Monticello Tree Walk Project
Trees provide us with a key building block of life, oxygen. However, they not only afford the earth with clean oxygen for humans and wildlife, but they also provide homes for many wild animals, reduce the effects of climate change, save energy costs by reducing electricity use, and tame storm water by helping
to provide clean and healthy water runoff for fish and wildlife. Without trees the water runoff becomes polluted with oils and other harmful materials that are not good for fish to swim in or for animals to drink from. Trees also help us fight climate change by taking harmful carbon dioxide from the air and releasing it as clean oxygen.The Monticello Tree Walk project was created to bring people out into nature and help them discover the diversity of trees that can be found in our community. The Monticello Tree Walk spans five of the major parks in Monticello, including the Monticello City Park, Altherr Nature Park, Jordan Park, Voigt Park, and Bluewater Beach Park. In this tree walk there are a total of thirty-seven unique trees marked with some duplicates common to various parks, for a total of forty-two trees. The long term goal is to expand the project to include all 50 Trees of Indiana.
Each marker contains the tree name along with a unique QR Code that can be scanned with a smart phone to view additional information about that species. This includes a description and images of the leaves and bark, as well as other features such as flowers or fruit the tree produces. It also includes where the trees are typically found throughout our area.
I hope everyone gets out to enjoy the beauty of our city parks, and as you take time locating each tree, I hope you learn a little more about the trees in your community.
Gabe Zarse
Eagle Scout, Scouts BSA Troop 154
