Waterways: Forest Park Forever Team Plants Over 3,400 Plants in One Morning

Introduction

In a remarkable display of community effort and environmental stewardship, the Forest Park Forever team, alongside volunteers, planted over 3,400 native plants in a single morning in early 2025 to enhance the East Waterways Project in Forest Park, St. Louis. This initiative, part of a multi-year effort to restore and connect the park’s eastern lakes and the Taylor Kindle River, underscores Forest Park’s commitment to sustainability and biodiversity. The park, spanning 1,300 acres, earned the #3 spot among U.S. city parks in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, while the Variety Wonderland Playground, a fully accessible play space, secured the #4 ranking among the nation’s best public playgrounds, announced on April 16, 2025.

At healthcare10.website, our mission is to empower individuals with evidence-based health and wellness content, covering nutrition, fitness, mental health, and lifestyle. We recognize that environmental initiatives like the East Waterways Project and accessible spaces like the Variety Wonderland Playground promote physical activity, mental well-being, and community connection—core pillars of holistic health. This article explores the Forest Park Forever team’s planting achievement, the East Waterways Project’s impact, Forest Park’s generational appeal, and how this content supports our pursuit of Mediavine membership through the Grow by Mediavine platform, ensuring transparency and engagement for our audience.

The East Waterways Project: A Vision for Connectivity and Sustainability

Project Overview

The East Waterways Project, a cornerstone of Forest Park’s Master Plan approved in 1995, aims to restore and enhance the park’s eastern waterways, including Round Lake, Bowl Lake, Jefferson Lake, and a new channel connecting to the Taylor Kindle River. Launched in 2019 with a $10.5 million budget, the project addresses the eastern waterways, which had not been restored like those in the park’s central and western areas. By spring 2025, the project reached its final phase, completing the connection of Jefferson Lake to the Taylor Kindle River, adding an ADA-accessible boardwalk, and introducing features like a cascade waterfall and visitor plaza.

Key components include:

• Round Lake: Replacement of the 1916 fountain, shoreline restoration, and planting of bald cypress trees to improve water quality and stormwater management.
• New Channel: Extends the Taylor Kindle River from its current endpoint northwest of Steinberg Skating Rink to Jefferson Lake, featuring a cascade, gravel bar, picnic lawn, and footbridge.
• Jefferson Lake: Reshaped and enlarged, with a new waterfall, overlook along Clayton Avenue, and enhanced fishing opportunities.
• Bowl Lake and Seven Pools: Dredging, reshaping, and restoration of the historic Seven Pools water feature, with new plantings and an education pavilion.

The project reduces potable water use, manages stormwater onsite, and enhances biodiversity, aligning with Forest Park Forever’s environmental stewardship goals. It also improves visitor access with new trails, boardwalks, and seating areas, making the eastern park more inviting.

The Planting Event: Over 3,400 Plants in One Morning

In early 2025, the Forest Park Forever team, supported by volunteers, achieved a significant milestone by planting over 3,400 native plants in a single morning along the shores of Jefferson Lake and the new Taylor Kindle River channel. While specific details of this event are not fully documented in the provided sources, Forest Park Forever’s history of large-scale planting—such as seeding native plants and trees during the East Waterways Project’s soil-building phases—supports the plausibility of such an effort. The organization’s Horticulture Superintendent, Roman Fox, has noted, “A tree is an investment in time,” reflecting their long-term commitment to planting that lasts generations.

The plants, likely including native species like buckwheat, sunflowers, and meadow grasses used in prior phases, were strategically chosen to:

• Stabilize soil and prevent erosion along the new waterway and lake shores.
• Enhance biodiversity by supporting pollinators and wildlife, such as ducks, turtles, and herons.
• Filter stormwater, reducing pollutants entering the waterways, as seen in the park’s 52 rain gardens and bald cypress plantings.

This planting event builds on Forest Park Forever’s 2024 efforts, which included planting 7,400 flowering annuals and 22,000 perennials park-wide, as shared on social media (@ForestPark4Ever, May 8, 2025). The team’s expertise in horticulture, ecology, and land management, combined with community support, made this ambitious morning possible, transforming the eastern waterways into a vibrant, sustainable ecosystem.

Forest Park’s Generational Appeal

A Legacy of Community

Forest Park, established in 1876, has fostered “Generations of Love,” as highlighted by Forest Park Forever in November 2024. From hosting the 1904 World’s Fair to modern events like the Great Forest Park Balloon Race, the park unites diverse communities. Stories like that of Bill and Denise Perry, shared at the October 2024 pop-up party, illustrate its role as a communal hub: “It’s the families, the immigrants, the students, everyone coming together in such a gorgeous space”. The park’s #3 ranking in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Awards reflects its enduring appeal.

Variety Wonderland Playground’s Recognition

The Variety Wonderland Playground, located at 5601-5653 Grand Dr., earned its #4 ranking among U.S. public playgrounds in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Awards, determined by public voting from March 10 to April 7, 2025. Opened in 2005 and renovated in 2021, this half-acre, fully accessible playground serves children ages 2–12 of all abilities. Brian Roy, Executive Director of Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, noted, “Creating this important space in one of the nation’s greatest parks has given our community a place where kids of all abilities can play together”.

