Friends of the Arboretum at Starin Park and the City of Whitewater recently announced that a grant from Generac Power Systems will fund the creation of the Generac Education Center.
The center, which will be at the south end of Starin Park, will be a focal point of the arboretum, hosting outdoor classroom activities while serving as a welcome center to the trails and greenery.
The Arboretum at Starin Park is a community initiative to restore the beauty, health and diversity of the woodlands in the park, enhancing its role as a vital natural sanctuary. Educational programs at AASP aim to connect youth to nature and teach the fundamentals of stewardship and ecology. AASP expects to host their first school groups in spring 2023, featuring Arboretum-specific curriculum and hands-on science activities.
“Starin Park has lost a considerable number of mature trees over the years,” Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission Chair Sherry Stanek said. “This is an effort not only to draw attention to the need to maintain the city’s important inventory of life restoring urban trees but to also emphasize native plants and establish a learning experience for future generations,” Stanek said. “Generac’s stepping forward to provide the funds to build an Education Center, along with contributions from other private and corporate citizens, establishes the foundation for an important community asset that not every community is able to provide.”
“Starin Park has so much to offer our community and with this generous donation from Generac, it creates another element to the park for the community to enjoy.” said Eric Boettcher, Parks and recreation director for the City of Whitewater. “It’s wonderful to see what a partnership between the Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission, Generac and the City of Whitewater is able to create this new amenity to the park.”
Learn more at www.arbatstarin.org or email EntAtStarinArb@gmail.com.
