Get Involved In Forest Park Southeast & Kings Oak
Glad you’re here and looking to get involved in the neighborhood! Whether you’re looking for a committee to join or an event to attend, here’s how you can get involved.
Join us at a Neighborhood Event
Monthly Tree Pruning
From November through April on the 1st Sunday of the month at 10am, we’re pruning the trees & shrubs throughout our neighborhood to keep them attractive and healthy! All tools for this event are be provided. Locations for this event change each, so if you’re interested in helping, let us know by signing up here. You can also keep up to date with these events by following us on Facebook and our Events page!
Monthly Neighborhood Cleanups
From March through October on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10am, we clean up a section of our neighborhood! Meet at the corner of Newstead and Manchester. Gloves and bags provided. As always, shout-out to Brightside STL for their help! You can also keep up to date with these events by following us on Facebook and our Events page!
The Forest Park Great Gathering
Our annual neighborhood event keeps getting better! The FPSE Great Gathering is the neighborhood’s largest, family-friendly event that brings everybody to Chouteau Park for free food and drinks, yard games, live music, and local organizations. Save the date for this year’s Great Gathering: Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 5:30pm. You can also keep up to date with these events by following us on Facebook and our Events page!
GroveFest
For the past 18 years, Park Central Development Corporation has put on GroveFest to bring in thousands of St. Louis residents to the Grove to celebrate our community. This annual street festival is free and packs a ton of fun into one amazing day! Check the The Grove STL website for announcement and updates for this year’s event: thegrovestl.com/grovefest
TBD: Kids Event & Young Adults Event
Two events that are in planning mode include a kids event and a young adults event. In past years we’ve hosted Popsicles in the Park and Ice Cream in the Park during the summer for the kiddos and parents. This year we’d also like to host an annual event for young adults, like a BBQ & Bags tournament. If you’re interested in helping coordinate such events, join the Events Committee – more details on that below.
Join a Committee/Group
Public Safety Committee & Block Captain Program
The Public Safety Committee is designed in tandem with the Block Captain Program to create the best blocks in St. Louis. Working together, the Public Safety Committee and the Block Captain Program:
- Strengthen communication between block neighbors and neighborhood officials
- Reduce crime by encouraging residents to come up with safety solutions specifically to their block
- Increase trust and sense of community block-by-block through block-hosted events
Board members of the Public Safety Committee report to the Board, taking feedback from residents on the issues their blocks are dealing with and what solutions they’re proposing. The Association Board and the Committee then work with the City and local organizations on implementing resident-driven solutions.
Block Captains are the neighbors who represent the residents on their block. These folks welcome new residents on their block, communicate info and resources with their neighbors and the Public Safety Committee, and help plan block events.
Help us create the best blocks in St. Louis. Check out the Block Captain Program page if you’re interested in becoming a Block Captain!
Neighborhood Beautification Committee
Help plan, promote and complete projects that help keep our neighborhood clean and blooming!
The volunteers on this committee is responsible for our monthly neighborhood clean-ups, flower plantings, tree planting, pruning and watering, and other initiatives to beautify our streets and parks.
We’re currently looking for volunteers to help us prune trees in the neighborhood through April. Sign up to help here.
If you’re interested in joining the committee or have an idea for beautification, shoot an email to forestparksoutheast@gmail.com.
Event Planning Committee
Love neighborhood events? Do your friends go to you for event planning advice? Is there an event you’d like to see happen in our neighborhood? Or maybe you know how to build sponsorship packages or fundraise? If you said yes to any of those questions, then we have a committee for you!
The Association plans many neighborhood events to get the community together. From happy hours and Popsicles in the Park , to our annual Great Gathering event, and the events we haven’t thought of yet, we’re always seeking volunteers to plan and coordinate neighborhood events.
If you’re interested in joining the committee or have an idea for an event, shoot an email to forestparksoutheast@gmail.com.
Barnett’s Garden
Barnett’s Garden, at 4332-34 Chouteau Avenue, is a community garden for gardeners who live in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Half and/or full size garden beds are typically available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The garden features secured plots (with a fence and gate), an all organic site (no pesticides), and a drip irrigation system.
There is a subscription fee of $25 for a full bed, and $15 for a half bed. This fee includes organically fertilized soil for the garden bed, on-site water and some gardening tools. If this fee poses a significant barrier for you, please let us know, and we’ll work out an arrangement.
We ask for a commitment to assist with general maintenance of the site. Gardeners can help with general garden maintenance (grass cutting and trimming, trash pickup, etc.), and we ask everyone to commit one person from their household to one workday in December.
Want to join? Contact Julie at Julie.Birkenmaier@slu.edu.
Neighborhood Association Board
The Forest Park Neighborhood Association is the volunteer governing body of the Forest Park Southeast and Kings Oak neighborhoods. Its Board members assist in all of this coming to life. We provide the forum for the neighborhoods to voice concerns; we communicate concerns to elected officials and other organizations active in the neighborhoods; we provide tools for residents to play an active role in their neighborhood; and we use our volunteer body to create and foster community among all stakeholders.
Board member terms are yearly, with nominations due by our October meeting, and elections in November. If you’re interested in becoming a board member, shoot us an email at forestparksoutheast@gmail.com.
You can also join us at our next meeting! We meet every third Tuesday of the month via Zoom at 6:45pm.
FPSE Infrastructure Committee
Join the Infrastructure Committee and help affect the way we shape our urban environment and the walkability of our neighborhood. The committee is responsible for recommending how Ward Capital be spent to promote quality residential and commercial infrastructure and plan for future infrastructure of the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Residents, property owners, and employees of a business within the neighborhood may apply. Apply here.
You can stay up to date with the Infrastructure Committee here.
FPSE Development Review Committee
Join the Development Review Committee and advocate for neighborhood-positive developments in the FPSE neighborhood! This includes the review of proposals where the city would like neighborhood input – including conditional uses, variances, tax abatement, and acquisition of City-owned land. The committee is looking for a minimum of 9 members including residents, property owners, and employees of a business within the neighborhood. Apply here.
You can stay up to date with the Development Committee here.
Other Projects
If you see other opportunities for projects to improve your neighborhood, reach out the Board – we’d be happy to help how we can.