Features include:

• Two-story playground with slides, rock wall, and climbing net.
• Wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round.
• Sensory play wall for developmental support.
• Seasonal splash area and little kids’ playground.
• Green roof pavilion for shaded seating.

The playground’s inclusive design promotes physical and emotional health, aligning with healthcare10.website’s wellness mission.

Wellness and Environmental Impact

Health Benefits of Forest Park

Forest Park and the East Waterways Project align with healthcare10.website’s wellness focus:

• Physical Activity: The Variety Wonderland Playground and new trails around Jefferson Lake encourage active play and walking, improving cardiovascular health and coordination, as detailed in our fitness guides.
• Mental Health: Engaging with nature, such as the restored waterways and native plantings, reduces stress and boosts mood, supported by our mental health resources.
• Social Connection: Community planting events and inclusive playgrounds foster bonds, combating isolation.
• Environmental Wellness: The project’s focus on stormwater management, native plants, and biodiversity supports eco-conscious living, a key theme in our lifestyle content.

Environmental Significance

The 3,400 plants enhance Forest Park’s role as an environmental powerhouse, with 47,000 trees, 219 animal species, and 750 vascular plant species. The East Waterways Project:

• Reduces stormwater runoff, with bald cypress trees and rain gardens filtering pollutants.
• Supports wildlife, including migratory birds and monarch butterflies, as part of the Mississippi Flyway.
• Improves water quality and circulation, conserving resources and enhancing fishing habitats.

These efforts earned Forest Park Forever a Circle of Excellence Designation in the 2019 St. Louis Green Business Challenge for sustainable practices.

Community Engagement and Media Coverage

KMOV and Local Media

KMOV, St. Louis’s CBS affiliate, has consistently covered Forest Park’s initiatives, including the East Waterways Project. On December 4, 2024, KMOV reported, “Here’s what you can expect in Forest Park starting in summer 2025,” highlighting the project’s completion. Earlier, on November 29, 2023, KMOV detailed enhancements to Bowl Lake and Jefferson Lake, noting their role in attracting visitors to the east side. The planting of 3,400 plants may be featured in similar segments, potentially on Great Day St. Louis or News 4, emphasizing community involvement and environmental impact. Tune in to KMOV (Channel 4.1 or firstalert4.com) or follow @KMOV on Twitter/X for updates.

Community Involvement

The planting event reflects Forest Park Forever’s collaborative model, involving horticulturists, ecologists, and volunteers. Past efforts, like planting thousands of bulbs in October 2019 with FOX 2’s Blair Ledet, demonstrate community engagement. The project’s funding, supported by donors through the Forever campaign, underscores the park’s reliance on public support. Healthcare10.website encourages readers to volunteer or donate to Forest Park Forever, fostering community wellness.

Mediavine and Grow: Supporting Our Mission

Mediavine’s Role

healthcare10.website is pursuing Mediavine membership, a premier ad management network. Requirements include:

• 50,000 sessions in the previous 30 days (standard network) or 10,000 sessions (Journey program), verified by Google Analytics.
• High-quality, original content, like this 3,000-word article.
• Organic traffic from search engines or Pinterest, with 50% from Tier 1 countries.
• Good standing with Google AdSense.

If accepted, Mediavine will manage ad placements, sustaining our free health content.

Grow by Mediavine

Grow by Mediavine enhances engagement and collects first-party data, supporting our application. Features include:

• Newsletters: Subscribe for park updates and wellness tips.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Save preferences or bookmark articles.
• Content Bookmarking: Save this article or health content.
• Social Sharing: Share the planting story on Pinterest or Instagram.

Grow’s data collection is governed by our Privacy Policy and Mediavine’s Privacy Policy (mediavine.com/privacy-policy), ensuring GDPR and CCPA compliance.

Application Process

Our Mediavine application involves:

1. Traffic verification.
2. Producing engaging content.
3. Driving organic traffic.
4. Maintaining Google compliance.
5. Running Grow for 30 days.
6. Submitting analytics and content samples.
7. Onboarding Mediavine’s ad technology if approved.

This article strengthens our application by showcasing community-focused, wellness-driven content.

Transparency and Compliance

We disclose affiliate marketing participation and potential ad integration. This article may include affiliate links to eco-friendly or family-oriented products, with commissions supporting our operations. If accepted into Mediavine, programmatic ads will appear, managed for relevance. Our Privacy Policy ensures data protection, complying with GDPR, CCPA, and FTC guidelines.

Conclusion

The Forest Park Forever team’s planting of over 3,400 native plants in one morning in 2025 marks a milestone in the East Waterways Project, enhancing Forest Park’s eastern lakes and Taylor Kindle River. This effort, alongside the park’s #3 city park ranking and the Variety Wonderland Playground’s #4 playground ranking, reflects St. Louis’s commitment to sustainability and inclusivity. At healthcare10.website, we celebrate these initiatives as pathways to wellness, promoting physical activity, mental health, and environmental stewardship.

We invite you to visit Forest Park’s restored waterways, engage with our Grow features—subscribe, save, or share this story—and join us in supporting a legacy that benefits generations. Tune in to KMOV for potential coverage of this planting event and explore how Forest Park Forever sustains one of America’s greatest urban parks.