Walkers at the City Park walking trail might have noticed someof the trees tied with pink tape and numbered in black.

Lincoln County Forestry Association officials say those markedtrees will be a part of a step to make walking at City Park notonly a healthy endeavor, but also an educational one.

Mississippi State University Extension Service Director RebeccaBates said designated trees will soon have markers in front of themidentifying them by name.

“We flagged and numbered almost 20 trees and we will order theplates,” she said. “They’ll go on a pine post that will be put inthe ground in front of the trees.”

Bates said the plates will show the common and scientific namesof the trees, as well as the aesthetic and commercial uses for thewood.

At this point in time there is not a large variety of trees atCity Park, Bates said, but it won’t stay that way for long.

“There’s not a lot of diversity out there, because there are somany pines, but we found nearly 20 different tree varieties, and Iknow there are plans to continue to add different species,” shesaid.

Bates said fall is the best time of year to plant new trees. Ifthe forestry association officials can find funds to add more treesthis year, they will.

The idea came, Bates said, when a live oak tree andcommemorative bench for the 150th anniversary of Brookhaven wereput in City Park, and officials realized it might be a good idea tolabel other types of trees. If for nothing else, Bates said, itwould be a good situation for kids with school projects and evencurious walkers.

“When we started the project for the live oak and thecommemorative bench for the 150th celebration, we thought, ‘What agood idea to label some of the trees on the walking trail,'” shesaid. “That way as you’re walking, you can tell what’s a loblollypine or a shortleaf pine, or the difference between a water oak anda live oak.”

Bates said the labels and posts will be paid for by the LincolnCounty Forestry Association, and that they will be orderingadditional ones to back up the first round of plates as theysuccumb to the weather and rigors of being in the public.

“Over time, the plates get weathered, torn or vandalized. If wehave extras, we can just go replace them instead of waiting forothers to come in,” she said.

And while some botanical gardens and arboretums have the platesactually attached to the trees themselves, Bates said that idea wasdiscarded for the trees at City Park.

“I don’t like the idea of doing that, because I feel like everytime you drive a nail into the tree, you’ve wounded it and it opensit up to insects and disease,” she said, adding that officials wantto keep the trees healthy.

In addition, Bates said she doesn’t want walkers to be alarmedwhen they see the flags, as many of the regulars have grownaccustomed to the scenery along the trail.

“I just want them to know that when they see those pink ribbons,we are not going to cut those trees down,” she said. “Those are theones that are going to be labeled.”