Little hands, big impact as students plant new trees at Bloomington’s Valley View Elementary

Students at Valley View Elementary School ended their school year by helping plant new trees around the school grounds with the help of a grant and volunteers from Tree Trust.

Each classroom worked with a volunteer to plant one tree. The students dug a hole, laid mulch, and watered each new tree. Students planted more than 25 new trees, with a variety of species that include crabapple, hackberry, white pine, white cedar, balsam fir, Kentucky coffeetree, redbud and honeylocust.

Students learned about trees and their importance a few weeks before the planting through several interactive tree exhibit stations in the classroom. They learned how trees provide shade and products for people, homes for animals, and how trees help with water runoff and clean water.

The entire experience from learning to planting was a highly engaging and interactive one that students will get to revisit for years to come as their trees continue to grow.

Tree Trust is a non-profit organization that helps people build skills and inspires them to plant trees to make communities a greener and healthier place to live. Several Bloomington schools have partnered with them to plant new trees over the years.