WAYNESBORO CELEBRATES ROTARY PARK'S DESIGNATION AS THE COMMUNITY'S FIRST ARBORETUM
By Robb Helfrick
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.” Tom McCloud of the Waynesboro Shade Tree Commission opened the April 24 Rotary Park Arboretum dedication with that statement. He mentioned that, thanks to the Rotary Club and its many partners, trees had indeed been planted in this Waynesboro green space back in the early 2000s. With those specimens thriving in the park behind him, McCloud said Arbor Day was an appropriate time to celebrate Rotary Park’s status as an official arboretum in 2026.
The crowd that gathered witnessed a milestone event in the Waynesboro park system. Dignitaries and tree lovers visited the community’s first arboretum, only the second such reserve in Franklin County. Achieving that distinction elevated Rotary Park to a museum of trees. That process took many years and required a group of dedicated advocates to bring it to fruition.
McCloud recalled a memory from 50 years before the dedication. At that time, the park’s site was just a weed-filled field. “I thought, why don’t they turn that into a park?”
Thirty years later, in 2005, the Rotary Club was turning 100 years old. The national organization tasked its member chapters with creating “century projects,” good deeds that would benefit their communities. Dr. Bob Zimmerman was the local Rotary president at that time.
During the dedication ceremony, Zimmerman recalled how Waynesboro Rotarians decided to create Rotary Park. The committee considered three projects. Two of them were more affordable: an electronic community sign and a pavilion. However, the idea to create a park from that weedy field on West Ninth Street was deemed the highest priority, and the group pooled its resources to tackle the task.
Jim Rock followed Zimmerman as Rotary president. As a building contractor, he had the perfect connections for supervising the Rotary Park project. While Zimmerman joked that his initial budget estimate was only 1/3 of the final cost, Rock enlisted many sources who performed work for free or at a discount. Many Rotarians helped with the labor and with the building of the park pavilion.
The final touch to finish the park was selecting and planting the trees. Brian Stum was the expert called upon to create and execute that plan. At the dedication ceremony, he recalled his thought process twenty years earlier. “It was great to have a palette this size to work with,” Stum said.
Stum visited different parks to get a feel for the right plan. He had earlier learned that it was risky to plant more than 15% of the same tree species in one location. A single disease could wipe out the entire park collection. “We went with a larger, more robust selection,” Stum said.
The choice to add variety offered a chance to include different-sized trees with varying degrees of shade and growth rates, along with an opportunity to plant flowering species. “It was an honor to work on this project,” Stum said. Twenty years later, his wise choices also opened an opportunity for Rotary Park to become an arboretum. A level 1 classification requires 25 different tree species.
Tom McCloud thanked everyone who participated in the Rotary project. “We’re here today celebrating that planting from 20 years ago.” McCloud then introduced Austin Lally, a fellow Shade Tree Commission member.
Lally, with his wife, Samantha Kalita, moved from Oregon to Waynesboro in 2023. They purchased a home that borders Rotary Park. “We live at the top of the park, and we’re thankful to have this in our backyard,” Austin said. Lally met McCloud and fellow STC member Harry Morningstar at a previous Arbor Day tree-planting at Renfrew, and soon after, Austin joined the STC.
“We’re excited to see so many people turn out for this event,” Lally remarked. Austin detailed how the process progressed to achieve the arboretum accreditation. He first approached Tom McCloud with the idea, who encouraged him to move forward.
Lally put together a strategic plan with the help of Derek Furry of Bartlett Tree Experts. With that assistance, Lally oversaw the creation of a tree care and education plan, both of which were requirements to become an official arboretum.
STC sponsored a public “tree walk” in October of 2025. That educational event was the last item on the project’s to-do list. Afterward, Lally submitted Rotary Park’s application for official arboretum status.
At the dedication, Austin Lally said he couldn’t claim the arboretum concept as his own. His wife, Samantha Kalita, had come up with the idea. She read a magazine article about a museum establishing an arboretum. “I didn’t know you could do that, so I looked it up,” Kalita said.
Samantha’s research led her to contemplate the park right outside her window. Could it too become an arboretum? Both she and Austin attempted to count the species, but they weren’t tree professionals. When Bartlett Tree Experts began tagging the trees to get an accurate count, Samantha and Austin followed it closely. “We hoped Rotary Park had enough varieties of trees,” Samantha said. After the count, the couple breathed a sigh of relief: Rotary Park had 28 species.
As the Rotary Park dedication continued, Mayor Dade Royer delivered an official proclamation. He began by speaking from the heart. “What a blessing this is,” Royer said. “The park is a real asset to our community.”
While reading his official decree, Royer noted that America first observed Arbor Day in Nebraska in 1872. “Trees provide significant environmental benefits by improving air quality, reducing erosion, conserving energy, and providing habitat for wildlife. Trees are a valuable renewable resource that contribute to the beauty, health, and economic vitality of Waynesboro,” the proclamation read.
The Mayor’s statement continued by saying that planting trees improved home values, strengthened neighborhoods, and enriched the quality of life for all residents. “The Borough of Waynesboro proudly celebrates the dedication of the new Rotary Park Arboretum. It will serve as a place of education, recreation, environmental stewardship, and give enjoyment to residents and visitors for generations to come.” Royer urged residents to follow Rotary Park’s example and “plant, preserve, and care for trees throughout the community.”
After the Mayor concluded his remarks, dignitaries and guests assembled for the ribbon-cutting. The Shade Tree Commission members beamed as Royer wielded a giant pair of scissors to split a red ribbon.
Afterward, Bartlett Tree Experts’ Derek Furry spoke to the crowd about the Rotary Park project. “When they planted trees here, it improved the aesthetic qualities of the park, provided shade, and also added seasonal color.” Furry challenged the crowd about why they should care about planting trees at home. “Because there’s value in it,” Furry said. “Trees appreciate. Trees are an asset.”
Furry explained how Bartlett’s “ArborScope” program maps trees in locations such as Rotary Park. This unique virtual layout is accessible on a smartphone or a computer. It records trees in specific locales by identifying their species and condition. Not only is this a valuable educational tool, but this type of mapping also helps maintain the trees. Visitors can report damaged specimens by their ID number.
As the crowd moved into smaller groups to chat, the Shade Tree Commission members reflected on their admiration for trees. Harry Morningstar was the first STC member. He traced that history back to an Eagle Scout project when he was 17. “That was 52 years ago,” Morningstar said with a grin. To complete that pinnacle of scouting, he planted eight trees in the town’s square.
Five years later, those trees were not being maintained properly. Morningstar went to the Borough Manager, who was impressed with Harry’s knowledge. He then anointed Morningstar, at age 21, as the town’s new tree czar. “OK, you’re in charge,” Harry recalled him saying. The STC began with that edict.
Dana Poole moved to Waynesboro in 2021. Like Austin and Samantha Lally, she wanted to contribute to her new community, so she got involved with the Shade Tree Commission. “I love trees and wanted to help,” Poole said.
When asked how it felt to be a relative newcomer to the town and participate in the park’s milestone, Poole smiled. “I think that’s a testament to Waynesboro and how welcoming a community it is.”
As another converted Waynesborian, Austin Lally agreed by thanking Tom McCloud and Harry Morningstar. “They’ve been good mentors and know a lot about trees,” Lally said. “The park was already an amazing resource, but making it an arboretum may bring more visitors. People can learn here, not just walk around the park. It’s a living museum.”
As the festive crowd dispersed, Derek Furry’s two young children gave away tree seedlings to encourage environmental stewardship. Tom McCloud nodded approval and then finished a thought that originated with his opening quote about planting trees. “The second best time to plant a tree is today.”
