-year research project looked at 12 New York elementary schools and found that children who are in garden themed hands-on learning curricula were more physically active at school and, what’s more exciting, were substantially less sedentary at home than their counterparts.

With nearly one in three American children overweight or obese, school gardens are a simple, low-cost way to increase physical activity among children, says Nancy Wells, professor of design and environmental analysis in Cornell's College of Human Ecology.

"This is the first true experiment to measure the effects of school gardens on children's physical activity, and we found a significant increase," Wells said. "It is notable that in our intervention, kids were only spending an hour or two per week in the gardens, yet there was a significant difference in physical activity. The findings suggest that if schools embraced gardens further and integrated them into lesson plans, there might be an even greater effect."

Bryant Park, New York. Photo courtesy ASLA. 

As the summer heats up, and we take to the shade, it's great to think what trees really do for our urban areas.

Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr., a senior fellow for environmental and sustainable systems at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, had this to say about what urban trees do in a recent Huffington Post article: 

• A single mature tree can absorb as much as 48 lbs. of CO2 per year and release enough oxygen to support two human beings.
• A well-placed mature tree can reduce annual air conditioning costs by 2% to 10%.
• The Center for Urban Forest Research has estimated that a property with trees is valued 5% to 15% higher than a comparable lot with no trees.
• Planting urban trees is one of the least expensive ways to reduce urban air pollution and decrease health problems and related costs. A study conducted in New York City in 1994 estimated that the trees in New York City removed 2,007 tons of air pollutants with an estimated benefit to society of $9.5 million.

"It's clear that our quality of life is enhanced by our urban forests, and that planting a single tree in an urban setting will yield a significant return on the investment," Cornelius says. "Greening our cities and expanding our urban forests will clearly improve our quality of life."

Source: Landscape Insider 

This time of year some Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp.) plants may turn up a bit spotty. Have you noticed any of this at nurseries or in your landscapes? These leaf spots are often caused by a fungus named Septoria rudbeckiae. The leaf spots enlarge to 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter and are black in color. In severe infections, the leaf spots can cover most of the leaf surface.

Another pathogen, Pseudomonas, is a bacterial leaf spot that can look very similar to Septoria. To determine which pathogen you are seeing, the plant can be submitted to a diagnostic clinic like those provided by state university extension offices for testing.

Septoria can be avoided by providing conditions where the plant's leaves are able to dry out between waterings. Avoid overhead irrigation during cloudy weather or during the early morning or late day when the leaves are likely to remain wet for long periods of time.  Instead, water Rudbeckia in the mid-morning to early afternoon when sunlight and air circulation are more conducive to evaporation.

Source: Perennial Pulse, Ball Publishing

It’s summer time and we are all generally excited to be outside!  Whether we are swimming at the lake or hiking trails, it is important to be thinking about how best to deal with summer insects, especially ticks.  The warmer months of the year, April through September are when ticks are most active and it is also when we are most likely to encounter them, even in our yards.  The ticks people encounter in the Midwest that most commonly transmit disease are the American dog tick, Brown dog tick, Blacklegged tick, and the Lone star tick. 

Ticks are known carriers and transmitters of a variety of diseases.  Lyme disease, babesiosis, erlichiosis and tularemia are examples of some of the diseases that can be transmitted from ticks to people.  A press release from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) earlier this spring noted that there is a new tick-borne disease showing up in the Midwest called the Heartland virus that has been associated with the Lone star tick.  As of March of this year, eight cases have been reported in Missouri and Tennessee beginning in 2009.  Unlike many of the tick-borne illnesses which are bacterial and readily treated with antibiotics, Heartland is a virus so the CDC is working hard to develop new tests and treatments.

While avoiding ticks is the best prevention, it is not always an option.  To reduce the risk of tick bites, the CDC recommends that people:

• Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter;

• Use insect repellent when outdoors;

• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing;

• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you;

• Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.

• Conduct a full-body tick check after spending time outdoors; and

• Examine gear and pets, as ticks can “ride” into the home and attach to a person later.

