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courtsmediablr · 1 year

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Pollution Mayhem in Springfield

It’s early Saturday morning, and you are walking through Nathanael Greene Park. The sunrise is just starting to peek over the horizon and through the trees. The sunrise is a beautiful mix of pinks, oranges, and blues. It is the kind of sunrise you wish you could wake up to every morning. You start the walk through the garden and see all the flowers in full bloom and all the colors on full display. You hear the birds chirping and as you walk close to the bridge, you see the ducks that always make their way there to feed on the fish. Off on the other side of the lake, you see a fox make his way into the forest, finishing his morning hunt. It is a beautiful walk around the lake, the park is clean and safe, and the wildlife seems happy.

But just down the road, South of the park on Scenic lays a whole other scene. The road is not clean, it is not safe for wildlife and is heavily polluted. Just south of where those ducks call home, where the ducks and wildlife drink that water, where the fox may hunt for food, lays solid waste pollution that could contaminate the water, harm the wildlife, and contaminate the land with toxins.

James River Freeway is the gateway into our city of Springfield, Mo. It connects multiple cities together and it gives tourists a glance at what our city holds. However, when you arrive on the freeway, you are immediately taken aback by the amount of waste that is littered across the freeway. Wrapped on fences and stuck in drain ways, there is trash littered for miles. Solid waste pollution is a large problem that is affecting our city in a very large way.

Solid waste pollution comes everywhere. There is no one place that solid waste pollution generates or populates from. Private trash trucks do not tarp down their trucks when they load up resulting in trash escaping from the back, cars littering, or people dumping trash in areas that are not designated for waste. When towns such as Springfield do not make trash service mandatory the trash can accumulate around a house and the results are runoff and blow away that can enter water streams and be trapped in vegetation. With so many avenues that pollution can come from it can harm a variety of ecosystems. If pollution enters the waterways, it can harm fish, turtles, and other organisms that grow and live in the water. The toxins in the water can harm the creatures that drink the water as well as us humans who hunt and eat the animals.

According to Carrie Lamb who is the water quality compliance officer here in Springfield there are estimated to be over 600,000 pieces of waste in our waterways and of that 60%, is plastic waste. 600,000 pieces of trash just in the waterways, not even considering what is on the streets and around businesses. That is almost 3 pieces of trash for every citizen here in Springfield. There are also estimated to be almost 50,000 cigarette buds polluting the waters as well. With all that in our waterways, it is causing harm to the wildlife here in the Ozarks as well as contaminating our waters as those plastics start to break down.

Fishing and fishing tournaments are a very large part of outdoor activities here in the Ozarks. People come from all around to fish at Fellows Lake, Table Rock Lake, and Lake Taneycomo. It brings families together and helps provide food for those who catch something for dinner. Imagine that as you reel in that bass or a trout, and you notice something is off with your catch. You bring it up and start to gut what will be your family’s dinner only to find that it is full of plastic. While you are gutting your trout frying it up and eating it, you do not realize that there are toxins from those microplastics(broken down plastics) lodged in the meat that you cannot see. It is an everyday danger when plastics start breaking down in the water.

“Rather than biodegrading, plastic waste often breaks down into tiny pieces known as microplastics (less than 5 mm in size), which are nearly impossible to clean up once they are in the environment”. According to the EPA on Aquatic Trash (Learn About Aquatic Trash). Having those microplastics in the water can cause the animals to mistake them for food, which can cause them to suffocate or drown. It can also cause them to feel full, so they do not end up eating what they need, and they end up starving themselves. “Once ingested, this debris can damage their digestive tract and interfere with an animal’s ability to feed, … Scientists have found that at least 558 species, including turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals are reported to have ingested or become entangled in plastic waste.” (Learn About Aquatic Trash). “Microplastics have been detected in the water around the world, including our streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. In these waterways, the microplastics end up in the water we drink and the fish we eat, including shellfish.” (How does plastic pollution harm water) “Once the plastic is eaten, it cannot be digested and ends up harming the animal by lodging in the gut. Plastic bags also can suffocate animals.” (How does plastic pollution harm water). Plastic ingestion can trickle up the food chain with humans drinking and eating them. It’s crucial to our waterways, and forests to keep nature free of these pollutants as they will have long-lasting effects.

