There’s room for everyone in Forest Park - that’s part of what makes it such a great place (though there sometimes isn’t room for everyone’s automobile). And you don’t want to forget your camera (that’s the whole point of my 365 project)! There is hardly a day when I don’t encounter someone with a camera taking photos in the park. Sometimes I introduce myself, sometimes I don’t, but it is always interesting to me to watch others take pictures. What are they seeing? What can I learn from this other person’s perspective on the park? I’m trying very hard not to get into a rut and at the same time give a good documentation of the 2 square miles we call Forest Park (since 1876).

I do think this is the golden age of the park. When it was newly established it had a lot of virgin timber and a natural stream flowing through it (the River Des Peres). Then came the 1904 World’s Fair and most of the trees were cut down and the park was “civilized”. Since that time we have added to the Art Museum the Zoo, the Muny, the History Museum, the Golf Courses, the Planetarium, the Boathouse, and other things that I can’t think of at the moment (it’s late). With the introduction of wild areas, a revitalized waterway, and good management techniques, the park has blossomed into a wildlife haven and stop-over for migratory birds (I found an American Coot today - visible here). What a tremendous asset for the people of St. Louis!.