  For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/ticks and http://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dvbd/heartland/index.html and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Heartland virus -- What do I need to know? 

   

Photo credit: Keith Stanley

There are many reasons cities should curb the suburban "sprawl" that has been common in the U.S. since the post World War II boom, but new research leaves no question; sprawl must go if a city is to financially excel. According to a study co-authored by the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis at George Washington University School of Business and LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors, the more dense and walkable a City is, the more money it makes. 

Makes sense. Denser development puts more money-making industry in a smaller footprint, meaning less cost for infrastructure construction and maintenance. But density itself doesn't form the draw for those who earn bigger wages and create products and jobs that boost the local economy. A dense city must operate comfortably for people. That means it has to be more walkable as well.

Check out Alissa Walker's Gizmodo article for more on this.  

On drier days, the neighborhood's rain gardens are just that - gardens.

We haven't been short on rain lately with about 4-6 inches falling in the last three weeks. On top of it all, most of that fell just in the last two days. But that's what rain gardens are for. Fox 4 News just stopped by our Middle Blue River Basin green solutions project at about 75th and Lydia to see just how well the rain gardens, bioswales and pervious pavement are working to keep the city's overtaxed sewers from filling up entirely.

http://fox4kc.com/2014/06/10/rain-gardens-help-ease-the-burden-on-citys-sewer-overflow-problem/

Communities are invited to apply for assistance from Local Foods, Local Places, a new program supported by EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to help create more livable places by promoting local foods. Together, the agencies are investing $650,000 in the Local Foods, Local Places program, which aims to:

• Boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses, and foster entrepreneurship;
• Improve access to healthy local food, particularly among disadvantaged groups with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables; and
• Revitalize downtowns, main street districts, and traditional neighborhoods by supporting farmers’ markets, food hubs, community gardens, community kitchens, and other kinds of local food enterprises, and by providing people with affordable choices for accessing those amenities, such as walking, biking, or taking transit.

Local Foods, Local Places will provide direct technical support to selected communities to help them develop and implement action plans promoting local food and downtown revitalization. Special consideration will be given to communities that are in the early stages of developing or restoring local food enterprises and creating economically vibrant communities. Selected communities in Appalachia and the Delta region will be eligible to receive financial assistance to help them implement those plans.

Local Foods, Local Places builds on the ARC-EPA-USDA Livable Communities in Appalachia partnership, which works to promote economic development, preserve rural lands, and increase access to locally grown food in Appalachian towns and rural communities.

Eligibility

Communities anywhere in the United States are eligible to apply. Particular consideration will be given to communities in the following places:

• Areas served by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• Areas served by the Delta Regional Authority in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
• Federally designated Promise Zones in the Choctaw Nation region of Southeast Oklahoma; Los Angeles, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; and Southeastern Kentucky.
• USDA-designated StrikeForce counties in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

How to Apply

Communities are invited to submit a letter of interest of no more than two pages that describes the community’s needs and goals related to local food and the revitalization of downtowns and traditional neighborhoods. The letter should indicate a primary point of contact and other members of the community or organizations that would participate in the technical assistance process. Communities are strongly encouraged to seek the support of their local development district or regional development organization, or, alternatively, a local community college or university, and to indicate this partner organization in their letter of interest. Letters of interest may be submitted by any community representative, including representatives of local government and nongovernmental organizations.

Applicants will be evaluated on their commitment to USDA’s Seven Strategies for Economic Development and the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities’ Livability Principles, as well as their potential for success in:

• Producing and distributing healthy local food;
• Creating economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses;
• Expanding access to healthy foods among disadvantaged members of the community;
• Revitalizing existing downtowns, main streets, and neighborhoods; and
• Partnering with local agricultural producers, business, government, transportation, education, and other relevant organizations.

Submit letters of interest by email to Ed Fendley at lflp@epa.gov by July 15, 2014. Please include “Local Foods, Local Places” and the name of the community in the subject line of the email.  

Photo courtesy CBCM (http://www.birdmonitors.net/)

The temperatures are warming up and the grass is growing taller which means we are all going to be outside.  Whether doing house maintenance, yard work, gardening, or hiking, do you know what to do when you have an unexpected encounter with wildlife?

