Investing in the Future: Kenmore Neighborhood Plants Trees with ARP Funds

Children of the Hoover Family who live in the Kenmore neighborhood pose for a picture at Guthrie Park. Photo by Mike Rhodes with parental permission.Children of the Hoover Family who live in the Kenmore neighborhood pose for a picture at Guthrie Park. Photo by Mike Rhodes with parental permission.

By Kourtney McCauliff—

MUNCIE, IN—One of the great amenities of Kenmore Neighborhood in northwest Muncie is our beautiful canopy of trees. If you walk through our quarter of the Magic City, you’ll notice several tree lined streets and thickly wooded lawns.

Trees are a defining characteristic of Kenmore. In 2021 we had the opportunity to work with Studio 165+ for a new neighborhood logo. In a brainstorming session, the designers asked us what best defines us: “what comes to mind when you think of Kenmore?” The answer from everyone was trees!

Many of our trees have stood for over a century. But unfortunately, we’ve lost quite a few in recent years due to age and inclement weather.

In a proactive goal to maintain our neighborhood forest, the Kenmore Neighborhood Association has worked with residents to plant new trees. We’ve utilized funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to pay for the effort. About two dozen new native trees will be planted on April 20th, in honor of Earth Day. We’ve partnered with Brumond Smith Tree Nursery for purchasing and planting.

Our decision to allocate ARP funding towards tree planting stems from our shared vision to create a greener, more vibrant neighborhood for generations yet to come.

Kenmore’s Earth Day tree planting event is also a continuation of our commitment to neighborhood beautification and engagement. Through partnerships with American Electric Power and Ball State University, we’ve already beautified an empty lot that serves as a neighborhood entry by adding native wildflowers to attract pollinators.

As our neighbors gather on April 20th to plant trees, we continue to cultivate a legacy of environmental stewardship and Kenmore pride that will endure for years to come.