The Community Forest has become much more than a planting project. What began as an effort to restore habitat on city-owned land has grown into an outdoor classroom, a wildlife sanctuary, a gathering place for volunteers, and a long-term investment in the environmental health of St. Helena.
Paul and Marilyn Asmuth helped launch and nurture the Community Forest, but its progress now reflects the work of a much larger community: the Board of Sustainable St. Helena, volunteers,students and teachers, conservation organizations, civic leaders, donors, and neighbors who believe this land should be cared for and preserved for generations.
In 2026, that community planted and cared for trees, welcomed students into the forest, expanded wildlife habitat, filled the Cameo Cinema for a celebration of coast redwoods, and advanced a vision to protect and expand the forest permanently.
The work is also ongoing. Young trees still require irrigation, mowing, weeding, pruning, repair, and hands-on care. Educational programs and habitat improvements take resources. And the next chapter—conservation protection, expansion, and eventual public access—will require continued community support.