Honor the trees
Northwest Elementary students celebrate trees on Arbor Day with songs, essays and a commitment to plant more.
By Michele Miller
Published January 31, 2007
HUDSON - It was all about the trees, the ones that provide shade for humans and shelter for wildlife, delicious fruit and syrup for pancakes, lumber and paper and - let's not forget - oxygen so everyone can breathe.
The Arbor Day Celebration held last week at Northwest Elementary featured some students reading essays and others singing songs about the importance of the oldest and longest-living things on earth.
There were remarks from Northwest principal Tracy Graziaplene, Pasco school recycling coordinator Karen Bryant and Pasco County forester Arthur Clothier, who also offered instructions on how to plant a small magnolia tree on the school campus.
Best of all, some 750 students got to take home their very own slash pine seedling to plant in a pot or in their back yards.
"When you plant a $10 tree, make sure you dig a $100 hole and be sure to fill all the air pockets around the roots with dirt," said Clothier, reminding students that everyday development destroys tons of trees in Florida.
"These little trees have lost their homes," he said. "They're depending on you for survival."
[Last modified January 30, 2007, 23:25:54]
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