Grand Opening
On April 22nd, 2022, the Arboretum At Starin Park (AASP) will be unveiled during the City of Whitewater’s Earth and Arbor Day celebrations! The event will begin with a welcome from the city’s Chair of the Urban Forestry Commission, Sherry Stanek under whose guidance the effort was initiated to establish the AASP in 2020. The City Manager, Cameron Clapper will deliver remarks and a City Resolution. This will be followed by the City Parks & Recreation Director, Eric Boettcher who will discuss the work that is to be accomplished here in 2022.
The initial landscape designs will be ‘unveiled’ by Landscape Designer Danielle Bell of Native Roots Landscape Design of Glendale, Wisconsin. These designs will give everyone a look at what our first steps will be at developing micro-climate areas representative of Wisconsin’s various growing areas. The goal is to establish the plantings for a welcome center and the first three of these micro-climates in 2022, as part of planting 150 trees and shrubs in the Arboretum this year. Ultimately, these micro-climate areas will be part of a nearly one mile path that weaves around and through the nearly 35 acre Starin Park.
Our Wisconsin DNR Representative, Olivia Withun, will be at the park to award the City Forester, Brian Neumeister, the city’s 2022 Tree City award and also a Tree Campus award to Sustainability Director for UWW, Wes Enterline who has been a valuable partner to our efforts. In the last couple of years, Wes has had two arboreta accredited on campus, The Salisbury Arboretum and The Chopp Arboretum and has been an invaluable resource for Urban Forestry members.
On Arbor Day, April 30th, the Urban Forestry Commission will be holding a Children’s AASP Day from noon until 2 pm, featuring many tree activities that will help kids and adults learn about the importance of trees and also birds in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day (May 17th this year). We will have a bean bag Migratory Bird Toss game, our Who’s A Snowy Owl selfie station, tree ring counting, tree cookie crafts, a wingspan banner where families can see how their ‘’wings’ compare to birds and many other fun activities. We are offering snacks that are all derived from trees, and even more importantly, lots of fun!
This year will also be the UFC’s first year offering a Community Tree Sale! Native trees will be available for purchase by community members on Earth Day, April 22 from 1 to 6 pm, April 23rd from 10 am to 2 pm, on Arbor Day, April 29th from 1 pm until 6 pm and April 30th from 10 am until noon at AASP’s lower shelter in Starin Park. The purpose of this sale is to get native, high quality, air pruned trees into the city’s tree canopy where they will thrive.
This work is being undertaken with the generous support of local sponsors and the award of a $25,000 Wisconsin DNR matching grant as well as community volunteers and would not be possible without each and every one of them.
We look forward to seeing you at The Arboretum At Starin Park!
