Massive Volunteer Effort to Restore O'Fallon Park's Tree Canopy

Hundreds of trees lost in 2025 tornado, now community comes together for large-scale replanting.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:39pm

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A vast, atmospheric landscape painting depicting a wide-open park devoid of trees, with a few remaining stumps and bare branches silhouetted against a dramatic, moody sky, conveying a sense of melancholy and the overwhelming scale of the natural disaster's impact.The devastating 2025 tornado stripped O'Fallon Park of its once-vibrant tree canopy, leaving the community to rally and restore this vital urban greenspace.St. Louis Today

After a devastating tornado ripped through St. Louis in May 2025, destroying thousands of trees across the city, the beloved O'Fallon Park lost approximately 350 mature trees - nearly every tree in the park. This Saturday, April 11, a massive volunteer effort organized by Forest ReLeaf, the City Forestry Division, Great Rivers Greenway, O'Fallon Community Development, and Black Healers Collective will work to plant 350 new trees and restore the park's lost greenspace and shade.

Why it matters

The loss of O'Fallon Park's tree canopy has left the community with a wide-open, barren landscape devoid of the natural beauty and environmental benefits that the mature trees once provided. This volunteer replanting effort aims to revitalize the park and help the neighborhood recover from the tornado's destruction.

The details

Forest ReLeaf, a local non-profit focused on urban forestry, says this will be their largest tree planting project since the organization's founding in the 1990s. Volunteers are needed to help plant the 350 trees that will replace those lost in the tornado. The replanting effort is being coordinated with the City Forestry Division, Great Rivers Greenway, O'Fallon Community Development, and Black Healers Collective.

  • The devastating tornado struck St. Louis in May 2025.
  • The volunteer tree planting event is scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026.

The players

Forest ReLeaf

A non-profit organization focused on urban forestry and tree planting initiatives in the St. Louis region.

City Forestry Division

The city department responsible for managing and maintaining the urban forest in St. Louis.

Great Rivers Greenway

A regional parks and trails district that works to connect communities through greenspaces.

O'Fallon Community Development

The local community development organization serving the O'Fallon Park neighborhood.

Black Healers Collective

A group dedicated to promoting health and wellness in the Black community through various initiatives, including environmental stewardship.

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What they’re saying

“This is Forest ReLeaf's biggest tree planting effort since our conception back in the 90s.”

— Meridith Perkins, Forest ReLeaf

What’s next

Volunteers can register to participate in the tree planting event at moreleaf.org/events.

The takeaway

The massive volunteer effort to replant 350 trees in O'Fallon Park represents the community's resilience and commitment to restoring the urban greenspaces that were devastated by the 2025 tornado. This collaborative project will help revitalize the park and provide important environmental benefits for the neighborhood.