As of the publication of this month’s email newsletter, Missouri Conservation Corps has been involved in the improvement of Columbia’s Garth Nature Area for nearly one full year. Well, about eleven months…but we feel like we have really gotten to know this wonderful environment. Before we show you some of the many photos we took last year of our energetic volunteers cutting honeysuckle and planting trees in Garth Nature Area, let’s first describe this unique location.
Garth Nature Area is a 52-acre public park in north Columbia. This park is bordered on the south by the beautiful Bear Creek and is intersected by the Bear Creek Trail. Following Bear Creek Trail east will take you to Albert Oakland Park, and following Bear Creek Trail west will lead you to Cosmo Park. Garth Nature Area contains ponds, lakes and ephemeral wetlands, all remnants of earlier water treatment facility located here. These ponds and lakes rise and fall with variations in seasonal moisture, and they are fantastic locations for birding in Columbia, or for simply relaxing and watching a sunset or, for the more ambitious, a sunrise. Garth Nature Area’s 52 acres also includes walking paths, wooded hillsides, the Bear Creek watershed, and a dog park.
During 2024 Missouri Conservation Corps organized 17 volunteer events in Garth Nature Area, ranging from honeysuckle removal to tree planting, from trash pickup to a composting workshop. Our long-term goal in Garth Nature Area is invasive species removal, native habitat restoration, and beautification of the park. Along the way we hope to give many community members a chance to experience this beautiful location while benefitting the park and its users. We also hope that our work and our energy will shine a spotlight on this 52-acre public park on the north side of Columbia. In early spring 2025, Missouri Conservation Corps will be hosting more volunteer workdays in Garth Nature Area…keep an eye on our website events calendar to find out the dates and times for these upcoming events.
And now, a few of those photos from last year’s many, many volunteer events in Garth Nature Area…
