Webster Works on Wintercreeper

Over a dozen students, faculty and Webster Groves Parks & Recreation employees joined together at Shady Creek Nature Sanctuary to remove invasive plants as part of Webster Works, the university’s volunteer initiative to support the local community.

Among them was Yvonne Steingruby, parks superintendent for the City of Webster Groves.

“Shady Creek is one of Webster’s most important ecological areas,” Steingruby said. “It is a large forest with a creek running through it.”

Yet, the park finds itself in need of extra care to continue thriving. Webster Groves Parks & Rec aims to give the sanctuary the support it needs – such as with grant funding and direct intervention.

“Recently, the city received a 319 Grant to help restore this forest by removing invasive species and replanting native species,” Steingruby said.

The 319 Grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is designed to “improve water quality, restore natural areas and engage the community in the stewardship of our local watershed” across three sites for the next three years.

Volunteer participation is necessary for the grant, allowing the community a chance to pitch in and assist Parks & Rec with ensuring the area has a healthy ecosystem.

“Park staff does not have extra time to help renovate and beautify our precious green spaces, since most of their time is spent on park operations,” Steingruby said. “Having large groups of volunteers donate time gives us a chance to care for these ecological areas and to get some control over the invasives. Large groups can accomplish quite a bit in a short period of time.”

The Parks department works closely with the Webster Groves community, providing a variety of spaces for physical activity that range from parks to pickleball courts. Beyond that, it works to offer a variety of camps and activities for all ages.

The Webster Works group was led by Interim Dean of the College of Science and Health Mary Lai Preuss, who was happy to see the return of volunteer effort.

“This is really about what brings the community together, and learning about each other,” Preuss said.

The main focus of the group of volunteers was tackling wintercreeper, a vine that attaches itself to trees and any plant it can find, overwhelming it. They also tackled any honeysuckle, another invasive plant, they could find.

“[Invasives] are aggressive and can outpace the native plants. Typically, non-native plants do not support the food web and are a poor source of nutrition for the few creatures that feed on them,” Seingruby said.

Volunteers cleaned out more than a truckload of brush and invasive plants in the span of a couple hours. Students like Miranda Yeates found themselves as part of a much greater team.

“It really helps the community because more jobs can get done when we get people out to work together,” Yeates said.

In the future, Preuss expressed that she would like to see Webster Works become a more regular event, “There’s a lot of work to be done and more than just one day.”

For Webster Groves Parks & Rec, continued volunteer events are vital to restoring the ecosystem, such as with Shady Creek Nature Sanctuary.

More information about volunteer opportunities can be found through a community volunteer corps called Webster Groves Green Keepers. Signups are located through the City of Webster Groves website, but volunteers are also welcome to join in for specific events, including “Make a Difference Day” on Oct. 24.