Some of the most common calls I used to get when I was the Urban Wildlife Biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation had to do with undesirable encounters with wildlife.  These encounters included everything from those pesky cardinals beating themselves against the picture window in the dining room to squirrels and raccoons in the attic.  Birds hitting windows are a common occurrence in most neighborhoods and even for commercial buildings.  Cardinals, those brilliant red birds, have a reputation for being persistent in their attacks on windows during the spring breeding season.  So, why are they doing this and what do you do about it?  Most of the time, it’s because they are seeing their reflection in the window and consider the reflection to be another bird attempting to hone in on their territory.  It can also be that they see actual vegetation such as house plants or the reflection of trees and shrubs outside and think they should be able to fly to it.  Even landscape elements such as lighting can affect birds and cause them to fly into windows.

Whatever the reason, here are a few things you can do to help minimize bird hitting your windows:

• Check your windows for reflectivity.  Do you have trees or shrubs nearby that they can use to see themselves or the vegetation?
• Move houseplants away from windows and consider changes to your landscape that would lessen the reflection.
• Apply silhouettes of hawks to the window.   You can purchase these at most wild birds stores or nature centers.
• Place mylar tape or other lightweight streamers on the outside of the window.  Mylar tape is shiny silver on one side and bright red on the other and moves easily in a light breeze.  It is generally available at bird stores and even some hardware stores.
• Let your windows stay a little dirty so that they don’t reflect images as readily.
• Move bird feeders at least 30-feet away from windows.
• Utilize shielded outdoor or other dark sky friendly light fixtures.  Turn off unnecessary lights from dusk to dawn from mid-March through early June and late August through mid-November.

To learn more about this topic, go to:

Adubon Society:  http://audubonportland.org/wcc/urban/windows

American Bird Conservancy:  http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/pdf/collisions_flyer.pdf

International Dark-Sky Association:  http://www.darksky.org/

VIREO Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/faulkners_fowl_shots/

Few things are more disheartening than watching a horde of insects devour a landscape or garden you just invested mass resources and brute strength installing. And this is the time of year those pesky predators swarm. Luckily, for many parts of the world, these plant-eating predators have their own higher-up-on-the-food-chain predators to keep them in check. What are they? Birds.

Your ticket to reducing damage to your favorite landscape is to bring in the birds that feed on the insect pests. But, how? By providing a welcoming environment with food and appropriate cover for the species you wish to attract. We call that “creating habitat.”

Is it enough to put up a birdhouse? Nope. Birds will only nest where they find suitable habitat for keeping themselves and their babies fed. So plant native species of plants, provide a water source, and provide several nesting options like a nest box, brush pile, shrubs and trees - even dead ones. “A dead tree?!” you ask. Dead trees provide great nesting locations and food sources for insectivores; just make sure the dead trunks and limbs don’t pose a safety hazard for people and property.

What kinds of birds should you attract? That varies on your location and the species of birds that naturally range there. In the U.S., great, insect-devouring friends exist in the following top ten bird families:

1. swallow,
2. vireo (naturally our favorite),
3. sparrow,
4. woodpecker,
5. warbler,
6. bluebird,
7. nightjar,
8. phoebe,
9. oriole, and
10. wren

Find out which ones are near you and what you can do to attract them in this original article on eNature.com.

The City of Sugar Creek, Missouri just dedicated its newest park to former Mayor John C. O'Renick, but it has Vireo written all over it. The park may not be the area's largest, coming in at just about an acre, but it creates a new entry statement for the city itself and will serve as the trail head for bike/pedestrian trails currently in the design phase. The Kansas City Star talked to Vireo's Project Manager Chad Potter and the 9/11 memorial's designers:

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/05/27/5049958/named-for-a-former-mayor-new-gateway.html

If you're set on making a positive impact on the environment by only buying locally grown produce, heads up. Know the source and how your foods are grown. Even if they come from just down the street, if they are produced in an indoor "plant factory" there may actually be a negative environmental impact. And that's compared to foods grown at a great distance.

