Dardenne Greenway At BaratHaven Park

Dardenne Prairie, MO

BaratHaven Park, an 80-acre park and the first project for the Dardenne Greenway, features a 15-acre lake with three scenic overlooks. Envisioned to beautify the surrounding neighborhood, the park offers an accessible lake, trails, and other improvements. The three-mile BaratHaven loop winds through residential areas in the BaratHaven community in St. Charles County, forming part of the larger 80-acre park. The greenway circles a 15-acre lake, enriched with wetlands to support native wildlife and plant habitats. To the east, the greenway extends into Bluebird Meadow Park, featuring a restored wetland and prairie landscape. This extension enables future connections to Busch Wildlife, protecting an oxbow and wetland while creating prairie acres.

Creating BaratHaven Park involved stabilizing and restoring scenic areas along Dardenne Creek and Old Dardenne Creek. Natural vegetation protects adjacent land, preserving the riparian corridor for wildlife and preventing soil erosion. New wetlands along the creeks further enrich habitats for native flora and fauna.

The Dardenne Greenway incorporates a sustainable plant palette with various native Missouri species. These plants are hardy, disease and insect resistant, and suitable for local soils. They provide privacy for nearby residential areas without hindering access, define special spaces, frame desirable views, offer shade along trails, and enhance wildlife habitats.

*Project completed while at another firm.