Having a safe and clean environment can have a ripple effect across the community. “Missouri has more than 110,000 miles of running water, which is the product of the land surrounding them. Their watersheds consist of uplands, floodplains, stream corridors, stream channels, and groundwater.” (Ozark Streams). As stated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. If we keep these waters clean then we have a safe place to swim, boat, hunt, and hike. All the outdoor stuff that so many families and friends come to Missouri to enjoy.

There is a lot that the community can do to make a large impact on their local environment. Reducing your plastic consumption is the first step big step to making a large impact. There is a reason the reduce is the first of the Reduce Reuse Recycle slogan. If we did not use plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic water or soda bottles, and food wrappers, then none of that would enter the waterways or get stuck in brush and trees. States like New Jersey, New York, and California are starting to ban single-use plastics to help with the plastic consumption and pollution. Reusing what you have also keeps things out of the landfills and recycling centers. Glass jars are a great thing to have as you can use them to store food and drinks as well as use them to refill soaps and cleaners from a local refill store. Recycling is the last defense in the line to keep things out of the landfill. There are three recycling centers in Springfield where you can recycle certain plastics, cardboard, paper, glass, and aluminum. The recycling centers also take other things but there may be a charge for them like mattresses. It is important to have these programs in place in a large city such as Springfield because according to Laurie Davis, there are estimated to be 50-65 years left of the landfill in its current state. According to Bob Belote who is the Director of Parks for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, “Three years ago, we got a 42-acre expansion, plus a 200-foot vertical expansion to go up from where we initially are, which would make us the second-highest point in Greene County when we top out.” Keeping things out of the landfill and being mindful of what we throw out is a great step for any neighborhood.

In the city of Springfield, there are programs that are coordinated by Laurie Davis who is the Educational Outreach Coordinator which is called Adopt-A-Street and Adopt-A-Stream. “Both of those are run primarily through our public works department because they provide bags and grabbers for a clean up and those can be done like there's a list of available streets.” Said, Laurie. There is a program run by Rachel Tripp called Clean Green SGF, where volunteer groups meet once or twice a year to tackle larger areas that are heavily polluted, and they clean up those areas. According to their website in the Fall of 2021, they had a total of 300 volunteers who together collected “500 bags of litter were collected from

Springfield roadways, streams, and neighborhoods, totaling approximately 3.84 tons.” (Clean Green Fall 2021 Results). “Clean Green volunteers also registered to help support Neighborhood Cleanups resulting in more than 67 tons of trash and bulky items removed from neighborhoods and kept from illegal dump sites.” (Clean Green Fall 2021 Results). Just in the months of October and November, they were able to make that large of an impact here in Springfield. It shows just how large the problem is. But unfortunately, programs like this can’t afford to run throughout the year. The city doesn’t have the manpower. However, neighborhoods can start their own cleanup crews at any point in time. You can recycle at the proper facilities, and you can report any illegal dumping by calling the Citizen Service Request or call 417-864-1010.

Having a clean and safe neighborhood free from solid waste pollution can have a positive impact on the local environment. You can walk, swim, hike, and hunt all without the harm that the pollutants can cause. It makes the neighborhoods look better and in turn, makes the communities and their inhabitants feel better about the city that they live in. Laurie Davis said that the motto is “Our combined efforts make one big impact”. We need to remember that it will take the whole community coming together, businesses and individuals alike, to make that impact. Trash companies taking responsibility for their trucks having fly away garbage, communities coming together to make their own cleanup crews and partner with cities’ sustainability departments to get supplies if they are ready, and make sure to dispose of the litter you pick up the proper way. If you have any questions, you can contact the Landfill to see what they accept as well as any of the recycling plants to recycle what you can. Together we can clean and change our city.

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courtsmediablr · 2 years

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Flower petals are so beautiful and delicate.

#photography #photographer @canonusa #floral #nature #naturephotography #naturephotographer #flower #floralphotography #flowers #bnw #blackandwhitephotography #monochrome #natureinspired #natureinfocus #missouri #spring #justgoshoot #outdoorphotography #photooftheday #snapshot #throughthelens

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courtsmediablr · 2 years

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Been experimenting with black and whites and I am loving it. I want to challenge myself to go out and only shoot in monochrome.

#photography #photographerlife #photographer #landscape #nature #outdoors #Arkansas

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courtsmediablr · 2 years

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3 Day Hiking Trip

I have a 3 day hiking trip coming up next week and I could not be more excited! On my last vacation I did not really hike at all. I just stayed at home and read. And even though I did read some good books, outdoors…hiking, camping, photographing that’s what truly makes me happy.