Here are some of the highlights of Dr. Lou Albright's research that originally ran in GrowerTalks magazine.

Warehouse growing faces the big issue of carbon footprint. This was spelled out quite clearly by Dr. Lou Albright, professor emeritus from Cornell, who gave a talk on these new indoor “plant factories.”

Lou showed in calculation after calculation that the production costs for growing without sunlight costs more in electricity than the crop can possibly support. For instance, a single butterhead lettuce plant would cost 20 to 30 cents in electricity just for lighting it (when grown with zero sunlight).

And how much of a carbon footprint does that electricity have? He calculates 8 lbs. of CO2 emitted for every 1 lb. of lettuce produced. That’s three 55-gallon drums of CO2. Tomatoes would be worse, needing 18 lbs. of CO2 per lb. of tomato.

Urban plant factory proponents would argue, “But they’re produced locally, so you don’t have to ship them.” Yes, but to ship that lettuce from California would require just 0.7 lbs. of CO2. Meaning those dreaded “food miles” are a lot more sustainable than one might think.

And if you think you’re going to run those lights with photovoltaic panels, think again: To light one acre of indoor growing space you’d need 9.3 acres of photovoltaic panels.

The Mayo Clinic, a nationally recognized leader in advanced medical treatments, understands the importance of nature in the healing process of their patients. As an extension of that knowledge, the Clinic recently named a hybrid coreopsis that will grow at all of their campuses as their official "Mayo Clinic Flower of Hope™".

The hybrid cultivar called 'Electric Avenue' from ItSaul Plants of Alpharetta, Georgia will be marketed across the country under the Mayo's trademarked name.

To learn more, visit the Mayo Clinic's website at:
http://150years.mayoclinic.org/events/mayo-clinic-flower-of-hope.php

Yesterday we answered why there are two names for plants. Today I want to know, are some of the other details in plant naming confusing? How do you know what word to capitalize? Why are some words in quote marks? What’s the difference between a trademarked plant and a patented plant? And what’s up with those abbreviations and numbers on some ID tags?

Capitalization

According to The Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing, it is proper to capitalize and put in italics the genus of plants; yet, do not capitalize the specific epithet or the common name.  There are exceptions to this rule which can be lengthy to explain, but you’re generally safe only capitalizing the genus and any proper nouns.  Example: Aralia racemosa or American spikenard. Cultivars are also commonly capitalized.

What is a cultivar? The term is derived from the words “cultivated variety” and according to Oregon State University, is defined as: “an assemblage of cultivated plants which is clearly distinguished by one or more characters, and which when reproduced retains its distinguishing characteristics."

Quote marks

In addition to being capitalized, cultivar names are the portions of plant names you’ll find highlighted with single quotes. As a side note, you might recognize that cultivar names are not italicized like their friends the genus and specific epithet are.

An example of a plant name with its associated cultivar is ‘Crimson King’ Norway maple (Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’).

Patented plants

Cultivars that are patented have the letters “PP” and a series of numbers following the cultivar name. For instance, Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' PP21401 is patented and its patent number is 21,401.

You may also see the letters PPAF following a plant’s name. That stands for “plant patent applied for.”

Patented plants can only be grown by the grower that originated the cultivar (or by growers they choose to license) for 20 years following the receipt of the patent.

Trademark names

Both patented and unpatented plants can be trademarked. With trademarks, federal protection isn't applied to the growing of plants, but instead to their names in order to indicate a proprietary source of origin. It is used to set apart or brand a particular grower from other growers. An example of a trademarked name is The Knock Out® rose. Notice the ® symbol? That means this trademark has been federally registered. If you see a ™ symbol, it hasn’t.

Varieties (var.)

Like a cultivar, these plants have characteristics unique from their species. Unlike cultivars, those characteristics came about on their own in nature – not as a process of selective breeding by humans.

Hybrids (x)

Sometimes it is possible to obtain a new offspring by crossing two species. When this is done, the “x” falls between the two words in the name. Example:  Fragaria x ananassa is the cross between two strawberries; Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria virginiana.

