By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
Monk Gardens Executive Director Darcie Howard said the organization will release a statement Wednesday after the board of directors met to discuss the ongoing controversy over a planned name change and its master plan.
The decision to remove the Monk name has sparked enormous public outrage, with more than 6,700 people so far signing a petition in protest. The organization announced two weeks ago that it would become Wausau Botanic Gardens, a decision lauded by Greater Wausau Chamber President and CEO Dave Eckmann and Visit Wausau Executive Director Tim White.
But many residents, donors and volunteers are furious about the change, as well as a plan to begin charging admission. The issue has sparked thousands of comments on social media and dozens of letters to the editor – including several from Monk family members angry about a decision they say dishonors the memory of the man who created the garden and donated the land.
Initially, Howard and her staff appeared to dismiss the criticism and instead emailed an update that blamed the “vast garden of the internet” for “misinformation” and some “confusion about our bond with the Monk family,” despite multiple letters to the editor from Robert Monk III and emails from other family members.
“We were absolutely touched by the waves of enthusiasm that flooded in from our community,” the email reads.
Comments on social media, however, have been anything but enthusiastic, questioning the methodology and research behind the decision.
Monk Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. First Ave., was established in 2003 as a nonprofit when Robert Monk III donated 21 acres of land to a group of volunteers to further his vision of a botanical garden focused on education. In 2019, the Monk Botanical Gardens board and staff revised the prior 2005 master plan and in 2020 presented new concepts for the garden moving forward. The plan includes a robust visitor and education center, gift shop, beer garden and performance space, among other amenities.
Some critics, including volunteers who spent years working with the organization, say the new master plan strays too far from Monk’s vision for the property. But the loudest voices are coming from members of the community who are horrified by the decision to remove the Monk name from the garden.
Monk’s son, Robert Monk IV, said the family and community deserve an apology.
“Assuming the board does the right thing, there are still a number of questions that remain,” he wrote. “Who, if anyone, will be held accountable for introducing and/or supporting this travesty? Will members of the board who publicly and knowingly misrepresented the family’s support for the gardens resign? Will leadership of the gardens be disciplined for neglecting the memorial site of their benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Monk III. This site, and it’s maintenance, is prescribed and protected by an easement on the garden’s deed. Will Monk family members be invited to join the board to provide an historical perspective? Will they be consulted on future plans for development. Time will tell.”
Wausau Pilot will continue to report on this story as additional information is received.
