In a move that brings a touch of practical support to St. Louis residents, the city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry has announced they'll be offering free firewood. This initiative aligns with the department's ongoing park maintenance and emergency storm-related efforts, which often result in the removal of trees that can then be repurposed for residents' use. City dwellers looking to stock up on firewood for those cozier nights can do so at three different locations across the city.
Material will be made available yearly through early March, with varying sizes and species of wood at each drop-off point. Residents should be aware that there's no guarantee of a daily stockpile. According to a statement on the City of St. Louis official website, "Wood is typically dropped off in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, but ONLY when available." So, it would be wise to quickly check the sites on a regular basis.
For those interested, the free firewood can be found at Forest Park, within the Lower Muny Opera Parking Lot, Carondelet Park, at the Compost and Recycling area off of Holly Hills Drive, and O’Fallon Park, just north of Picnic Site #4. Carondelet Park offers more structured hours for pick-up, including availability on Saturdays, making it slightly easier to plan ahead for those weekend gatherings that could use the warmth of a real wood fire.
"Our Forestry and Parks staff members work very hard to maintain our parks and neighborhoods, and they respond quickly to emergency storm-related events," Greg Hayes, Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, expressed in a statement. "We are glad City residents get the added benefit of an accessible and sustainable source of firewood as a result of these daily efforts." This initiative serves not just to conveniently dispose of the byproducts of necessary tree maintenance, but also to assist residents in the more frugal heating of their homes during the winter months, as per the City of St. Louis.
The City of St. Louis has made an effort to ensure that the program is accessible on a first-come, first-serve basis and will continue until early March 2025. As temperatures drop and heating expenses climb, free firewood may provide St. Louis residents a small, but meaningful relief.
