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  • 1.  Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-22-2021 02:39:00 PM

    Hi everyone! 

    We are trying to plan a tree planting event in our school garden. We will be planting about 10 fruit trees in our new orchard. I was wondering if anyone has ever done a tree planting day at their school and if you have any suggestions of how to organize it to make 500+ kids feel involved? 

    Due to Covid, our school is not having schoolwide events. So I was thinking of doing small groups of kids. Either classes or 2 to 3 classes at a time. 


    Realistically, not every child will probably be able to participate in the physical planting of the trees. Have any recommendations of how to have kids participate? 


    Thanks for your help everyone!

    Happy Holidays! 



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    Jessica Eves
    Darnall Charter School
    San Diego, CA
    Garden Educator/Coordinator
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  • 2.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-22-2021 02:49:00 PM
    Last time I did something like this we had classrooms adopt the trees, though come to think of it I had the youngest classes adopt the trees so that they could watch them grow.  When planting time came we had some help with digging (that was NOT fun in the Texas heat), some help plant, some help with watering, others with mulch.  When not active with the tree students went through some activity stations.   But as I said, it was only one grade level.  

    My position is unique in that I am not a classroom teacher, so I have flexibility to determine which classes to invite.  I do tend to rotate the focus from year to year.  For example, a few years ago a 3rd grade class helped develop a 5 year plan for the butterfly garden.  They implemented the plan until they moved onto middle school.  Then I had the next group of 3rd graders  work on a new 5 year plan that honors the previous vision.  Same with the bird feeders/houses and citizen scientist project.  The butterfly banding.  I want the students I work with to have long term projects as well as short term.  



    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-22-2021 03:00:00 PM

    Thanks for sharing your experience Rebecca. I forgot to mention that I also will have our community business partner, a local tree care company, assisting with digging holes and the entire planting event. 


    I like the idea of some students helping with mulching and watering as well as the actual planting too. 



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    Jessica Eves

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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-23-2021 11:31:00 AM
    Hi, 
    I have done a tree planting with a small school group.   

    Here are some ideas.  

    John Denver has a song called Plant a Tree It's online.  Great for everyone to sing as part of the ceremony.   very easy to sing tune. 


    Plant a tree for your tomorrow 
    It's your tree that clears the air 
    Plant a tree, trees for America 
    Plant a tree today for all the world to share 

    Taste the breeze, it's life inside you 
    Make a promise to the Earth 
    Plant a tree, now is the time to 
    Recognize a tree for all that it is worth 

    Plant a tree for your tomorrow 
    It's your tree that clears the air 
    Plant a tree, trees for America 
    Plant a tree today for all the world to share 

    Grow a shady place to rest in 
    Make a place for birds to sing 
    Plant a forest for the future 
    For the breath of life begins with every spring 

    Plant a tree for your tomorrow 
    It's your tree that clears the air 
    Plant a tree, trees for America 
    Plant a tree today for all the world to share 


    Carla Vitez
    704-533-5048 c






    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-27-2021 08:48:00 AM
    Hi Jessica,

    We used to do a tree planting field trip with a local school for Georgia Arbor Day. Having a couple hundred kids plant one tree was too awkward, so here it what we did. 

    The kids would be in their class groups doing tree related activities -- such as a game we call Tree Needs, an activity called My Life as a Tree, and so on. One class at a time would be in the planting area.  We would read the Arbor Day proclamation, then the kids lined up and each on put a trowel scoop of soil into the hole. 
    That class would go onto one of the tree activities and the next class would come out and do their soil scoops on the tree. 

    Since you are planting a bunch of trees maybe you could do something like that. When the holes are filled then the next class will do cups of water.  The last few classes can do trowel scoops of mulch. 

    Best of luck! 

    --
    Michelle Zupan
    Curator 
    Hickory Hill & the Tom Watson Birthplace
    502 Hickory Hill Drive
    Thomson, GA  30824
    706-595-7777
    FAX: 706-595-7177

    Visit us at www.hickory-hill.org or on Facebook.
    Follow us on Twitter: HHEducation

    Historic homes of the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc. 






    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-23-2021 11:49:00 AM
    Just some more brainstorming.

    Besides the singing.  There could be some classes that develop signage and information about the trees - where did they grow originally, how they spread, how to identify,  pollinators.... 
    I like the tree exercise in Project Learning Tree curriculum where each layer of kids is the different parts of the tree - heartwood, xylem, phloem, etc etc  and each group has a sound/words...  
    Someone mentioned digging.... Definitely do ahead.  I used a brigade approach.   Children line up.  Each one shovels a few scoops then passes the shovel to the next person and goes to the back of the line.
     Same thing with a bucket brigade to water.  Small children need very small buckets.  
    Mulch would be last.. research that so you don't pile mulch around the base of the tree too thick.... create a big saucer. 
    10 trees would be 50 kids per tree.  5 teams of 10? 
     Other tasks or research ideas... - Tree labels......A school bulletin board that describes the formation of the fruit.   How long will it take for the tree to reach maturity to bear fruit?  Is the fruit tree dioecious - that is are male and female flowers on different trees....example would be persimmon.   What is cross pollination...why is that important?  Will trees need to be protected from deer ?  What insects or diseases may attack the trees.?? How can they be handled with natural methods?   What insects are essential or beneficial?  How and when will the trees be pruned?  - essential for good production.

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    Carla Vitez
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-23-2021 02:18:00 PM
    Hello Jessica,
    Something else you can do is contact the local Eagle Scouts, as they are always looking for projects -- they might be able to help.  I would also touch basis with the California Gardens Club District Director, Sharon Tooley at djsj21643@aol.com, she has Youth Coordinators, who work with schools, etc. that might be able to help as well.  She also could put your school in for free tools.  Good Luck.

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    Susan Bennett
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-27-2021 01:35:00 PM
      |   view attached
    Building on Michelle Zupan's experience, we did something similar for Arbor Day in celebration of our 40th year as a Tree City. We partnered with a local school that was next to the park where we were planting trees. We invited only the 3rd- and 5th-grade classes (a total of 10 groups of 20-22 students). We rotated them through 8 learning stations about every 7-8 minutes. Each station taught them something about trees. (See attached.) For the planting station, adults dug the holes for the 40 trees before the event. Students helped move, plant and water the trees. So some students helped move a tree, some planted and backfilled, some watered. Everyone did a little bit and no one seemed to mind that they didn't get to do the whole tree planting part. They knew that they would rotate in 7-8 minutes to the next learning station. The biggest challenge was having enough supplies (and adult volunteers) at each station to keep 20-22 students engaged for the time period.

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    Erin Hoffer
    Sustainability and Environmental Education Division (SEED)
    Plano TX
    erinhof@plano.gov
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    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Arbor Day station possibilities.pdf   74 KB 1 version
    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Fruit Tree Planting Day

    Posted 12-27-2021 05:57:00 PM
    Wow! Thanks to everyone who shared some ideas and their experience with similar planting events. I love all your ideas and this gives me a better idea of how to plan this event. 

    Thanks for the support everyone!

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    Jessica Eves

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    Original Message


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