Public can make ornaments for Goshen's Mirth Tree

Dani Messick, Goshen News, Ind.
·2 min read

Dec. 5—GOSHEN — Make a Christmas ornament for Goshen.

The public is invited to join city staff and community members in creating an environmentally sustainable holiday ornament for the city's Mirth Tree, located on Washington Street across from Goshen City Hall.

Goshen Environmental Resilience Committee AmeriCorps members are manning the project and its expansion this year.

The idea came to fruition in 2020, with the mindset, AmeriCorps member Acadia Imhof said, of giving without getting anything in return.

"The idea is to make an ornament out of natural materials or upcycled materials and then hang it on the tree and then on Christmas Eve people can come and pick an ornament that they like and want to take home with them," Imhoff explained.

This year, the project has grown. With hopes of getting more of the community involved, the committee has opened up two craft stations at downtown locations: The Green Bee, 108. W. Washington St.; and Goshen Public Library, 601 S. Fifth St.

On-site at the craft stations are supplied tools, equipment, and instructions or ideas. Crafters can leave their ornament at the site for the committee to hang or bring it down to the tree to hang themselves.

On Dec. 12, The Electric Brew will host a special craft station from 2-6 p.m. There, they'll also be making wildlife treats like pinecone seeds coated with peanut butter and bird seed, and popcorn balls with cranberries, for animals that visit the area.

Ornament stations have been open since Friday and Imhoff said they're already being used.

"Sustainability is such a big and scary word that we sometimes get afraid of what does that mean for how we do things, but you can have little fun events like this that show that being sustainable and making sustainable choices can be an enjoyable process, and it can be something that the community can get involved with," AmeriCorps member Alexa Kennel said. "The Mirth Tree, as an idea, it's all about giving, giving back to each other, giving back to the planet, and just trying to be better stewards than we are."

Both sites are open until Dec. 22.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.