Lanc City Forestry Merit Badges for Indie Retail week!
It's summer, lets do a summer camp activity! Earn a Merit Badge!
While you are exploring the charming retailers for Lancaster Indie Retail Week, stop and admire the trees that shade and decorate our urban sidewalks and parks. July 24 - Aug 1, 2026.
At Larkstone, we love the city trees, but realized that we didn't actually know much about them. Enter: the Lanc City Urban Forestry Merit Badge!
How to earn the Merit badge:
*Locate and identify 10 city street trees. Log their name and approximate location.
*Report on at least one ecological fact about one of the trees.
*Report on one bit of history about trees and their relationship to humans.
Bonus: get a 25% discount on one item from the store. *excludes binoculars and Osprey products.
Just want the discount and less work? Identify 5 trees and report one fact or history.
FAQ
What are the rules about the log? Write it down anywhere, as fancy or as simple as is fun for you.
Suggestion: Start your own adventure journal! Ellicott and Co is giving away free journals with purchase as their Indie Retail week deal, or swing over to Curio and snag one of the coveted Field Notes Brand notebooks (spending $15 gets you a color wheel enamel pin).
Report on ecology? Like, homework? Just tell us something you think is interesting, we don't need you to write it all out, just talk to us. Any facts about the trees that you think are interesting, cute, or surprising.
Hints: There is something special about Ginkgo leaves you might want to learn.
History of trees? There are some interesting historic stories about trees in the city, like the story of the Ginkgos in Lancaster Cemetery, or the story of the White Mulberry trees and how Mulberry Street got it's name, or even the history of American Chestnut trees (our store's door and window cases are made of Chestnut from 1913). You have to look it up yourself, but the stories aren't too hard to find.
However, any story about a human interaction with trees works for us, even if it's a personal one, or a tree with lore specific to your family.
How to identify trees:
1) Your phone can probably identify them pretty well by taking a picture of the leaves. We can usually make this work with our iPhones, but don't ask us how to do it with your phone.
2) We sell field guides to the trees of PA in the store.
3) All of the city's street trees are logged in a map. It only has the street and park trees, not the backyard trees, but it's really cool that it exists and it's easy to use!
4) Here is a PDF file that has info sheets on many (but not all) of the street trees in the city.
Why we are doing this:
Larkstone is a retail store focused on contributing the the walkability of Lancaster City, and to that end we carry a lot of outdoor lifestyle brands, because a walkable city is a life outside. The trees are key to to making that walkable life feel comfortable and beautiful, so this is a whimsical opportunity to learn more about them, and hopefully feel some love for them and the place we are rooted.
About the badge:
This is a 1.5" circular patch with an iron-on backing that we designed and made in house.
More about Indie Retail Week
Indie Retail Week is a week is a week to reconnect with the retailers in our city, get to know the personalities behind the businesses, and touch base with the small business charm that makes this place so special. There are some great deals and events happening across town, so make sure to seize the moment!
Our suggestion; follow your nose, get curious, and explore. Stop into the places you haven't been to in a while, see what's new, and just enjoy this incredible little city we get to live in!