St. Louis Fire and Police Departments Join Partner Agencies to Plant Trees with Residents

St. Louis residents, along with St. Louis Fire and Police Departments, will plant a total of 350 various native trees at two St. Louis parks – Marquette Park and Fairground Park. Tools, gloves, and free food will be provided to participants.

The tree plantings are part of a City of St. Louis award from The Funders’ Network Partners for Places Grant: Using Trees as Green Infrastructure for Economic, Social and Environmental Outcomes.

Through the grant, four City Park tree planting events are being used to build community through collaborative neighborhood events. These new park trees will also help address stormwater, create wildlife habitat and add tree canopy.

This project was intentionally designed to create social and economic benefits, which will hopefully strengthen the relationship between people in low-income communities and first responders who participate in the tree plantings.

Who:

The City of St. Louis, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, which is the lead partner on the grant, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the City of St. Louis Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department, and others are implementing the project.

St. Louis Fire and Police departments are participating in the community tree plantings.

When: Saturday, October 6 th , 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Marquette Park (S. Compton Ave.& Osage Street)

Where: Saturday, October 13 th , 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Fairground Park (Natural Bridge & Vandeventer)

Why: The primary purposes of these tree plantings is to provide nature-based opportunities for residents, as well as opportunities for citizens to engage with first responders, building trust and relationships.

A main factor in selecting the four tree planting locations were to improve City Parks in areas with priority safety concerns. Funding from The Funders’ Network was secured by the City’s Office of Sustainability, and is being matched by generous local support from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the William A. Kerr Foundation, and the Commerce Bancshares Foundation.

About Forest ReLeaf of Missouri

www.moreleaf.org

Forest ReLeaf of Missouri is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring volunteer efforts in planning and caring for our trees and forests, particularly those in our cities and towns.

The organization’s flagship program, Project CommuniTree, has been reversing the decline of urban and community trees in the region through a variety of tree- planting and educational programs since 1993.

To date, the organization has distributed over 200,000 trees, and in 2014 they were awarded the national Excellence in Urban Forestry Leadership Award by the Arbor Day Foundation. 

About The Funders’ Network

www.fundersnetwork.org/partners-for-places

A joint project of The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Partners for Places is a successful matching grant program that improves U.S. and Canadian communities by building partnerships between local government sustainability leaders and place-based foundations. National funders invest in local projects developed through these partnerships to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and well-being for all residents. Through these investments, Partners for Places fosters long-term relationships that make our communities more prosperous, livable and vibrant.