In early 2024, Birch Grove Community School Director Diane Blanchette reached out to Let’s Plant Trees with an idea. She wanted to know if Let’s Plant Trees could come out to the school and work with students to plant trees on the property, in their “campsite” area in the back of the school where students regularly participate in experiential education and outdoor activities. Let’s Plant Trees agreed, and offered to provide a tree seedling for each student and staff member to take home!
LPT also prepared an educational presentation appropriate for the age of the students – PreK to 5th grade. A date was set in late May to share the presentation, plant some tree seedlings on site, and send students home with a tree seedling they could plant with their families.
Spring in Minnesota does bring fickle weather, and this date was no exception. While the forecast initially appeared to be passable for the chosen afternoon, a thunderstorm hampered plans to plant the trees that day. Nonetheless the students enjoyed the presentation and got to pass around samples of branches from local white pines, red pines, spruce trees, cedars, and other species.
Discussions ranged from identifying common trees, to the impacts of climate change on trees, and the ability of trees to help mitigate climate change. We also talked about wildfire, controlled burning, and pest issues common to the region. The students asked one million questions, and many shared stories with us about their favorite trees at home as well.
A few days later, the weather had cleared up and students were able to plant the trees at the campsite area and mark each seedling with a flag so that it would not get trampled in their daily activities in that area.
Let’s Plant Trees looks forward to meeting with the students and staff at Birch Grove again in Spring 2025, and planting more trees in the campsite area for students to tend and enjoy!
