Valentine Park and Nature Trail: Nature, Conservation, Confluence

The Valentine Conservation Community is a group of 30 residents, led by a multi-generational Black family, who have maintained land ownership in the East St. Louis, Illinois, Valentine Street neighborhood for more than 74 years. The group is seeking to imbue a historical culture of conservation and love for nature in their neighborhood, which is located within a mile of the Mississippi River. Their mission is to preserve the land, protect the wildlife, and restore the Valentine Street neighborhood through the creation of Valentine Street Park and Trails: Nature, Conservation, Confluence.