Occassionally, growers can produce a cross-genus hybrid. When this happens, the “x” is placed before the genus in the name. Example:  x Fatshedera lizei is the intergeneric hybrid of English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Japanese Fatsia (Fatsia japonica).

Is that enough to keep your head spinning? It is for me! And now you’ll know what you’re looking at next time to review the tags on your next plant purchase. Happy landscaping!

Do you ever get confused by plant names?  Which words are capitalized? Which are included in quotes? What about the symbols, abbreviations and numbers you see on some plant tags? Do you ever wonder why plants often have two names; a scientific name and a common name?

Let’s answer a few of these questions in today’s and tomorrow’s blog posts.

Two names

The scientific system of naming plants using Latin began about 250 years ago when a fellow named Linnaeus published a book called Species Plantarum in which he listed every species of plant known at the time. The first word in the scientific name represents the genus of the plant, and the second word represents the “specific epithet.”  Together, the two words constitute the species name.  For example, Rudbeckia hirta is a common prairie plant for our region known as black-eyed Susan.

Well, why don’t we just call the plant black-eyed Susan? Most likely because there are more than one kind of plant known as a black-eyed Susan. Take a look at the three images above. They are all commonly called black-eyed Susan, yet here are some facts about each:

A: Rudbeckia fulgida  An easily grown herbaceous perennial that spreads by rhizomes.

B: Rudbeckia hirta  A biennial or short-lived perennial, best grown as an annual.

C: Thunbergia alata  A tropical vine grown as an annual north of USDA zone 10.

Not only do we find common names shared across several species of plants, we also find that common names vary from region to region for the same plant. For instance, Rudbeckia hirta shares all of these additional common names: brown-eyed Susan, brown Betty, gloriosa daisy, golden Jerusalem, Poorland daisy, yellow daisy, and yellow ox-eye daisy. Yikes – that can get confusing.

So if you’re looking for a plant with just the right characteristics to fit into your landscape, it’s best to stick to the scientific name to ensure you find the right one! 

Strolling of the Heifers, a Vermont-based local food advocacy group, released its third annual Locavore Index on April 7th. The Index provides a state-by-state ranking of commitment to local foods, incorporating four measures for which current data is available for all states:

1. the number of farmers markets,
2. the number of consumer-supported agriculture operations (CSAs),
3. the number of food hubs — all compared on a per-capita basis,
4. plus the percentage of each state’s school districts with active Farm-to-School programs. 

Where does your state rank?

Get the full details behind the study on the Strolling of the Heifers website:  http://www.strollingoftheheifers.com/

In over 100 studies since the 1970’s, scientists have determined that living near, regularly viewing of and spending time within a natural, green environment is a good way to reduce stress and promote mental restoration.  Here are the top 5 green health benefits:

1. Blood pressure lowers when actual natural settings are in view, more so than that of subjects who viewed a nature scene on a flat screen.

2. The longer the amount of time a person spends in a green space, the greater the benefit.

3. Exercise and gardening in the green environment increases the gain in physical and mental restoration.

4. Public green spaces increase the opportunity for social interaction which reduces loneliness and fosters a sense of community; both of which provide psychological benefits to visitors.

5. Measurable benefits even come from viewing nature from a window and include stress recovery and restoration from mental fatigue.

In a research brief by NatureSacred.org, the key findings of past research are discussed in detail. The impact of accessible, natural settings in our communities is profound, and simple.  

Landscape architects have been busy at work creating restorative, green refuges for urban dwellers for 156 years. It's what we do. That far back, in 1858, the father of landscape architecture - Fredrick Law Olmsted - created Central Park in New York City because he knew back then what a positive effect it could have on people. Today, we are taking restorative design past the park and leading the charge in evaluating sites, neighborhoods and communities based upon the health impacts those design decisions make.

(The full NatureSacred report can be found here: http://naturesacred.org/natures-impact/stress-response-report/)

For the 2nd year, Vireo is volunteering at the 18Broadway garden in the Crossroads.  The terraced site includes over 50 raised planter beds in which various organizations and groups volunteer to maintain.  Missouri Extension assigns the vegetables to each bed and procures the seed and/or plants. 

