Letters

Submissions reflect readers’ opinions and may be edited for length and clarity.

Nature at Night

The December 2015 issue was superb. In particular, I very much enjoyed Dan Zarlenga’s Discovering Nature at Night. The scenes captured in the article and the tips it provided were terrific. That issue is going to stay around my home for a while.

Don Hiscock, St. Louis

I really enjoyed your December issue. The article by Dan Zarlenga features a natural resource that is endangered — dark skies. Fellow astronomers are very fortunate for the state’s conservation areas — far from city lights. Thank you for featuring some of the beauty of this half of the day.

Jim Twellman, Lake St. Louis

Thanks for the Discovering Nature at Night article in your December issue. The photos that graced the cover and accompanied the article were beautiful. It was interesting to read not just how the author composed his photos, but his advice for beginner stargazers and astrophotographers, too.

Christopher Thorne, Arnold

Places To Go

Thank you for the wonderful article in the January Places To Go section by Justin Gailey [White River Trace Conservation Area]. He gave interesting facts about the Indian Removal Act of 1830. I had only a vague idea about this sad chapter in American history. I thank Mr. Gailey and you for printing this. Please keep up the good work.

Jackie Luebbert, Meta

Mo Hunting App

I enjoyed reading about the MO Hunting App in the January issue. The new phone app saved me when I realized I forgot to buy my deer tag at 10 p.m. the night before opening day! I harvested my first deer during my third season out — a nice 11-point atypical in Iron County.

Brian Mueller, Ballwin

Milkweed

I loved your article in the January magazine about raising milkweed plants [Homegrown Milkweeds]. This was an eye opener for me.

Denise Linder, St. Louis

The article about growing milkweeds and the photos that accompanied it were the best I’ve ever read on how to grow these crucial monarch attractors. It’s definitely a keeper. The house we built in Saline County in 1991 was in a monarch migration route. There was a fairly good supply of common milkweed along the roadsides and on our property to attract them to leave their eggs and to feed their larvae.Now, 25 years later, seeing a monarch here is a rare thing. Although I’ve been growing Asclepias for at least 20 years, a poor attempt to compensate for the loss of common milkweed, there has been no sign of eggs on the plants for the last two years. I have not seen a single monarch stop in the butterfly garden, and other varieties are not nearly as numerous.It’s alarming that so few people seem to notice or understand the interdependence of humans and nature. We’ve forgotten that our lives depend upon other species, each of which plays some part in maintaining life on this planet.

Jo Woodward, Marshall

Cardinals Fan

I have received this publication for many years, and the January issue with the photo by Danny Brown is extraordinary [Plants and Animals; Northern Cardinal; Page 30]. I am so grateful that we have an amazing cause in our state — conservation. Thank you for all of your efforts and keeping your readership educated.

Joseph Dolan, St. Louis

Reader Photo

Dutchman’s Breeches

Sally Burton of Camdenton took this photo of Dutchman’s breeches while hiking on a trail by Lake of the Ozarks. Dutchman’s breeches are one of the earlier spring wildflowers to appear, blooming from March to May. Burton said she frequently enjoys hiking around the lake and taking photos in all seasons of the year. “My favorite subject is my son, Jackson, who is a 7-year-old redhead in constant action,” said Burton. “I also love taking photos of anything outdoors, but especially flowers. I’ve attempted to capture many a sunset as well, but the pictures just never do the real thing justice.”