Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the Urban Forestry Commission.
Whitewater city crews have begun planting nearly 200 new trees and shrubs in Whitewater’s Starin Park as the first step in a multi-year project to develop an Arboretum or “living classroom” where children and adults can identify and help preserve and maintain a diverse network of primarily native trees and shrubs.
As a living outdoor classroom an arboretum demonstrates the essential value to humans that trees and shrubs provide by enhancing air quality and helping tamp down increasingly warmer summer temperatures. The nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation estimates that a medium sized tree provides the equivalent temperature reduction of 10 room size air conditioners each running 20 hours per day.
The project is being funded by a WI Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Grant which will reimburse up to $25,000 of city and volunteer efforts within the nearly 35-acre park. Starin Park borders the UW-Whitewater (UWW) campus and its 7.6-acre Chopp Arboretum and the Salisbury Arboretum effort to label UWW trees that started out as a 5.2-acre effort.
The Starin Park Arboretum also receives funding from local individuals and businesses, the Starin Park Neighborhood Association. the utilization of City of Whitewater staff and equipment as well as the proceeds from a recent citywide tree sale.
Tree planting advocates stress the importance of tree and shrub planting to reduce the impact of “climate change” which is widely believed by the scientific community to be one of the greatest threats to the Earth’s atmosphere and its ability to maintain reasonable temperatures and abundant clean air.
Humans and animals take in oxygen from the atmosphere and exhale carbon dioxide as a by-product. The combination of growing human and domesticated animal populations along with the significant impact of burning coal and fossil fuels is creating an environment that most scientists believe might not be able to support future generations. The Arbor Day Foundation identifies carbon dioxide as the single most destructive “greenhouse gas” affecting climate change.
The concept of an arboretum at Starin Park was initiated by Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) member and retired educator Jim Nies. Mr. Nies estimates that there are currently as many as 50 unhealthy trees in Starin Park that will soon need to be replaced. It is estimated that the park currently contains roughly 650 trees. Whitewater City Forester Brian Neumeister estimates that the park has lost over 20 trees in just the last three years.
The city supported UFC has established partnerships with the UW-Whitewater, the Whitewater Unified School District, the Starin Park Neighborhood Association and other interested businesses and individuals.
Nearly 30 informational tree tags identifying common trees at Starin Park have already been placed as an example of the type of information to be provided to Arboretum visitors. Expanded tree tagging will continue for existing trees as well as for future new plantings. In depth information on each tree will ultimately be available via an online program called PlantsMap. The UFC has obtained formal accreditation of the Arboretum at Starin Park by the international arboretum accreditation agency ArbNet.
Volunteers will be needed to maintain plantings and informational tree tags. Interested volunteers are asked to contact City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Director at 262-473-0122.
