Fifth graders at Malabar Intermediate School celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, May 16. They were a little late this year due to snow days earlier in the year. The assembly was put together by the Mansfield Shade Tree Commission in honor of the 18th Annual Earth Stewardship Celebration.
The assembly educated youth on the importance of Arbor Day, and more importantly, the significance of conserving trees. There were around 250 seedlings handed out to the fifth graders. Two representatives from the Shade Tree Commission were in attendance.
Former councilman Doug Versaw was one of them. “When I was in fifth grade, I got a tree seedling. And I went back to the city that I lived in about three or four years ago. My tree seedling, which I planted, is now as tall as this room,” said Versaw as the fifth graders looked up to the auditorium’s ceiling. “So if you plant your tree, it will start growing, and before long maybe it will start growing about a foot a year,” added Versaw.
Program Coordinator Kim Hildreth spoke about the importance of urban forestry.
“Trees are essential. Many people don’t realize that they’re important in urban areas too, though. We need to take care of the urban forest,” said Hildreth.
She went on to explain to the youth that trees not only provide us with more oxygen. They also keep the soil in place so that lakes and rivers do not become over saturated with debris. With too much debris in the lakes, ponds and streams, fish cannot grow and thrive, she explained.
She asked the students why this is important for the environment. She received a variety of answers: food, building materials, they give animals homes, and one student replied with paper. However, Hildreth was looking for this: trees give us shade.
She explained that trees, when planted next to homes and buildings, offer shade which reduces energy costs like air conditioning. They also block wind in the winter to reduce the cost of heat.
After the presentation, the students were given a complimentary tree seedling. The 250 seedlings included Norwegian Spruce, White Pine and Blue Spruce, and they were donated to the Shade Tree Commission from an anonymous individual. The students were encouraged to plant the trees in their yards. If they didn’t have a yard, they were taught how to plant them in pots and given a handout that easily summarizes the process.
Hildreth has been going to different schools around the area for 17 years now. She said she loves talking with the youth.
“They are just awesome. I love having the chance to talk with these kids. They’re the future and I love how attentive they were,” she said.
Also in attendance to the Arbor Day celebration were Matt Christian and Theresa Rozic Sutter from Richland Soil and Water Conservation District. They were in attendance to support the efforts of the Shade Tree Commission and the Earth Stewardship Committee. For more information on these groups, click their links or call 419-747-8684.
“When I was in fifth grade, I got a tree seedling. And I went back to the city that I lived in about three or four years ago. My tree seedling, which I planted, is now as tall as this room,” said Doug Versaw.
