By Naomi Kim-Yu
Since the fall of 2025, a collaborative restoration project has been restoring nearly 250 acres along the Blue River in Kansas City, Missouri. Heartland Conservation Alliance is one of several partner organizations working to improve the health of the river, restore native ecosystems, expand the urban tree canopy, and reconnect people with one of the city’s most important natural resources.
“The whole river in that stretch was mainly invasive species,” says Damon Patterson, Conservation Project Manager at Heartland Conservation Alliance. Growing up nearby, he remembers when the Blue River received little attention and its banks were overrun with invasive vegetation, litter, and debris. That’s beginning to change. The Renew the Blue initiative is removing invasive species such as bush honeysuckle and Johnson grass while restoring native trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers throughout the corridor.
“And that’s where the trees come in,” Patterson says. Forest ReLeaf of Missouri provided 62 native fruit and nut trees for the Blue Valley Park Community Food Forest. While these trees are part of the larger restoration effort, they also create opportunities for residents to learn about regenerative, community based food forests and sustainable land stewardship. As Patterson puts it, “We’re always looking for ways to pull in the community and get their hands in the soil.”
In October 2025, twelve volunteers gathered to plant pawpaws, persimmons, elderberries, hazelnuts, and other native fruit and nut producing trees. Patterson says that even when people aren’t familiar with woodland restoration, they immediately understand the value of food producing trees and are excited to help. “Everybody likes to eat,” he says. Over time, the site is expected to grow into a thriving food forest with an edible understory that benefits both wildlife and the surrounding community.
Blue Valley Park was selected because it is close to surrounding neighborhoods and connected to the river itself. “One thing I really like about this area is that the trees are watered by the river,” Patterson explains. An irrigation system pumps water directly from the Blue River to support the young trees, creating a sustainable way to establish the new plantings.
With support from Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and many community partners, the Blue River is becoming greener, healthier, and more resilient. As restoration continues, the project is transforming the corridor into a place where native habitats, clean water, wildlife, and people can thrive together.
This project was made possible by Forest ReLeaf’s CommuniTree program!
“Imagine the kids in your congregation growing up learning all the native plants in your area and how to take care of them, and being able to experience the divine in nature,” says Christopher Grundy.
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I am Elijah Belz, the Field Operations Coordinator for Forest ReLeaf. I am a certified arborist and the primary person in the field for Forest ReLeaf, maintaining roughly 1000 trees planted in the St. Louis City, and maintaining our equipment our equipment used to maintain our trees! This job is a catch-all position that carries different responsibilities during the different seasons. Fall and spring are our planting, tree delivery, and inventory season; winter is our pruning, mulching, and planning season; summer is our watering season where we lead a crew of interns getting into the green industry.
My background is bicycle repair! I was in that industry for almost a decade, including running a bicycle repair shop, before taking a job with a tree planting organization in Atlanta. From there I moved to an edible landscape company. I became certified as an arborist while working at Forest ReLeaf this February! Trees rock, bikes are cool too.
De’Nonna Jones graduated from Knox College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, driven by a commitment to environmental justice and community-based conservation. Since then, she has gained hands-on experience working across a range of green spaces throughout the St. Louis region, focusing on the care, restoration, and accessibility of urban natural areas. She began her journey at Tower Grove Park, where she developed a deep appreciation for public green spaces as vital community resources, before moving into a stewardship role with the Missouri Botanical Garden in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway. She now serves as the Stewardship Crew Coordinator at Forest ReLeaf. De’Nonna is passionate about creating inclusive pathways into environmental work and empowering tree lovers and emerging conservationists to see themselves as stewards of their communities. Through her work, she strives to strengthen connections between people, trees, and places in urban environments.
After 17 years in the non-profit and public sector, Jess remains committed to mission-driven work that tackles the challenges facing our communities. Their career began with a year of service as an Americorps St. Louis Emergency Response team member, responding to natural disasters and performing conservation projects. That foundation of service led to roles supporting the arts, affordable housing, mental health, and grassroots housing advocacy in St. Louis. During this journey Jess has worked to center the value “nothing about us, without us.” They do their best to ensure that the voices of people who have been marginalized guide the strategy and execution of work that honors their lived experiences. When they aren’t working, Jess is out paddling, hiking, working in their garden, or building something.