So far, we’ve put carrots, lettuces, sweet potatoes, green beans and tomatoes in the ground and have had a little help from Mother Nature keeping everything watered so far, helping out with germination. Over the new few weeks we will water, weed, and thin out the rows of carrots and lettuce as necessary.  In a few weeks, we should be digging up juicy carrots and picking crunchy lettuce, with the potatoes, beans and tomatoes coming along later.

This urban demonstration site, which Vireo helped make a reality, is owned by DST Systems and the garden is managed by University of Missouri Extension Service.  In 2013 Vireo harvested over 200 lbs of vegetables, which were donated to Harvesters Community Food Network of Kansas City.  It’s a great opportunity for us to get our hands a little dirty and help provide fresh food to the community.  

We will continue to post photos from the garden throughout the growing season, so check back with us over the next few months for updates on its progress!      

A free webinar will be presented on April 29 at 1:00 pm EDT on the viability of urban farming. "Urban Farms: Commercial Farms or Socially Minded Operations?" will provide an analysis of the differences between nonprofit and commercial urban farms, and is based on research conducted by researchers at New York University, Penn State, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Funding for this study was provided by National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The webinar promises to discuss some of the issues concerning the feasibility and viability of urban farming ventures. According to a release promoting the webinar, policymakers are embracing local food systems as a solution to a myriad of urban problems, but fail to consider how much of a contribution urban farms make to the food supply.

Participants include Carolyn Dimitri, Associate Professor of Food Studies at NYU Steinhardt, and Andy Pressman, National Center for Appropriate Technology Sustainable Agriculture Specialist.

The webinar will be recorded and archived on the ATTRA website at www.attra.ncat.org.

To register online, visit: https://attra.ncat.org/urban_farms.

Grower trials in California nurseries commenced this week in which big growers showcased their new hybrids and cultivar plants for the season.  Among them is a grower named Pacific Plug & Liner who is introducing a Dutch-bred perennial cross called Echibeckia. Yep! You guessed it, it’s a cross between an Echinacea and Rudbeckia. (Or in common terms, a coneflower and a black-eyed susan.) According to Ball Publishing, PPL’s plant tags say it has “the appearance of Rudbeckia and the strength of Echinacea.” It’s a big plant with darkish yellow-brown flowers. Definitely one to keep our eyes open for in the coming seasons, but don't go looking for it at your garden store just yet. It will take a couple of years for it to hit the market, but it will be interesting to see how the market reacts.

According to the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation (www. MoBikeFed .org), Missouri Bicyclists enjoyed the biggest victory in a decade when a number of State Representatives stood up against a last-minute amendment to HJR 68.

HJR68 will be placed before voters this fall as a 1 percent sales tax designated to fund improvements to Missouri transportation systems. The amendment which removed the word “bicycle” from the HJR68 definition of “transportation system purposes and uses” is touted as “truly a sneak attack…on Missouri’s bicycling community”. It was introduced at the last minute, included difficult language making it hard to understand and “was tagged onto an innocuous amendment that bill supporters had already approved.” (Schmitt, StreetsBlog Nework)

The bicycling community rallied and called, emailed and visited the Missouri House, who overwhelmingly defeated the amendment introduced by Representative Curtman.

MoBikeFed reports that while this is a substantial victory for bicycling in Missouri, if the sales tax is passed this fall by Missouri voters, it will mark the biggest victory for cyclists in 100 years.

Thank your Missouri representatives for standing boldly in favor of cycling enthusiasts across the state today.

Related links:

http://streetsblog.net/2014/04/08/missouri-pols-launch-sneak-attack-on-bike-funding/

http://mobikefed.org/2014/04/house-resoundingly-defeats-anti-bicycle-amendment-victory-decade-bicycling-jefferson-city

http://mobikefed.org/2014/04/advocacy-alert-please-contact-your-own-missouri-representative-oppose-bicycle-ban-removal-bi