Goshen Raises Tree Awareness Around City
GOSHEN — Goshen wants you to pay more attention to trees.
The city started a tree awareness program as part of an effort to plant more trees in Goshen.
In certain locations in Goshen, there’s a chance you’ll see some trees with tags blowing in the wind. They’re special identification tags that give particular information about the tree itself, even its age.
It part of a pilot educational program.
More of the tags will be going up around Goshen, called the Maple City for its many maple trees.
“What we recognize about trees now is they they have an important economic role in our culture, in our city and our society,” said Aaron Sawatsky-Kingsley. “They have an important social role, and they have an important ecological role.”
A fun fact: a tree captures and slows down rain water so it doesn’t flood storm drains.
“Something we wanted to do was find a way to bring it home for people, just to help them understand beyond the natural aspects, who it benefits– them,” said Storm Water Coordinator Jason Kauffman.
He says they definitely had to think outside the box to come up with the idea and to put it into motion, but adds it catches the attention of people, who are biking or walking, who want to learn more about it.
“The idea is it will catch people’s attention, they’ll take a minute or so and read the tag and then again learn about the value of the tree beyond ‘it just provides shade’ or that it looks pretty,” said Kauffman.
“It’s a storytelling function. It lays out in clear, concise form what some of the different benefits are that trees, whether large or small, bring to us,” said Sawatsky-Kingsley.
Goshen is currently involved in a long-range process to plant more trees.
Source: WSBT