Our History:
The Open Space Council was founded in May 1965. Throughout our history, we have played an integral role in:
- Restoring and supporting a clean and healthy Meramec River Watershed.
- Helping establish Castlewood State Park, Forest 44 Conservation Area and Beetree County Park.
- Restoring more than three thousand acres of land.
- Permanently conserving an urban organic farm, which EarthDance Farms now owns & operates.
- Helping to thwart efforts to dam the Meramec River.
As stewards of nature, OSC works to maintain the integrity of land and waterways for recreation, practical purposes and their natural beauty, to be enjoyed now and for generations to come. Through community building programs such as Operation Clean Stream and Operation Wild Lands, the Open Space Council seeks to raise awareness about the importance of land and water conservation and the value of clean water.
In addition to restoring and maintaining the region’s already dedicated open spaces, the organization actively works to identify areas that can be acquired and set aside for public use and discourages improper land use and detrimental development. Acting as a Land Trust, OSC raises and provides funds for new open space projects, offering land owners an alternative to development. OSC recognizes our region is fortunate to have designated national, state, and local parks as well as other open spaces. At OSC, we work hard to protect this great privilege.
Old cars littered the banks of the Meramec River when the Open Space Council began working there in 1965.