Blog and photos by Marsha Gebhardt
President, Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter
How would you like to participate in an exciting native planting project at Creve Coeur Memorial Lake Park? Information about two opportunities are now on the Dig In! page of our website. A third opportunity is in the planning stage.
Installing the north garden
April 8, 2017:
Installing the Shoreline Planting along the edge of Mallard Lake, both north and south of the Lakehouse and contiguous to the prairie planting
April 11 or 12 in the afternoon TBA:
Spring Cleaning (of the two gardens installed last fall)
The north garden was designed by our own Jeanne Cablish. The south garden was designed by Karen Westman Spreitler. Both landscape designers donated their design services. This opportunity will serve as a “stewardship training” for those interested in making a regular commitment to the upkeep of those gardens. Stay tuned for a specific date.
Installing the south garden
April 29:
Pollinator Garden Planting – installing the 3rd pollinator garden which Susie Van de Riet designed
A bit of history:
Wild Ones-St. Louis Chapter has partnered on this project since its inception in 2015. We have contributed to planning discussions and have committed $500 to the project. Wild Ones volunteers also participated in planting the first two gardens in 2016. We were awarded a Certificate of Recognition at the one-year anniversary of Project Pollinator on March 15.
The St. Louis County Department of Parks and Recreation and partners began the habitat restoration project on the north and west sides of Mallard Lake in Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. The three-year project is converting at least 10 acres of manicured lawn and degraded habitats to native trees, shrubs, prairie, and wetland plants.
Certificate presented to Wild Ones
The habitat restoration efforts include removing invasive plant species, enhancing parts of the Mallard Lake shoreline, planting pollinator gardens, and developing prairie, woodland, savanna, and wetland areas. The project aims to restore habitat and maintain the health of the park’s ecosystem, as well as create a beneficial, educational, and natural experience for park visitors to enjoy. A significant objective of the project is to educate and involve the community in local natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation.
The Mallard Lake project is an outstanding example of the networking and collaborations among the many like-minded organizations and agencies in the St. Louis metro area.
A job well done
Partners involved in this project include St. Louis County Department of Parks and Recreation, St. Louis Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Forest Re-Leaf of Missouri, Missouri Master Naturalists, Wild Ones- St. Louis Chapter, and the Creve Coeur Lakehouse.
Our current role:
Tessa Wasserman is our representative on the partnership committee. We will participate in a ribbon cutting for the three gardens in late May or early June.
