During quarantine, Allison Miller, PhD, biology professor at Saint Louis University and principal investigator at the Danforth Plant Science Center, turned to Forest Park as an outlet for her family. They began going on biodiversity walks, identifying birds and plants using the Merlin Bird ID app. 

The excitement around their biodiversity walks has caught on in the neighborhood. They recently started Westminster Nature Club with their neighbors and hope to encourage others to share their love of nature. “I think all too often we think of nature being out there, but nature is here,” Miller says. “I appreciate so much that we live in the Central West End and can find 55 different types of birds and 100 and some plants walking from our house. It’s been wonderful to share that with the kids."