Five Reasons Why Every Day is Earth Day in Forest Park
For the past 51 years, April 22 has been recognized as Earth Day. But here in Forest Park, we celebrate Earth Day every day.
With conservation at the heart of our work, our Land Management team works tirelessly to maintain the biodiversity and ecological health of the 194 acres of our Nature Reserve that includes prairies, savannas, wetlands, forest habitat and a reconstructed river system. It goes beyond creating a beautiful Park for visitors to enjoy.
Here are five reasons why every day is Earth Day in Forest Park:
The habitats are laid out in a way to benefit wildlife, which is why the Park is home to over 200 bird species and many different mammal species including mink, fox, deer, and coyote. The 600 species of plants attract over 200 pollinator species and more than 200 insect species.
There is ongoing conservation work that includes prescribed burning, forest stand improvement, herbicide application and mowing.
The Land Management building now uses 33 solar panels to produce its electricity. The panels were installed late 2019, and in the first year, they produced at least 13,000 kilowatt hours in a year, which is the equivalent to enough electricity to travel over 30,000 miles in an electric automobile or toast 800,000 slices of bread in a toaster. So far, the panels have avoided 14,000 pounds of carbon pollution, which is comparable to 100 trees.
Education is a key component to the work being done by Forest Park Forever. There is an Online Nature Classroom where everyone, from kids to grandparents to teachers, can learn about topics including the environment and plant and animal biology. In the summer, teens have the opportunity to work alongside the staff in the Park’s Nature Reserve through paid internships, and educators can learn how to utilize the Park as an outdoor classroom in the Voyage of Learning Program.
On a daily basis, Forest Park provides 1,300 acres for you to engage with nature — where you can learn, explore, or just enjoy.
While there is no formal Earth Day Celebration this year, Forest Releaf and Earthday 365 are hosting a tree hunt in which ribbons will be tied around trees throughout St. Louis. There will be nine trees in the northeast corner of Forest Park with ribbons from April 22 – May 1.