Behind the Scenes with Theo Smith: How Working in Forest Park Brings Health, Hope & Happiness

During Parks and Recreation Month, we’re celebrating the people who help make Forest Park a beautiful urban oasis throughout the year. For Forest Park Forever Nature Reserve Technician Theo Smith, working in the Park means not only helping create an enchanting, welcoming space for all, it means having a place that helps bring happiness and clarity to his own life. 

“I’ve been at Forest Park for eight years,” says Smith. “I started as an intern in the Nature Reserve, which is the crew responsible for much of the Park’s natural areas such as Kennedy Forest. Now, as a Nature Reserve Technician, I like to think of myself as a gardener of natural areas, focusing on non-native invasive species plant control by removing plants such as bush honeysuckle, wintercreeper, Japanese hops and more.” 

For Smith, working in such an enchanting and scenic outdoor space was destiny. Not only did he intern at Forest Park, but much of his life was spent outdoors appreciating nature. 

“My dad worked for the City and County parks departments, so I was pretty much always outside,” says Smith. “Walking on trails with friends, going to creeks, playgrounds, basketball courts, all of it was a major part of my life. It’s interesting because a park is a place you can be without questions. You can observe and appreciate its natural stimulus. Honestly, it’s a place where you can just be.” 

“Just be” is an appropriate way to describe the atmosphere and vibe visitors have when they come to Forest Park. And according to Smith, a self-described second-generation “environmental superhero,” places like Forest Park play an important role in maintaining a connection to both nature and self. 

“Sometimes we get a bit lost in our technology and carried away in our day-to-day lives,” says Smith. “I have always been able to recharge and reset myself in outdoor spaces throughout all stages of my life. These spaces evoke a lot of positive feelings and meaning for people and they are essential to the human essence.” 

Helping others escape and enjoy the beauty and magnificence of the Park is what Smith loves most, especially when it comes to helping grow his team. Currently, the Nature Reserve Forest Park Forever team has an ecologist, two stewards, four additional full-time technicians and two seasonal positions. As the team has grown, Smith, who was the first Nature Reserve Technician, has seen transformation by leaps and bounds, with expanding skillsets of team members helping develop and restore Forest Park’s natural areas. 

“Our  team is absolutely incredible,” says Smith. “But at Forest Park, we cannot do nearly the amount of work we get done without the help from our volunteers. Weekly and long-term volunteers help so much with habitat restoration, and it is such a privilege to see members of the community who want to give back to us.” 

The work to restore the Park and its natural spaces has not gone unnoticed, especially by Park regulars.  

“It’s funny,” says Smith. “There are people I can set my watch to and they’ve become regulars that I chat with every day. I know to expect a certain someone to be walking by exactly at 7:30. I know the bird watchers are coming at 9:00. The dog walkers usually make their way around by 10:00. They’re just like me in that they are here all season, so they see the growth and development of these areas.” 

Whether they are noticing astonishing oak and hickory regeneration, the increased presence of wildlife in the Park, or they are pointing out the astonishing oak and hickory regeneration, visitors are captivated by the improvements and changes within the Park and Smith couldn’t be prouder.  

When it comes to his favorite areas of Forest Park, the places that bring him the most happiness, Smith doesn’t hold back on singing the praises of his work site. 

“I’ve got a couple favorite spots, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say that Kennedy Forest was one of my favorites,” says Smith. “There was a vernal pond in the area and we’ve been restoring it for the last four or five years. It was a haven of honeysuckle and other invasive species and now it features a beautiful, scenic stream and is a great place for a picnic where folks can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Park.” 

Seeing others connect with nature brings just as much joy as being the person helping preserve and restore it. For Theo Smith, working at Forest Park brings mental clarity, a sense of peace and an overwhelming sense of pride and joy. Without doubt, being a nature enthusiast and second-generation “environmental superhero” was his destiny.