In March, more than 100 volunteers from the Edwardsville, Ill. community planted 100 trees to get the Edwardsville Children’s Museum Micro Forest off the ground. This educational and environmental initiative led by ECM and sponsored by Phillips 66 has transformed an empty brownfield site into a two-acre urban forest preserve that will help improve air quality, increase the region’s biodiversity and lower ozone levels.
On April 22, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., ECM, along with volunteers from Phillips 66 and Starbucks, will plant a second round of trees in celebration of Earth Day. Thanks to the support of funders, seedlings were purchased from the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District and include varieties, such as Northern Red Oak, Northern Pecan and American Plum. The community is invited to join the planting effort that day at the Micro Forest, located on Route 143 next to Cedarhurst Senior Living in Edwardsville. Volunteers of all ages are asked to bring along a shovel, and if they have them available, newspaper, spare bricks and wheelbarrows. Visit the ECM Micro Forest webpage for more details.
As part of its mission to serve the needs and interests of children, ECM will also tie the Micro Forest into its new Phillips 66 STEM Forest Exhibit opening Summer 2021. This hands-on exhibit brings the outside indoors, giving kids the change to create their own woodland creatures, explore ECM's Canopy Tree House, and discover steps they can take to protect our natural ecosystem. More information about the exhibit will be available at edwardsvillechildrensmuseum.org in the next few weeks.
Take your family to watch birds of prey fly right over your head, meet the wonderful bird ambassadors of the World Bird Sanctuary up close and much more.
Kids can work on existing gym skills, learn new skills or just play around during Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym in Creve Coeur.
Aquarium visitors will be immersed in a world of shark-centered adventures and have opportunities to get up close to the sharks during Shark Week at the St. Louis Aquarium.
Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym is an opportunity for any child to have supervised free play in the gym. They can work on existing skills, try something new, or simply play around. It is completely up to them! Open Gym is open to both members and non-members ages 12 and under.
See the Purina Incredible Dog Team perform extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill right here in St. Louis at Union Station this summer! Free performances are happening Thursdays through Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Union Station's Performance Plaza in front of the St. Louis Wheel.