Forest Park: Exploring the Biodiversity and Natural History of One of the World’s Great Parks
Urban biodiversity and the value that it brings to communities has been overlooked and understudied. This Living Earth Collaborative seed grant project seeks to highlight biodiversity and natural history of Forest Park and the value it brings to our community by engaging students, the community and the natural assets of the park itself in a multimedia exploration. In conjunction with Forest Park Forever, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and the Sustainability Exchange at Washington University, collaborators will produce a coffee-table book of art, stories, paintings, photography, poems and other media by Washington University students. Students will lead every facet of this ambitious effort to document the biodiversity of the park that is considered a crown jewel of St. Louis.
Project Update
This seed grant project is complete. The project successfully brought together more than 35 Washington University students in a collaborative and creative effort. These students have played integral roles in producing a coffee-table book that highlights the park’s natural assets through a rich blend of art, stories, photography, paintings, poetry, and other media. Each contributor has earned publication credits, marking a significant academic and professional achievement.
The book is now complete and has been sent to the printers, with an anticipated release in 2025. This publication is not only a testament to the biodiversity of Forest Park—a crown jewel of St. Louis—but also to the talent and dedication of the students involved. This project has successfully bridged community engagement, student leadership, and the celebration of urban biodiversity.
Research Team
Joseph Steensma, WashU (Brown School of Social Work)
David Webb, WashU (Environmental Studies)
Carolyn Cosgrove Payne, WashU (Environmental Studies)
Anthony Dell, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center
Amy Witt, Forest Park Forever