Recently, CEES staff and interns braved the cold Indiana weather to take a tour of the Lilly ARBOR site (Answers for Restoring the Bank of the River), led by Jeremy Webber III.
The Lilly ARBOR project runs along White River between 10th Street and New York Street, and is made up of 8 sections. The purpose of the Lilly ARBOR project was to collect data on how to effectively reforest degraded floodplains in Indianapolis. Several tree species were planted, measured, and monitored over the course of several years to analyze which trees would survive best in these conditions and successfully restore the area. By evaluating the data that was collected while the site was active, and by reassessing the project site over the next few months, CEES hopes to compare the findings and track the changes that have occurred in recent years.
Even in the middle of winter with an inch of snow, the Lilly ARBOR site is a lovely place to visit. I am eager to see how the area develops this spring, and I cannot wait to spend some time identifying and measuring the trees.
