A New Carlisle resident and volunteer told council members she wants to lead a phased native-planting effort and “heritage forest” behind the former Madison School property to increase green space, support pollinators and create a place for memorial plantings. "I have lived in Carlisle for 39 years," said Maria Norman, who described a capstone project, volunteer labor and plans to use native species to attract wildlife and reduce long-term maintenance. Nut graf: Council members welcomed the idea as a low-cost, community-driven way to expand green amenities, but asked for a blueprint and for staff to coordinate logistics, accessibility and long-term maintenance. The discussion also widened to include potential dog-park siting, park connectivity, and opportunities from new nearby development. What was proposed: Norman outlined three phases — a visible native garden at Smith Park, certification of green spaces to attract attention and a longer-term native tree forest on Madison Street land adjacent to Habitat homes. She identified specific native species (oaks, viburnum, perennials) and suggested transplanting volunteer trees, seeking donations and using volunteers to reduce cost. Council and staff reaction: City staff and several council members endorsed the idea but requested a diagram and an implementation plan that addresses trails, parking, accessibility and phased capital costs. The city manager and parks staff said the project could leverage donated trees, volunteer labor and outside grants and noted that planting trees reduces future grass-mowing needs. Dog-park discussion: Council considered placing a dog park near the same property or at Smith Park to increase foot traffic and park use; members raised operational concerns including daily trash removal, odor, and liability. Staff noted typical mitigations — bag stations, trash cans, fencing, a double-entry turnstile — and said more research of other municipalities’ experiences and insurance implications is needed. Next steps and direction: Council asked staff to produce a layout/blueprint for the proposed native forest and to explore grants and donations; they also asked staff to research dog-park liabilities, maintenance burdens and siting options across existing parks. No formal vote was taken on the park concepts. Ending: Staff said it will follow up with design sketches and grant-eligibility research so council can consider a phased project and potential Parks & Recreation board involvement. Speakers quoted in this article are named as they appeared in the meeting transcript.