School Projects
Everyone's heard the cliché “it's a jungle out there,” and it certainly applies to schools. Even though a school can sometimes seem like a jungle of activity, you can still coordinate activities that help protect forests and trees.
Tree Planting
Planting a tree is a wonderful experience for anyone. It's a magical moment where you get a chance to plant something that will be around for decades or perhaps even centuries. It's making a mark on the landscape and investing in the environment in a simple and beautiful way. There are a wide variety of ways to engage in the celebration of planting a tree. You can plant one tree on your school grounds or maybe you have room for several. You can participate in community tree planting at parks or at nature preserves to help re-establish a local native habitat. Whichever route you go, make sure to consult with a professional to ensure that you choose the right species and the right location for your tree. You'll also need to know exactly how to care for your seedling for the first few years until it establishes itself.
Good Wood Works
Sustainable living is a difficult concept for kids to understand, but it's worthy of serious discussion with your students. Sustainable living means finding a way to live without harming the Earth and making survival difficult for future generations.
The Arbor Day Foundation is one of the premier national organizations working to educate and inspire people to protect trees. Visit their website at www.arborday.org to find a wealth of information about trees and tons of activities for kids and communities. And don't forget to celebrate Arbor Day in April!
Obviously, people need trees, not simply for a healthy environment, but for all of the resources they provide. To make sure that people can continue to rely upon trees as a resource, people need to implement sustainable forestry. Sustainable forests are planted and grown in an environmentally responsible way, are socially beneficial, do not compromise the local culture, and are economically, viably managed. Instead of clear-cutting forests, trees for lumber are grown in a way that is good for the planet. Encourage your school to buy sustainably forested woods, which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and encourage your students to teach their parents about buying wood products from stores that sell FSC-certified lumber. That means the wood is grown and harvested in a way that is good for the Earth. Schools, students, and parents can all visit www.fscus.org to learn more.
