In September 2025, during a social gathering at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Regional Office in Columbia, we heard a rumor that our city’s Parks and Recreation Department was interested in planting hundreds of new trees in Columbia’s Gans Creek Recreation Area. Missouri Conservation Corps was instantly intrigued, so we followed up on the rumor and found out from Dave Dittmer and Eric Schmittel that this was true, and that the department director, Gabe Huffington, was hoping to have 500 new trees planted in this area before winter. Once we had this wonderful rumor confirmed, Missouri Conservation Corps got to work advocating for volunteer workdays in Gans Recreation Area so that we could be involved in this tree planting effort. After some emails, and some speculation, and a little more effort at communication, our first volunteer tree-planting workday was set and Missouri Conservation Corps teamed up with Nate Smith and Columbia’s Como Trails Association to plan and promote a volunteer tree planting event at Gans Creek Recreation Area.
Our first collaborative volunteer tree planting at Gans Creek Recreation Area brought more than 50 volunteers out to join staff members from Columbia Parks and Recreation to plant 150 new trees in a single afternoon. We were also joined by Boone County stormwater educator Michele Woolbright, who spoke to the volunteers on the watersheds in central Boone County, and on the importance of the new trees to the health and water quality of the Bonne Femme watershed. Our volunteers included MU students, members of several social and service sororities and fraternities, a healthy contingent of Sustain Mizzou members, members of the Environmental and Recreation Graduate Student Association, COMOTA members, and several Missouri Master Naturalists. We were joined by Kylie Platt from Volunteer Columbia and by many staff members from Columbia Parks and Recreation.
A little history about today’s Gans Creek Recreation Area before we talk about the new trees. This 320-acre public park on East Gans Road was formerly Boone County farmland. The land that now contains sports fields, a cross-country course, a mountain biking trail, and acres of beautiful, open terrain was an active farm owned by the Crane family until twenty years ago. The City of Columbia purchased the property in 2007, and the park was dedicated in 2019. The land comprising the park occupies a prominent place in Boone County’s Bonne Femme watershed. Much of the park’s acreage was formerly upland field and pasture, and the trees we are now adding will convert some of this open land to a savannah or an open woodland community. As these new trees become established here, a new forest community will develop. As this forest community develops, the new trees will help to absorb rainwater and control runoff, reducing flooding and erosion in this watershed. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, a single tree during a rainstorm can store 100 gallons or more of rainwater, retaining the water for future needs. This means that our future forest of 500 trees could help retain 50,000 gallons of water during each rain, preventing that water from running uncontrolled through Gans Creek and the Bonne Femme watershed.
When Missouri Conservation Corps planned the first volunteer workday to plant trees at Gans, we quickly reached out to Michele Woolbright and Lynne Hooper at Boone County Resource Management. Michele and Lynne are respectively the stormwater educator and the hydrologist for Boone County, and they are both involved in the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed Initiative. The GBFWI (for short) is an effort to restore and protect the waters of the Bonne Femme and the various waterways in its watershed. According to Michele, “Boone County’s Stormwater Management Department is leading the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed Initiative in collaboration with partners to restore and protect water resources within the Greater Bonne Femme Watershed for future generations. Part of the watershed management plan emphasizes the importance of water quality to all life in the watershed – not just the plants and animals that live there, but also to all people who connect with the watershed.”
Boone County anticipates that the draft plan for watershed management of the GBFW will be released for public comment before the end of 2025. When the draft is made public, Boone County will advertise two public meetings for response and comment. Michele was happy to come out during the tree planting event to talk to our volunteers about the importance of the Bonne Femme watershed and to educate volunteers on the GBFWI and on Boone County’s role in water quality.
Because this 320-acre outdoor space is owned by the City of Columbia and managed by Columbia Parks and Recreation, the care and management of the land is a job belonging to Columbia’s Parks staff. Missouri Conservation Corps has been working directly with Columbia Parks and Recreation since our very first volunteer event in 2021. Parks and Recreation director Gabe Huffington expressed his motivation for the current series of volunteer-driven tree plantings at Gans, and for future reforestation of this area: “Planting trees at Gans Creek Recreation Area is a vital step in transforming the landscape from its history as old farm pasture into a thriving, sustainable natural area. The vision for the park combines the Parks and Recreation Department’s goal to provide recreational amenities for the public along with strong efforts related to natural resource restoration at the park. The vision will allow our department to create meaningful outdoor access and recreational opportunities for Columbia citizens and visitors to our community. The community efforts to plant trees at the park also enriches the experience along the natural surface trail, providing shade, wildlife habitat, and a stronger connection to the area’s native ecosystem. These efforts will create a healthier, more resilient environment for citizens and visitors to enjoy at the park. The ongoing work at the park, including the removal of invasive species and the establishment of a new tree canopy along the trail corridor, will require time, dedication, and continued collaboration between park staff and volunteers. However, the long-term benefits of these efforts will become increasingly evident each year, enhancing the trail experience and showcasing the lasting value of ecological restoration for all who visit. “
After just two hours of work, this incredible team of volunteers and Parks staff had planted and mulched all 150 new trees, and work was underway to install posts and cages on the trees. After three hours of work, all 150 trees were planted, mulched, caged, and watered, and we sent our enthusiastic team of hardworking volunteers home. The event was so successful that we now have another tree planting event scheduled at Gans Creek Recreation Area. The next event will take place on Thursday, October 30th, from 2-5 p.m. Come and join us as we transform these former farm fields into Columbia’s newest woodland community!