So for this 3 day trip I want to be outdoors as much as possible. Being in the mid-south, it will be around 90 all 3 days so I don’t know if we are going to camp but I do plan on hiking as much as I can without getting burnt.

I first plan on going to Hawksbill Crag hike. A small hike but a steep drive. From what I hear if you don’t have a 4 wheel drive then it can be difficult and I love to hear this. It looks to be a beautiful bluff to get some good landscapes. For this trip I plan on staying around Buffalo River. I really want to work on my landscapes. I still want to capture the small things but landscapes are a real passion. I just want to convey they meaning of protect what we have.

I plan on taking my 50mm f/1.8 and my stock 24-105mm as well as my wandrd prvke. I will be posting pictures of the hike as well as phone snapshots.

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courtsmediablr · 2 years

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Buffalo River

A friend and I went for a hike to an overlook in Buffalo River and the view was spectacular. The hike was easy and the view of the river was absolutely worth it. The shots that I got remind me of Ansel Adams and the Snake River shot he took.

We hiked there because the sunset was supposed to be colorful and it wasn’t bad but the colors weren’t vibrant as they had been predicted to be. And while I was editing the shot, I felt B & W and I love how it turned out.

There is nothing like the feeling you get when editing a photo and it turns out just the way you want. Sometimes when I go to edit the pieces just don’t click and a large part of that is me still learning Lightroom and all the ins and outs but it is also not feeling confident of your shot and still learning lighting. I still have a long way to go but I am really proud of how far I have come, with editing, composition, and focus.

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courtsmediablr · 2 years

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July- Arkansas & Missouri

I want to start writing about our adventures and the places we go. So we will start with our 5 days off in July. The first place we went, was to Prairie State Park to try to catch the sunset. Also to try and see Bison but we never have luck with that. We did a couple of hikes and I found the composition that I wanted and we wait to catch the colors. Here is what I got and I do love it. As we were packing up we started to hear howling so we decided to leave. But I was happy with the results I got. The next day we went down to Branson and hiked a waterfall trail and caught this shot, and that is where I missed a baby rattlesnake but 30 minutes. We also hiked a few other trails but nothing print-worthy came out. We stayed the night at a campsite that was right on Table Rock Lake and it was so peaceful. It was hot but it was so pretty and calming. The next day we go down to Arkansas and the Ozark National Forest. No this was the best part of the trip. I absolutely loved it down there. We went to Mount Judea to hike Sam’s Throne Trail, and being at the top and level with trees is an experience I can’t even describe. It was so peaceful to hear the wind and watch the trees move and listen to all the bird’s sing. It was such an amazing experience. These shots were taken on the mountain and I am just in love with them.

We also went on a hike called Pedestal Loop Trail. This was a beautiful trail and it was our first bear country trail. We thankfully did not run into any bears but found some beautiful landscapes. Here are some shots from that trail.

I loved hiking all over and seeing different parts of Missouri and Arkansas. Mount Judea was definitely the highlight of the trip and I highly recommend walking that trail. Please be mindful that if you hike any trials please don’t leave any trash behind. Remember we are walking in the animal’s homes, and need to protect them as well as their habitat.

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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New blog post up on my site. I talk about my current gear, favorite lenses and my favorite settings.

http://courtsmedia.com/everyday-life-as-a-photographer/18ndwu3o7epbcezzy8d0kb2cw0sqfn

#photograph #photography #blogpost #nature #photographerlife #photooftheday #smallbusiness #snapshot #camera #photographylove

