Forest Park Forever’s 27th Annual Forest Restoration Day

A sunny, chilly morning became a beautiful day when more than 100 individuals show up to improve the health of wooded urban areas. During our 27th annual Forest Restoration Day, volunteers, including the Kennedy Woods Advisory Group, helped our staff plant 930 trees and a few shrubs in 3.3 acres of Kennedy Forest.

Forest Restoration Day is our conservancy’s biggest public volunteer opportunity. We appreciate our sponsors at Boeing for providing everything we needed, including beverages, snacks, and an assortment of gloves, shovels and safety equipment!

Fall is the ideal time for tree planting in our region. For the second year in a row, committed citizens planted hundreds of trees in the Nature Reserve. Work we accomplished on November 7 was a critical element of our long-term restoration plan. To restore the Park’s woodlands and familiar landscapes, Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis aim to (re)plant at least 2,600 trees by the end of the 2026 season.

Restoring Forest Park will take decades, and we will continue to depend on supporters in the coming years to help with restoration and maintain our meticulous daily care. Fill out this application and become one of our regular volunteers if you'd like to help.

A Long-Term Restoration Story

Forest Park was hit hard by the May 16, 2025 tornado. More than 5,000 trees were damaged by the storm that devastated the St. Louis region—3,000 were toppled or irreparably harmed.

An annual restoration day was initiated by volunteers from the Kennedy Woods Advisory Group (KWAG) in the 1990s. Our nonprofit conservancy grew the one-day volunteer effort into a highly successful event that supports and restores habitat across Forest Park's Nature Reserve.

Progressive restoration work, including the supplies needed to staff and operate volunteer events, is only possible thanks to Park supporters. To keep our work going, consider becoming a member or renewing your membership today.