Andries Alberts, maintenance supervisor of Faust Park, knows that the magic of nature—much like the magic of childhood—should be protected.
During a team-building exercise for the St. Louis County Parks in October 2022, Alberts came up with an idea for a fairy garden like the ones he had seen in Forest Park—but bigger and more elaborate. He submitted a proposal, once as a park ranger and once in his current role. He says he knew Faust Park was the perfect spot because the playground is such a popular attraction.
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A few years, hundreds of volunteers, and countless hours of work later, and Whimsical Woods nature play area—located at the north end of the park by the Webster University Community Music School—had its official opening on October 18. Alberts attributes the minimal cost to the parks department—roughly $300 so far, the abundance of land in St. Louis County, and the educational opportunities of the destination to its success and growth potential. “It’s all about transforming a part of a forest into a natural play area,” he adds. “It’s very educational for the kids in the sense that they’re out in a forest. It’s also enjoyment for them—a place to let their imaginations grow wild.”
Sustainability was another important element for Alberts in the construction of the project. Each of the fairy houses were built using recycled picnic tables and loose branches from storm damage and dead trees. “We’re recycling a lot of the materials that would normally go to the wayside, and the response has been absolutely wonderful,” he says. “The most rewarding part is seeing the happy kids. It inspires us to keep going with it.”
Future plans for Whimsical Woods include taking it from what Alberts says is about 150 yards and 200 houses to 2 miles and 1,000 houses. “We want children to go on a 2-mile hike without knowing it,” Alberts explains. “We want them to be totally enthralled by looking at little houses and nature at all different heights.”
Other parks department workers and the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild—which runs the Faust Park Guild Shop—handcrafted the tiny cabins, tree houses, castles, barns, benches, and creatures, which Alberts describes as reaching elaborate, fanciful levels.
Originally from Namibia in Southwest Africa, Alberts worked as a conversation agent for much of his career. After he and his wife—a St. Louisan—had their son, they decided to move to the States to be close to family and educational opportunities. Alberts says conservation in Africa and America are the same in that it’s all about contributing to the joy and wonder nature can bring. “People need to respect nature and protect it,” he adds. “The fairy garden is just a good way to get to the little people to understand that because they’re going to be the leaders one day.”
Volunteers from area schools were integral in helping to clear and cut the trail. Eventually, Alberts says they would love to hire professional woodcarvers to carve faces out of stumps in the woods.
“Nature is a wonderful thing,” Alberts says. “It’s like a child, you know? There’s no hidden agendas. It’s just the truth. It’s magical. You just need to find the time to stop and stare, and you’ll see the magic.”
