Preserve our Parks

West St. Paul Parks and Recreation logo, Text: Preserve our Parks. Image: Tree with a bench

Are you an avid park lover, looking for ways to give back to your community, or want new and active things to do this spring? We're encouraging residents to explore, enjoy, and advocate for their local parks while prioritizing park upkeep, safety, and improvement.

Follow along this spring and learn 10 ways you can help Preserve Our Parks in West St. Paul!

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10 Easy Ways to Support West St. Paul Parks

  1. Explore parks new to you: West St. Paul has 18 parks and recreation facilities. Set a goal of visiting at least one park you’ve never been to. March 30 is National Take a Walk in the Park Day. See how many trails you can explore!
  2. Tell others about the parks: Tell people about your experience, and share it on social media using #wspparks 
  3. Volunteer, Adopt a Park, or pick up litter: We can keep our parks shining with your support. Consider organizing a neighborhood clean-up, becoming an official city volunteer, or adopting a park. Every bit helps! West St. Paul has a handful of upcoming volunteer events. Check out the events calendar. 
  4. Report vandalism and negative activity: While we do have security cameras and staff in many of our parks, we need your help reporting negative interactions in the park. Remember to use your best judgment and only report acts of vandalism or violence.
    - If you see something happening: Call 911 
    - If you see something that’s already happened: Report it to 651-322-2323 
  5. Spend time in the parks with others: The best deterrence to negative activity is a positive presence. Bring your kids to the playground, have a picnic with friends, or take the dog on a super long walk. Stay awhile, spend the afternoon! 
  6. Be a good role model for youth: Unfortunately, many of the negative interactions and acts of vandalism are perpetrated by youth. Speak with your kids or young family members about the importance of protecting our parks. And remind them that negative action will result in consequences.
  7. Be neighborly, smile and say hello: West St. Paul's greatest asset is its people and strong community connections, but we can be stronger. Let’s make our community even more welcoming and inviting to new neighbors, people of all backgrounds, and those facing loneliness. Make a friend, say hello to a stranger, or invite someone you haven’t seen in a while to join you for a walk. You might even make someone’s day! 
  8. Leave no trace: We’re glad to see people using our parks, but sometimes folks leave behind evidence of their good time. Be sure to clean up after yourself, especially any leftover food and drinks as they can leave a sticky mess and attract bugs and rodents. Candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and bottles should safely make their way to a garbage or recycling bin.
  9. Limit your use of chemicals and pesticides: The overuse of fertilizers impacts our water and cherished places like the Thompson and Marthaler lakes.  And the overuse of pesticides can harm our fragile ecosystems like the beautiful natural spaces at Garlough Park and Dodge Nature Center. 
  10. Share your park ideas with us: The city is updating its Parks System Plan, which will guide park improvements and programs for the next 10 years. Now that you’ve spent time exploring the parks, what would you like to see in our community that would improve the use, safety, and design of our parks?

Check out the upcoming events and volunteer opportunities using our events calendar and volunteer page.

Interested in learning more about future park planning and projects? Check out the Park System Plan!

Get involved and help us plan the future of Kennedy Park - our next project in 2025. More information coming soon!