The City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with the Urban Forestry Commission and the Arboretum at Starin Park (AASP) to host an Arbor Day celebration and the dedication of the Generac Welcome and Education Center on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
The event will kick off with a welcome from John Weidl, Whitewater city manager, followed by Jim Nies with the Urban Forestry Commission, a representative with Generac, and Eric Boettcher with the Parks and Recreation Department. The ribbon cutting and photos will take place around 10:20 a.m. Refreshments and the Arbor Day event will follow.
Located at the south end of the park, the 14-by-18-foot pavilion provides a space for workshops and outdoor classroom activities. The educational programs will connect youth to nature and teach the fundamentals of stewardship and ecology.
As Jim Nies, Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) member and retired educator, shares, “The new Generac Welcome and Education Center will increasingly become the gateway to the Arboretum at Starin Park. Individual visits and a variety of educational activities will all start here.”
A special thank you to Generac Power Systems for their generosity in providing grant funds for the materials to build the pavilion and the volunteers who helped construct the welcome center structure.
John Weidl, Whitewater city manager, explains, “In many ways, trees are infrastructure too. They have a life cycle, they have maintenance and replacement cost, and they are critical to the health of any community. On behalf of Whitewater, I’d like to thank Generac and the Urban Forestry Commission for their efforts on this important project.”
The Arboretum at Starin Park is a project of the Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission, a permanent subcommittee of the Whitewater Parks and Recreation Department. The Arboretum at Starin Park aims to restore the beauty, health, and diversity of the woodlands in Starin Park, enhance its role as a vital natural sanctuary, and provide educational programs.
Eric Boettcher, Parks and Recreation Director, shares, “The Starin Park Arboretum continues to develop into something our community can be proud of. This latest addition is another enhancement that will keep visitors coming back to the park. Special thanks to Generac and the Urban Forestry Commission for the continued park enhancements.”
