News from the EarthWays Center

From my past experience leading the  Outdoor Leadership Corps (OLC), the spring season is always the wild card. This stems from the fact that both the weather and the wildlife  are a lot more unpredictable. One day it could be 35 degrees with a 15-degree windchill and the next week it could be 60 degrees and sunny. The spring ephemerals could be popping right on schedule, or trees could begin leafing out a lot earlier. This spring did not disappoint and threw many unpredictable curve balls our way.   

The Outdoor Leadership Corps (OLC) program is a paid green education and workforce development initiative in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway (GRG). The crew includes four Restoration Assistants and one Assistant Crew Leader under the guidance of the Conservation Education Instructor to maintain, restore, and beautify the landscapes along greenways throughout the greater St. Louis area.   

The 2025 Spring OLC season began on a cold and snowy note in January. Our team was made up of four Restoration Assistants (RA), one Assistant Crew Leader (ACL), and me, Community Programs Instructor. . The crew was met with snow, ice, and rain all in the first week! Throughout the first two days I witnessed RA’s transformation of a parking lot at the intersection of Oxford Blvd., and Big Bend Blvd. from a honeysuckle ridden- landscape, into a clearing prepped for the next steps in restoration management. The efforts of the RA’s was the first step for GRG preparing for a new park along the Deer Creek Greenway. 

The RA’s stacked piles of honeysuckle they removed while trying not to slip on ice, get their boots soaked with snow melt, or become drenched by the wintery rain- all were motivated to finish the project.  The whole team was soaked by the end of the first field day. As the Conservation Education Instructor, it is not only my focus that the crew members stay safe in these conditions, but also that moral remains steady even amidst unpleasant weather conditions. I didn’t need to worry though, as the crew motivated each other and rallied through what most would call unpleasant work conditions.  

(Before - Oxford Bend project)

(After - Oxford Bend project)

Throughout the first half of the season, hand warmers became our best friends and overalls became the newest fashion statement. In that time all six of us bonded over shared music interests, shared parts of our lunches, laughed over funny quips, and delighted in conversations all while crammed into our 6-seat OLC truck.  Restoration projects took place over a wintery backdrop, allowing us to witness wildlife and landscapes along the greenways in ways we had never experienced before.  

(Crew members Kinsey Bakameyer and Judas Ranier seed into a snowy forest)

Luckily, the snow began to melt, and the temperatures began to increase as the season continued, giving way to a workplace that felt more like spring. In between the snow and rain, the OLC crew worked to put new skills they acquired throughout the season to the test. The OLC crew learned how to structurally prune trees from our community partners Forest ReLeaf and staff at the St. Louis Forestry Division. They put these new pruning skills into action in front of the Arch along Lenor K. Sullivan Boulevard. 

The volunteers that joined the Great Rivers Greenway volunteer days were a big part of this spring. OLC had the opportunity to work with dozens of volunteers for two community events this spring. Two of these volunteer days included the cutback plants along the Katherine Warburg Garden and removal of invasive bush honeysuckle and autumn olive from Duckett Creek along the Busch greenway. Both the volunteers and OLC worked together to support the beautification and restoration of several greenway sites. 

(OLC instructing volunteers along the Bush Greenway at Duckett Creek)
 

One new experience for OLC was the opportunity to table and speak with staff members of the Garden about their program.  The RA’s put their creativity to work in creating a tabling display for the sustainability open house this past March. Through the leadership of the assistant crew lead, Grace Martinez, the team created a fantastic tabling display of OLC’s mission and accomplishments.  

(Amber Taylor and Grace Martinez share information about OLC at the Sustainability Division Open House)

Of course, with spring flowers it also meant rain was to come- and it came pouring. There were many soggy days I experienced with the crew. The drying of leather gloves in the RA cubicle and rain jackets drying in the community programs office proved to be a regular routine. One particular soggy memory was a tree planting we completed at the Blue Bird Park along the Dardenne Greenway. This day it rained consistently throughout the workday, providing the trees with thorough watering and the crew and I had to have thoroughly soaked boots. Despite the weather this season, the crew stayed upbeat and were dedicated to doing their best at any project, often ending the day singing one of the songs on our playlist.  

The sun shined down on us in many ways- metaphorically and literally. As the season moved ahead, the team and I saw dozens of spring ephemerals come to life with the warm sunlight hitting the forest floor. Bird’s foot violet, dutchman’s breaches, may apples, and purple phlox were just a few of the species that were visible to us as we removed invasive species from Duckett Creek along the Busch greenway. It was inspiring to see the transformation of a landscape, seeing how the hard work of invasive removal paid off by allowing new life to burst forth! I think this was a theme that was a constant driving force for myself and the team this season.   

(Crew members Kinsey Bakameyer and Amber Taylor standing behind a flowering plum tree at Duckett Creek)

Something else that was important to the team was sharing our experiences of restoration with others along the greenway and in the community. Through experiences such as Great Rivers Greenway Volunteer days, the 24:1 Arbor Day event with Normandy Middle school, and every day interactions with bikers, walkers (and of course dogs) on the greenway, OLC was able to work with and educate members of the community on how to be get involved with restoration and serve as stewards of their community.  

(OLC climbing trees at the 24:1 Arbor Day event in St. Vincent Park)

There were of course many laughs and funny memories shared amongst each other this season. It was these moments that made our crew stronger, allowing us to persevere in whatever weather this spring threw our way. 

I asked a few of the RA’s what would be one word to sum up this season. The words “inclement” and “whirlwind” were two that stood out to me. Yes, the weather threw many curveballs at the crew, and I often caused us to adapt and shift our tactic and mindset within a project. However, the attitude of our team was far from inclement. Instead, we stuck together and allowed ourselves to weather the storms that blew through, creating a whirlwind of a team that was unstoppable when working together.