The Springfield-Greene County Park Board has completed a tree inventory at the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

The inventory identified and graded more than 2,400 trees in the park. The inventory is also an interactive online directory, with the location and details of each tree, as well as a summary of economic and ecological benefits provided by the trees. The directory is viewable at springfieldparksmo.mytreekeeper.com.

The Springfield Botanical Gardens includes more than 100 acres of managed garden landscapes, including the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, the Ethnic Trail of Trees, Dwarf Conifer Garden, Dogwood Garden and Redbud Garden, as well as numerous trees marked with plant ID signs and memorial tributes.

Katie Steinhoff, Coordinator of the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center in the park, said the inventory benefits overall parks planning as well as park visitors.

“This tree inventory tool has been a huge asset as we understand what we have and what is missing in our collection,” said Steinhoff. “We will be able to create better statistics on tree performance and health. People who donate to our arboretum will be able to locate their tree. Within the next year, special tree tours and more specific information about the trees will be accessible on a mobile device.”

Ben Kellner, Park Supervisor at Nathanael-Greene/Close Memorial Park, said the inventory also helps aids staff in planning tree maintenance and future planting projects.

“The plan is to prioritize tree maintenance and use this information to put together a plan for the overall improvement of the city’s urban forest management program,” said Kellner. “In addition to the benefit of immediate risk reduction, this comprehensive inventory of our public trees will provide information to maximize the long-term benefits of the urban forest, increasing the quality of life in our community.”

The tree inventory was made possible by a Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The inventory was conducted by Davey Resource Group, a division of The Davey Tree Expert Company, using handheld computers, aerial photographs and Geographic Information System (GIS) information.

For more information, contact Katie Steinhoff, Botanical Center Coordinator, at 417-874-2947 or e-mail: Katie Steinhoff.

For media inquiries, contact Jenny Fillmer Edwards, Public Information Administrator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, at 417-874-2943 or 417-224-5510, or email Jenny Edwards.