There are many parks located in and around the city of Decatur that provide playgrounds, tennis courts, ball diamonds, swimming, scenery and more to enjoy.

Eastbrook park is located on Piqua Road by the middle school.  There are 5 acres and a playground to explore.

Kekionga Park is located off of Mercer on Locust Street.  Kekionga park encompasses 50 acres.  There are spots to put in canoes for a leisure paddle down the St. Mary's River, there are extensive trails for hiking and biking.  These trails are part of the Rivergreenway System in Decatur.  There is a pond tucked in towards the back near the playground which contains swings, merry-go-round, mounds and tunnels to play on or in.  There is a picnic shelter and flush toilets available for rental. A baseball and softball diamond is also available. Please call (260) 724-2520 to make the arrangements.

Hanna Nuttman Park is located on Washington Street just West of 13th Street.  Hanna Nuttman Park is the last remnant of the original forest in the Decatur Area.  This land was given to the City in 1932 to be used for the enjoyment of all residents.  There are many things to do at Hanna Nuttman Park.  There are 7 ball diamonds that are used by the youth and adult baseball and softball leagues.  Within the vicinity of the ball diamonds there is a playground with a slide, swings and merry-go-round.  

When you go deeper into the park, beyond the ball diamonds, there are two cabins; one built by the Decatur Boy Scouts, and the other by the Decatur Girl Scouts.  Both organizations are still active and continue to maintain those cabins.  As you follow the road beyond the cabins there is a large field with another playground which contains swings and a slide.  There are trails that wind through the woods beginning in the vicinity of the Girl Scout Cabin and on Washington Street.  The City's official Nature Trails begins on Washington street by the big brown sign.  Along that trail you will see varieties of birds, plants and wildlife.  There are even a few bat houses up in the trees.

Waterworks Park is located on 5th Street.  The Decatur Swimming Pool is the big draw here.  There is a zero depth to deep swimming pool with two drop slides and two diving boards, just for the fun of it!  Concessions are also available.

Covered Bridge Park is located on the Wabash River near Geneva.  Take a look at Adams County's last remaining covered bridge.

Monroe Park is located in the City of Monroe just south of Decatur on US Highway 27.  The park has a picnic shelter and playground area.

Field's Park has 2 -3 Ball Diamonds and a Soccer field.

Limberlost Park is located in Geneva along the Wabash River.  Limberlost Park is 50 acres large and is the home of Adams' County last covered bridge.  The park has many hiking/walking trails and a picnic shelter.

Linn Grove Park is also located on the Wabash River.  It's great for fishing and has a picnic shelter.

Decatur has been a tree city since 1993.  Currently, we prune, remove and plant trees on the city streets to improve our urban forest.  The city has been divided into 5 zones and one zone a year is scheduled to have the hazardous trees removed, all trees pruned and new trees planted.

The Parks & Recreation Department work in conjunction with the Street Department and a private contractor.  The Parks Department removes trees from December through February.  Then a private contractor grinds the stumps.  New trees are planted in mid-March.  The Parks Department maintains a year round pruning schedule.

The City Forester, Dwight Pierce, must give written permission before any home owner works on the street trees.  New trees may be planted by home owners; however, the trees must be listed on Decatur's approved list of street trees.  The city has the right to remove any non-desirable trees.

Soil Condition: Provides the foundation for a healthy tree.  Determine if your soil is wet, clay, or loamy acid then choose a tree that will thrive in those conditions.

Exposure:  Choose a full sunlight location for your tree.  Very few of them will thrive in a shaded location.

Human Activity:  Choose a location that will be easy to water and where the soil will not become compacted; especially important while the trees are young.  

Space Constraints:  Consider your greenway width, presence of overhead wires and building locations.  Look to the future and plant your trees where they have room to spread out and grow over the next 30 years.

Hardiness:  Indiana is located in cold tolerance Zone 5.  Choose a tree that will thrive in zones with a rating of 5 or lower.

• Dig a shallow wide hole
  
• Place the tree at the same depth as they grew in the nursery.  In wet areas taper the dirt away from the tree trunk.
  
• Remove rope and burlap from balled trees.  Squeeze the sides of a potted tree and slide out.  Cut roots that circle the root mass.
  
• Straighten the tree before backfilling.
  
• Fill the hole 1/2 full, gently pack down the soil, then water to settle the soil.  Repeat until hole is filled.
  
• Stake the tree for added support and protection from wind and human activity.
  
• Mulch a circle around the tree 2 - 4 inches deep.  The mulch should not touch the tree trunk.
  
• Do not fertilize the tree until it is 2 years old.

Trees are pruned for safety, health, aesthetics, fruit production, to removed dead or diseased wood, improve the structure and raise the canopy.  Topping, the process of cutting off the top of the tree, is no longer an approved method of tree pruning.  Use the following tips for healthy, long lasting trees.

• Prune mostly in the winter or early spring, sparingly, or as needed in other seasons.
• All cuts need to be made to a lateral branch or to the branch bark collar on the trunk.  Do not leave stubs.
• Do not use wound dressing, the running sap from the tree will heal the cut.
• Do not remove more than 1/3 of the foliage at one time.
• Do not cut back the central leader on young trees, genetics will control the fullness and size.
• Use the three point cut on larger branches to keep the bark from tearing.

The only registered site in Adams County, The Decatur Compost Facility, is located behind Riverside Center on Jackson Street.  This facility is open 24 hrs a day.  Your organic waste of grass and garden waste, branches, leaves and soil may be deposited any time.  The facility uses these organic materials for compost or woodchip production. For more information call City Hall.

Compost

Compost is a human assisted, natural process wherein a person attempts to establish and maintain optimum conditions for micro-organisms to break down organic material.  At the Decatur compost site, the facility operator achieves these conditions through the combination of  leaves, grass and herbaceous plants into windrow.  This mixture is turned or mixed weekly to blend the various materials and to provide oxygen for the micro-organisms.

Compost is this mixture finely broken down to resemble dirt, but it is not black dire.  Compost us used as an amendment to improve solid structure and provide nutrients for plant growth.  Three to four inches of material applied to the surface, then tilled into the soil annually, should adequately maintain your soil's optimum condition.  Make sure you use compost that is finished off to prevent competition between the mirco- organisms with your plants for the vital and limited Nitrogen supply.  Lack of nitrogen starves plants.  The Decatur compost site produces 800 yards of compost annually.  The demand for compost is high in the spring and the supply is depleted by May.

Woodchips

Wood ships are beneficial as landscape mulch used to retain moisture, reduce week growth and moderate solid temperatures.  Wood ships should be applied 2 - 4 inches deep and should not be allowed to touch tree trunks or the stems of woody shrubs.  The bark of growing trees and shrubs need exposure to sunlight and air to function properly and maintain a healthy condition.

Do not mix the wood chips into your soil as you do compost.  The wood chips contain a high carbon to nitrogen ration will starve your plants of valuable Nitrogen.  A Nitrogen imbalance in your soil will take several years to correct and replenish.  Wood chips lying on top of the soil will naturally decompose over time and valuable nutrients will leach down into the soil to be absorbed by your plants.  The Decatur Compost facility generates 1400 cubic yards of wood chips that are available to city residents all year long.