Mill River Stewards: Environmental Literacy

Mill River Stewards

Building environmental literacy

By participating in hands-on landcare activities like riverbank erosion prevention and soil health improvement, Stewards build up their environmental literacy – the ability to understand what is happening in a landscape, and why. They also learn about the elements of successful park design.

Maintaining Native Habitats

Stewards help maintain the complex native ecosystem that lives in Mill River Park by managing invasive plant species. Without intensive management, we would quickly lose the biodiversity of native wildflowers that host pollinator insects and birds, and native shrubs and trees that provide food and shelter. Additionally, Stewards participate in habitat maintenance projects such as riverbank erosion prevention, runoff management and more. The hard skills garnered from these projects improve Stewards’ environmental literacy by allowing them to look at a habitat or site and understand the cause and effects of what is happening there.

Improving Park User Experience

Each day, Mill River Park allows hundreds of visitors to connect with nature – and the Stewards help facilitate this experience. From cutting back overgrown shrubs and grasses to improve viewsheds, to removing vines to nurture the growth of native species, this land management helps park-goers enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds of Mill River Park. Stewards also help manage the park’s ornamental gardens and lawns by planting flowers, removing unwanted weeds, and keeping these spaces looking tidy and neat.  These hands-on projects help the Stewards understand and apply design elements that make the park an interesting landscape to enjoy.