Open Space STL has announced the addition of Laumeier Sculpture Park to its Community Stewardship Alliance (CSA) program, a collaborative conservation initiative focused on restoring and maintaining vulnerable natural areas within St. Louis County Parks through trained volunteer leadership.

Through the CSA program, Open Space STL and the St. Louis County Department of Parks & Recreation will partner to restore and actively manage Laumeier’s native oak woodlands — some of which are more than 100 years old. While often overlooked amid Laumeier’s nationally significant sculpture collection, these woodlands are vital ecological assets now threatened by invasive species, particularly bush honeysuckle.

“Laumeier Sculpture Park is an iconic cultural and natural landmark in our region,” said Katie Franke, Community Conservation Program Manager at Open Space STL. “Adding Laumeier to the Community Stewardship Alliance is an important step forward — not only because of its visibility and significance as a world-class sculpture park, but because of the critical ecological work needed to protect its treasured oak woodlands. This partnership underscores how art, nature, and community stewardship can come together to ensure these spaces thrive for generations.”

“Open Space STL and St. Louis County Parks & Recreation are partnering through the Community Stewardship Alliance to restore the native oak woodlands at Laumeier Sculpture Park,” said Dennis Hogan, St. Louis County Department of Parks & Recreation. “These mature oak trees have survived tornadoes, ice storms, and decades of land-use changes, but the woodland ecosystem beneath them is struggling. Invasive honeysuckle is preventing sunlight from reaching native wildflowers and young oak seedlings, disrupting the entire web of life in the park. Oak woodland restoration at Laumeier will be about bringing change back to these woods. To do nothing is not an option. With volunteer effort and long-term commitment, we can begin reclaiming this landscape for native plants and the wildlife that depends on them.”

Led by Open Space STL, the CSA program brings together public land managers, community members, and local organizations to protect biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem health, and empower residents to become long-term stewards of their neighborhood parks.

CSA volunteers will receive focused training and leadership development to help remove invasive species, support native plant regeneration, and monitor long-term ecological health—work that benefits wildlife, park visitors, and the broader community.

Community and Environmental Benefits
CSA projects create meaningful benefits across the region by:

  • Empowering volunteers and neighbors to build lasting relationships rooted in stewardship
  • Improving park landscapes for visitors who use these spaces for recreation, reflection, and inspiration
  • Aligning restoration efforts across priority natural areas using shared best practices and standardized approaches

Open Space STL will begin coordinating volunteer stewardship activities at Laumeier Sculpture Park in the coming months, inviting community members to take part in hands-on restoration efforts that support both ecological resilience and public enjoyment.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the Community Stewardship Alliance,” said Julia Norton, Office Services & Volunteer Coordinator at Laumeier Sculpture Park. “Laumeier is known for its art, but our open spaces and natural areas are just as important to the park experience. There is real work to be done here to protect our woodlands and address invasive species like honeysuckle. Being part of CSA connects us with volunteers who are passionate about preserving this landscape and ensures we’re caring for the land with intention, expertise, and community support. It is even more meaningful for us to embark on this collaboration during Laumeier’s 50th Anniversary year, when we celebrate our history and look ahead to the next 50 years.”

Laumeier Sculpture Park acknowledges that it is located on the ancestral lands of the Osage Nation, Missouria, and Illini Confederacy, and honors their elders, past and present.

For more information about the Community Stewardship Alliance or to get involved, visit www.openspacestl.org/programs/csa.

Top image: St. Louie Bones (1987) by Robert Stackhouse at Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills, Missouri. Photo by Kevin J. Miyazaki.