LEARNING ABOUT THE WONDER OF TREES
Remember the long days in school waiting for the bell to ring so we could play outside? What difference would it have made to our education if we had hands-on-learning sessions in a grove of trees? Well, thanks to the Arbor Day foundation, such opportunities are open to schools in their Tree Camput-K-12 Program. The program was developed to engage students, teachers, administrators, and the local community in teaching about the wonders of trees. The curricula can range from science and ecology to history and poetry. One example is from the Perkiomen School District (close to Philadelphia) that has just been recognized for its work. It speaks to the power and wonder of trees in our lives.
It all began with the United Nation’s launch of the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021) and Arbor Day Foundation’s development of the Tree Campus K-12 Program. The Perkiomen School District became interested in the idea of hands-on-learning and had two, already certified, arboretums in their local area--- the Lenape Arboretum—(so named to honor the people who had lived there) and the Muhlenberg Arboretum. Next, they formed a working relationship with Ursinus College ( a higher education Arbor Day Tree Campus) to begin a Tree Campus Program for the children in this area north of Philadelphia.
AS the children in the district became involved, they wanted to know more about the Native American’s who had originally lived in the area. Teachers encouraged student leaders to ask for help from the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian and members of the Delaware Nation ( one of the recognized tribes of the Lenape People). The children learned the importance of trees and nature in the Lenape culture. The environmental clubs and members of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts led the quest to identify the different tree species in the two arboretums—including Lenape names and uses of different trees. (They even used QR computer codes on signs for more information).
The enthusiasm continued to grow with learning about how trees act as carbon sinks and how they influence local water quality and resources. They built and studied rain gardens, built bluebird houses, grew indigenous herb gardens, took hikes, read and wrote poetry, built butterfly gardens and held an Arbor Day celebration. The public was invited to this celebration along with the district’s new Native American friends. More activities are in the works and enthusiasm continues to grow. The district has seen educational gains, better student mental health and more student participation and an increase in student leadership skills. These students are learning (at a deep level) the wonderous value of trees. The local community has also gained benefits.
If you think a program like the example above would be good for our local schools---why not suggest it to a principal or teacher? The resources are easily available. Even if you just want more information about trees for the family, check out https://www.arborday.org/programs/tree-campus-k-12/learning-hub.cfm
Earth Steward Action: It’s not too late to plant a tree and always a good time to take a walk among the trees.
Sources: The Nov./Dec. 2023 Arbor Day Newsletter. https://www.arborday.org/programs/tree-campus-k-12/
