Growing for the next generation

The Washington Tree Committee was hard at work on Monday as they enlisted the help of Washington High School students to plant 97 new trees- 56 at Washington High School and 41 at Elm Grove Cemetery.

Andy Dahl, a volunteer with the committee, said the trees were being planted with help from a grant from Trees Forever and donations from the Washington Betterment Foundation and other private donors. The funds helped plant a variety of trees, including a small orchard at the high school consisting of three apple trees, a pear, cherry and peach tree.

Dahl said having the high school students involved in the process is great because they are hard workers and it provides a hands-on learning experience for them to be able to reflect on in the future.

'They'll be able to come back and watch these grow at some point and say, ‘Hey, I planted that tree,' and tell their kiddos or something. That's kind of neat, so hopefully there's still some appreciation for trees that way.”

Trent Steinhart, an ag teacher at Washington High School, brought 14 of his plant science students out to help with the project. He said the experience was great for them because it allowed students to put into practice what they have been learning in the classroom.

'We've learned about wood development and what plants require for growth. We've learned about transplants and bedding smaller stuff, but to actually get out and do what they've learned about is really how they will remember for the rest of their lives,” he said. 'A lot of times in school we try to remember things long enough to take a test, but when you actually get to do it, you'll remember forever.”

He said new experiences like these also help to open their minds for future career choices. They may not be interested in trees, but working outdoors may get them thinking about other outdoor jobs they can have.

'A lot of times when we prepare them for careers, we always say do what you want to do but they don't know what that is so they get another experience that might help them figure out what they want to do for a living someday,” he said.

Marde McConnell, Chair of the Washington Tree Committee, said Washington has been a certified Tree City for nearly 30 years and one arbor day is required a year. She said having the students be part of it this year is great for not only the students, but the city because it shows how much value the city places on trees.

'It shows that you care about trees and your community and the impact they can make and making people's lives better,” she said.