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Community Stewardship Alliance

Through a collaborative partnership led by Open Space STL, the Community Stewardship Alliance (CSA) is an exciting new conservation program intended to provide focused, trained, volunteer leadership to restore and maintain the natural areas within our St. Louis County Parks.

The goals of the program are to:

  • Restore, protect and actively manage vulnerable natural areas to maintain and enhance the St. Louis region’s biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by our public lands;
  • Foster regional partnerships between public land managers, community members, and local organizations to align restoration efforts across priority natural areas;
  • Adapt successful local and national stewardship models to develop a coordinated program for the St. Louis region to achieve standardization of restoration techniques, management plans, reporting, monitoring, and communication;
  • Empower community members to become leaders invested in their local parks.

Check out the 2022 Community Stewardship Alliance Annual Report and see what our hardworking ambassadors, volunteers, staff, and partners accomplished this past year.

Ambassadors

Foundational to the Community Stewardship Alliance are our Site Ambassadors. Site Ambassadors are dedicated and trained volunteers who serve as the backbone of the Community Stewardship Alliance. They build a community of stewardship around the county parks’ natural areas to safeguard their future. Site Ambassadors commit to stewarding a specific park in collaboration with the CSA partners.

Site Ambassadors oversee the management of a natural area, working with the CSA partners and parks staff to meet the goals listed in their restoration management plans. Site Ambassadors recruit local volunteers and schedule workdays to help achieve those goals and are provided ongoing support through CSA partners and the ability to network with other CSA Site Ambassadors.

Become a Site Ambassador

We are looking for committed individuals to step up and support our Site Ambassadors to create a cohort of dedicated Volunteers that will coordinate with the Ambassadors to support restoration activities in targeted parks. This is your opportunity to become a champion for park restoration and a vital member of our community volunteer team.
To learn more about how you can become a part of a CSA team, check out this Site Ambassador Volunteer Description.
Interested in becoming a Community Stewardship Alliance Ambassador? Fill out this Interest Form and our staff will reach out to you about ways to get involved.

Community and Environmental Benefits

CSA projects benefit:

  • Community members and volunteers by helping to create lasting relationships that empower local friends and neighbors while bringing people together who value this community treasure and want to see it sustain and thrive.
  • Park & Trail users by improving the urban landscapes and beautifying the park for everyone who enjoys these outdoor spaces for recreation.
Our CSA Pilot Program launched in 2021 and the first two years have made a great impact on these three parks:

Volunteerism

To attend a CSA volunteer workday, please visit our volunteer platform to see upcoming opportunities. By creating an account, you sign an annual waiver that applies across all programs, and you have the ability to ‘fan’ favorite programs so you never miss a new opportunity!

Partnerships

The Community Stewardship Alliance partners are Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, Great Rivers Greenway District, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Master Naturalists Great Rivers Chapter, Open Space STL, St. Louis Audubon Society, St. Louis County Parks, and St. Louis County Parks Foundation.