Frontier fort celebrating 200 years of guarding history

Re-enactors bring the frontier to life at the fort. Jackson County Parks and Recreation photo

The footprints of frontier trappers, traders, soldiers and settlers have long since vanished in the wind at Fort Osage, but a whirlwind of activity at the garrison this year will help rekindle their spirits during the 200th anniversary of the outpost.

Located in Sibley, Mo., just east of Independence, the Fort Osage National Historic Land-mark is celebrating its bicentennial this fall with two events that will bring to life the sights, sounds and smells of the fort when it was first established in 1808 under the direction of William Clark, joint commander of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In fact, Clark first observed the site for the fort while exploring the Louisiana Purchase and returned to oversee its construction.

The reconstructed fort resembles that original outpost with five blockhouses, barracks, palisades and a factory building or trade house. Its original purpose was to house soldiers to guard the Louisiana Purchase territory and to protect trade in the area. It also aided the government in befriending the region’s Osage Indians and offered Missouri’s first settlers a sanctuary during their westward adventures.

Re-enactors will portray those soldiers and settlers, as well as fur trappers, blacksmiths, carpenters and more during the Fort Osage Bicentennial on Sept. 6–7. An accurate picture of life in a frontier fort will come into focus as living historians demonstrate the skills needed to survive.

Then on the weekend of Oct. 25–26, the fort will host its annual Militia Muster, which shines a light on the military practices of the day. Visitors can observe the training and drilling of a garrison of regular soldiers and volunteer militia as they prepare for the War of 1812 against Britain.

Both events will be held from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. each day. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children and $3 for seniors. The fort, which is a Jackson County Parks and Recreation facility, is located at 105 Osage St. just north of Buckner. Call (816) 503-4860 for details, or visit www.jacksongov.org.

St. Louis EarthWays Center, festival showcase sustainability

Guests touring Earth-Ways Center in St. Louis. Dale Dufer Studios photo

Teeny red worms inside a covered bin work to make compost from discarded coffee grounds and plant clippings. A green roof slows stormwater runoff to a trickle. A solar-powered washing machine finishes its cycle of towels. It’s just another day at EarthWays Center in mid-town St. Louis.

The center is a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden and promotes energy and resource conservation. It’s housed in a three-story brick Victorian home that was saved from being razed in 1990. Visitors will see real-life examples of how to reduce, reuse and recycle in their own homes.

“We try to really walk our talk,” said Jean Ponzi, program manager at EarthWays. “When you recycle an original product, it becomes raw material to make a new product. This carpet is made from 400 recycled soda bottles.”

Achieving sustainability is vital for our planet and it starts at home. EarthWays’ exhibits on insulation, lighting, recycling and more offer solutions in a welcoming home environment.

An event to get people excited about conservation and sustainability returns for the seventh year this fall. The Green Homes and Renewable Energy Festival and House Tour will be Sept. 27–28 in Grandel Square, presented by Earth-Ways Center and partners.

On Saturday, the street will become a Green Street Promenade with 50 exhibitors, green vendors and children’s activities. Workshops and demonstrations will be at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, 701 N. Spring Ave., and cover topics like solar energy and urban farming. The fee is $5 for all the workshops.

Sunday is the Green House Tour that will feature a dozen homes holding “green” certification from LEED, the Green Building Initiative and ENERGY STAR. Tour participants will see many options for sustainable living at home.

The festival this year coincides with Dancing in the Streets, a popular event in Grand Center that kicks off the theater district’s fall season.

EarthWays Center is at 3617 Grandel Square. Festival hours are 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturday; admission is free. The Green House Tour on Sunday will be from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the self-guided tour and $15 for the (clean-fueled) bus tour, which includes lunch. For details, call (314) 577-0220, or visit www.greenhomesstl.org.

Fantastic flora and fauna find their way to southern Indiana

Visitors can see plants and animals from South America in the exhibit. Mesker Park Zoo photos

A new exhibit at Evansville’s Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden has brought a part of South America to southern Indiana.

After nearly two years of construction, the zoo unveiled in August its most ambitious and significant project in its history with a price tag of about $13 million. The new exhibit, Amazonia, immerses visitors in the stunning beauty and diversity of exotic animals and plants that are found in South American rainforests.

In the glass-walled structure, visitors can wind their way from the rainforest canopy to the flooded forest floor along wood walkways lined with ropes and timbers as if the path were etched through a real jungle. Adding to the authenticity of the experience are more than 1,000 tropical trees and plants. There’s even a 17-foot waterfall and an irrigation system can allow the exhibit to be raining, misting or fogging at any given time.

But it wouldn’t be a rainforest without animals, and there are plenty to see including a jaguar, howler monkeys, freshwater stingrays, bird-eating tarantulas, emerald tree boas and toucans. Visitors are safely kept away from the animals, but some enclosures are designed so guests feel like they’re seeing the animals in the wild and not in a zoo.

The zoo is located at 1545 Mesker Park Drive. Hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, and admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for children and free for children under 3. For details, call (812) 435-6143, or click on www.meskerparkzoo.com.

Harvest fall fun at the St. James grape fest

Corks will be popping in St. James this autumn when the south-central Missouri town celebrates its 75th annual Grape and Fall Festival with a bounty of wine, food, music and merriment.

Commemorating the end of the grape harvest in St. James, the festival will be held Sept. 4–6, with most events taking place in Nelson Hart Park. A handful of wineries operate in the region, known as the Ozark Highlands Viticultural Area, and they will bring their award-winning wines to the festival.

A wine garden will offer visitors a chance to relax and enjoy the local wines. But if you’d prefer a more active appreciation of wine, you can participate in the grape stomp. There will also be plenty of delicious festival fare, and as you eat and sip wine, musical performers will entertain.

In addition, a street market will feature arts and crafts. Other highlights include a carnival, parade, queen pageant, demolition derby, a 4-H exhibit area and a livestock show and sale. Also, a bluegrass concert will be held Friday night.

St. James is located off Interstate 44 just east of Rolla. Festival hours are 5–10 p.m. on Thursday, noon–11 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday. For more details, call (573) 265-6649, or click on www.stjameschamber.net.

Historic political debates will reverberate

A re-enactor near statues of the political foes in Alton. Alton Regional CVB photo

As the presidential race heats up this fall, echoes of another epic political battle will reverberate in Illinois, recalling the legendary rivalry between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas that still intrigues 150 years later.

The Lincoln vs. Douglas Reunion Tour this fall will bring to life the 1858 race for the Illinois Senate when the political titans squared off in seven debates in Illinois. Festivities are being held in all seven cities, including Alton where the final debate took place before the election, which Lincoln lost.

The tour began this summer in Springfield where Lincoln made his “House Divided” speech and has been making its way through Illinois. Re-enactors portray the politicians and present authentic arguments, humor and a bit of drama. Among the remaining stops are Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy and Alton.

When the tour reaches Alton on Oct. 18–19, the downtown streets will be closed for the festivities, including two presentations of the debate. There will be period vendors and a living history tour of nine sites where new interpretive panels will be unveiled describing Alton’s ties to Lincoln and the Civil War. Special exhibits also are planned at the Hayner Public Library and Alton Museum of History and Art.

Events will take place from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and noon–4 p.m. on Sunday. For details, call (800) 258-6645, or click www.visitalton.com/lincoln or www.enjoyillinois.com/LDR/index.html.