Welcome to the Audrey Penner Tree Walk website! Thank you for visiting! Here you will find information about all of the trees included in the tree walk and the history about how the tree walk came to be. We hope you find what you are look for and that you enjoy the tree walk as much as we do!
History of the Tree Walk
The mission and purpose of the Audrey Penner Tree Walk is to provide an environmental education area for all Onalaska students and the entire community. The Tree Walk nurtures a sense of love and respect for the environment and provides an outdoor classroom for the study of species native to Wisconsin.
A Dedication Ceremony and Opening Celebration took place on June 5, 2007. Dignitaries included Superintendent of School John Burnett, Eagle Bluff School Principal Todd Saner, retired teacher and former School Board member Marian Mieden, and special guest, Smokey the Bear. Audrey Penner, together with the students of Eagle Bluff School unveiled the Audrey Penner Tree Walk sign and cut the ribbon to open the Tree Walk. After remarks by Audrey Penner, Smokey the Bear assisted the school community as they watered the trees.
The Audrey Penner Tree Walk was developed as an Arboretum for the School District of Onalaska. The tree walk has been increasing in use and popularity as the plantings mature and a school curriculum is developed. Numerous school and community projects have continued to enhance the area and develop the components of the walk to increase its function and usefulness.
The Audrey Penner Tree Walk enhances not only the aesthetics of the Eagle Bluff School campus but also positively affects the educational and public service opportunities of our students and community. The purpose underlying the effort to build and maintain the tree walk is more than the simple educational, social, and aesthetic benefits seen by our students and visitors; the Audrey Penner Tree Walk becomes part of each student and volunteer in the same way that Audrey touched the students and people around her.
The gazebo located in the Audrey Penner Tree Walk was built on the back lawn of the playground at Fauver Hill School in 1992. The La Crosse Area Home Builders Association donated their services to construct the gazebo and the Onalaska High School classes of 2003 and 2004 provided funding for the materials.
When Eagle Bluff School opened, the gazebo moved to a new home. It stood alone for several years, reminding us that there was a tree walk waiting to be born on that hill behind it. From the beginning, the gazebo was (and remains) a community resource, utilized by school children, scout troops and community organizations for a variety of activities. And it still reminds us that children have always and will always need a place to study and enjoy the grandeur and grace of creation.