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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Grass blades have become my favorite thing to photograph with my new camera. I love the way the softness of the blades that I can get. You can almost feel them in the wind. . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #snapshot #nature #naturephotography #natureisbeautiful #grass #photographerlife #instafocus #instagood #justgoshoot #naturelover #natureinspired #natureinfocus #throughthelens #smallbusiness #freelance #photooftheday #create #design #inspire #capture #lovinglife https://www.instagram.com/p/CPlnMwBnaJ8/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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I love plants in buildings. A bit of green in any space always makes the place feel more alive . . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #downtownkc #missouri #missouriphotographer #kansascity #photographylove #photographerlife #plantsmakepeoplehappy #urbanphotography #urbannature #photographyislife #art #create #design #inspire #instafocus #instagood #snapshot #photooftheday #photographydaily #greenery #plantsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjhToBnUeW/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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Through the lens! . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #photographerlife #photooftheday #springfield #missouri #missouriphotographer #blackandwhite #bnw #blackandwhitephotography #justgoshoot #photographerlifestyle #snapshot #instafocus #capture #create #design #inspire #instagood #smile #everydaylife #photographyislife #photographylove #photographysouls https://www.instagram.com/p/CPYr1w2HhI_/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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This print that I called heart of flowers was found at the #springfieldnaturecenter a couple of years ago and it was...what j hope to be natural. It was just in a field and I spotted it walking by and it reminds me that there is love everywhere 🖤🤍🖤 . . . . . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #nature #floral #flowers #flowersofinstagram #naturephotography #natureart #instaart #instafocus #naturelovers #colorsofnature #capture #natureinspired #color #petals #photographerlife #missouri #missouriphotographer #justgoshoot #photographyeveryday #photographysouls #photographyislife #freelance #throughthelens #leaves #natureinfocus #natureisbeautiful https://www.instagram.com/p/CPWAKupn6cf/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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I absolutely love sidewalk seating...it always brings people outside and you have the fresh air! Do you like eating outside? . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #downtownsgf #commercialstreet #missouri #missouriphotographer #justgoshoot #photographyeveryday #photographerlife #snapshot #smallbusiness #instafocus #inspired #cafe #photooftheday #photographysouls #photographyeveryday #bistro #sidewalks #sidewalk #urban #street #urbanphotography #streetphotography #bright #sumer #color https://www.instagram.com/p/CPTKKMBncE8/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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An old billboard sign in Downtown Springfield. Question of the day... what have you found on a shoot that turned out to be old? If so what was it? . . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #downtownsgf #downtownspringfield #missouri #missouriphotographer #justgoshoot #architecture #architecturephotography #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #bnw #capture #instafocus #heersbuilding #photographerlife #snapshot #freelancephotographer #freelance #photooftheday #create #design #inspire #photographysouls #photographyeveryday #photographydaily #instagood #monochrome https://www.instagram.com/p/CPO-SpgHSSg/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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Thank @stickitnyourear for letting me come in and shoot! I love your store and the feel I get everytime I come in! I can't wait til I get to come back! . . . . . . . . #downtownsgf #photography #photographer #canonusa #snapshot #missouri #missouriphotographer #downtownspringfield #downtown #record #recordstore #photographerlife #snapshot #instafocus #capture #shoplocal #locallove #foofighters #justgoshoot #photographyislife #photographeveryday #photooftheday #photographysouls #springfieldmo #photographerlifestyle #create #design #inspire #smallbusiness #localbusiness #recordshop https://www.instagram.com/p/CPMK05Sn5uG/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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Greenery in the middle of the city can be such a beautiful thing 😍 . . . . . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #downtown #downtownkc #architecture #architecturephotography #urban #urbannature #missouriphotographer #missouriphotographer #justgoshoot #photographyeveryday #photographysouls #snapshot #instafocus #freelancephotographer #freelance #photographerlife #capture #create #design #inspire #canon #city #citylife #urbanlife #natureinthecity #natureinspired #naturelover #photooftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/CPJj372HgFQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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Haunted vibes coming your way from Downtown KC. If there were ever a place that Stephen King would write about a skyscraper, this place has that vibe 👻 . . . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #streetphotography #architecture #architecturephotography #buildlings #downtown #downtownkc #missouri #missouriphotographer #justgoshoot #photographyeveryday #photographysouls #snapshot #instagood #instafocus #inspire #canon #capture #photographdaily #throughthelens #city #citylife #urbanlife #architectureporn #photographerlife #capture #create https://www.instagram.com/p/CPHDmSInrSd/?utm_medium=tumblr

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courtsmediablr · 3 years

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I have always referred to this print as "birds home". I love how soft the greens are and how just the overall feel makes you feel like a birds and his family just make themselves right at home in that branch 🤗 . . . . . #photography #photographer #canonusa #naturelover #nature #naturephotographer #instafocus #capture #justgoshoot #photographyeveryday #photooftheday #snapshot #create #design #inspire #naturephotographer #missouri #missouriphotographer #photographylovers #art #forests #colorsofnature #forestphotography #trees #treesofinstagram #photographysouls #photographerlifestyle #natureinspired #natureinfocus #natureisbeautiful https://www.instagram.com/p/CPEcgqbneMh/?utm_medium=tumblr

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