As part of Mackey Mitchell’s mentorship group activities, Avik Guha, Stefanie Barnes (joined by husband Michael) and John Brown volunteered their time and effort to the National Public Lands Day activities at the Jones-Confluence Point State Park, located in West Alton, MO. Their task was to help plant 2,500 1-gallon pots of native prairie grass across a ten-acre site. Over time, the grass will proliferate with the end-goal being to rid the site of Cottonwood tree roots, restoring the land to its natural state.  The park is home to the Audubon Center at Riverlands and the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and features hiking and bike trails, scenic picnic areas, and the Heron Pond Viewing Blind, an avian observatory designed and constructed by students from Wash U’s School of Architecture.