It may soon be easier for visitors to find and learn about the Starke County Forest. During Tuesday’s Starke County Park Board meeting, Forester Bruce Wakeland pointed out that signage to help motorists find the forest from local highways was supposed to be installed as part of last year’s parking lot project.
Board Member and Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler said he hasn’t forgotten about it. “Our sign technician’s a new one, so hopefully, we’ll be able to get that done this winter and put it up in the spring,”Ritzler said. “It is a project that we are aware of.”
Wakeland also said that someone had suggested posting signs with the ages of the various tree plantings. “There was a lot of tree plantings on that property, and I think it would be interesting for people to know the age of the different tree plantings,” he added. “I got a professional quote, and it was just way too much, so I don’t know what I’m going to do about that.” Ritzler said the Highway Department should be able to make those signs fairly easily.
Additionally, Wakeland wanted to make sure the Starke County Forest has an online presence. He pointed out that it used to have a page on the county’s website, but it doesn’t seem to be there anymore.
County Attorney Marty Lucas suggested the possibility of seeking grant funding for a stand-alone website. “If you want to get a nice website, it’s even possible that some of that Stellar money that we got because that wouldn’t be a whole lot, because I think it would be great to have a little more outward presence on that,” Lucas said. “For example, the people at Mirth and Whimsy might be able to design it and make it really nice.”
The website could include maps of the forest, its history, and visitor rules.
