Stars, Strolls, S’mores, and Trees: Explore the Maskenthine Lake Arboretum

In the rolling hills north of Stanton, Nebraska, you will find Maskenthine Lake Recreation Area that is owned and managed by the Lower Elkhorn NRD. Nestled along the east shores of the lake, you will find Maskenthine Lake Arboretum.

What exactly is an ‘arboretum’? Great question! An arboretum is a collection of trees, shrubs, and in some cases perennial or annual plants in a designated area. These botanicals are identified and people can come to view these living specimens. Basically, it is a tree museum or that is what I tell children. This museum is a chance to see tree specimens not only native to the area, but also species native to other parts of America and the world!

For instance, at the Maskenthine Lake Arboretum, you will find the Ozark Chinquapin or Castanea ozarkensis that is found natively in the Ozark-Ouachita Mountains of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Due to the fact the Ozark Chinquapin is susceptible to chestnut blight - the same blight that took out the American Chestnut - its population has dwindled and there are efforts to preserve the species which includes introducing it to sites outside its native range such as Maskenthine Lake Arboretum.

On the evening of Monday, July 1, Maskenthine Lake Recreation Area will be the site for the Norfolk Area Stars, Strolls, and S’mores Moon Walk. At this moon walk, participants will learn about the Maskenthine Arboretum, Mountain Biking, and Bat Monitoring. The event will start at 7:30 PM and signs will point the way to the start of the event. I will be leading the

Maskenthine Arboretum tour portion where we will start off with a fun hands-on game to understand the struggles of a tree to establish in Nebraska. After that, I will lead folks on a walking tour and stop to talk about some of my favorite trees along the way, answer tree questions, and even ask questions of the participants. If you are looking at purchasing a tree for your own yard, this would be the ideal event for you! This opportunity would give you a chance to do some shopping of what species of trees – and shrubs – grow up in northeast Nebraska. You can get up close and personal with the trees to see the texture of their bark or feel the composition of their leaves. You can even get a chance to quiz the Tree Lady on what benefits the trees provide for pollinators, birds, or even humans.

The Maskenthine Lake Arboretum Tour will be a relaxed, leisurely stroll through the trees. This will be a great time to just walk amongst the trees and under the setting sun. Also, there are rumors of a scavenger hunt along the way during the arboretum tour with some prizes at the end.

For more information, contact Liz Lienemann with the Lower Elkhorn NRD at 402.371.7313 or check out www.lenrd.org.