A support group and a lab in the St. Louis area provide resources for people with the allergy to mammal products — and evidence that its effects can be reversed.
The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk team poses with the Big Tree in Columbia, MO, in 2022.
This week, we're coming to you a bit early with a special Giving Tuesday message.
The Big Tree, Missouri’s state champion bur oak tree, has towered over the floodplain of the Missouri River near Columbia for more than 300 years. Swallowed up by floods, tested by droughts, struck by lightning, even vandalized, the Big Tree abides.
Two years ago, journalists from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk gathered under the spreading arms of the Big Tree. We learned about the challenges of farming near the mighty river.
We passed around a basket of golf-ball-sized bur oak acorns, admiring the shaggy fringe that gives the tree its name. We learned how researchers gather twigs from the tree to capture its genetics and grow the next generation of champion oaks.
I returned to the Big Tree this fall and reflected on how much the Ag & Water Desk has grown. In two years, the journalists of the Desk have produced more than 1,600 stories on agriculture, water, climate, and other issues that have been shared with millions of readers. We’ve won awards and started conversations. We’ve brought environmental news to areas that needed it.
In a good mast year, an oak tree produces a bumper crop of acorns – more than the deer, squirrels and birds can possibly eat. It’s an evolutionary strategy that ensures some seeds will survive to grow into new trees.
Our work nourishes communities across the Mississippi River Basin. We help people understand where their food and water comes from and how we’re connected across political boundaries.
This work requires resources – and that’s where you come in.
Today is Giving NewsDay, a day to celebrate the impact of journalism. If you value trees, rivers, floodplains, and farming, won’t you donate to support the Ag & Water Desk today? Your donation will be doubled, and if we can meet our goal of 50 new donors, we get a bonus $1,000.
Just like one acorn can turn into a more than 300-year-old tree, your donation can help grow stronger connections for years to come.
