City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/57838
Arbor Day Snapshot: Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin by Corey George, Forester, Village of Shorewood Hills, and Cathy Brodbeck, Madison Gas & Electric T he Village of Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin has been celebrating Arbor Day with the 4th and 5th graders at our local school for the last six years and we feel it's been very successful for a small community (pop. 1,500). Teacher Jody Lampe helps me organize the event each year. Our local util- ity, Madison Gas & Electric, is also a big contributor to the celebration through their donation of trees and labor. In 2007, we received an ISA Gold Leaf Award for Outstanding Arbor Day Activities and we were nominated again last year for the same award. The students who participate in Arbor Day are there because they want to be there (they have options). Spirited and insightful, each year they come prepared to work. They know from previous years that it's more than likely some groups will need to work around the big old roots of trees long gone or the occasional rocks that make planting a challenge. A total of seven B&B trees were planted last spring. Arborists, garden club members, parents, and teachers help the kids successfully plant the trees. Sometimes you get the feeling that these students are resourceful enough to engineer a way to plant 250- to 300-pound trees without adult help! From one year to the next it's a delight to see what the day will bring. Students have been known to remove their shoes to experience the tactile qualities of soil while discussing the soil's physical properties (e.g., clay vs. sand vs. silt). One year, the kids took excess clay soil and formed letters that spelled out "THANKS TREE!" And as tree planting typically uncovers assorted grubs, bugs, and worms, discussion ensues on the benefits of each. We've witnessed gentle tree hugs, dances, and countless expressions of "tree-thusiasm." Last year, after the last tree was planted, watered, and mulched, everyone gathered to share something they had prepared. This is always a highly anticipated part of the celebration. Reports, stories, and art work are shared as everyone sits in a large circle by the newly planted trees. When the last student to share said she'd like to sing a song, Ms. Lampe gave a nod, and she began: "I see trees of green, red roses too ..." and by the second line of "What a Wonderful World," the rest of the students had joined her. We adults were working hard to hold back the tears by the time they started the chorus. 28 Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin students found that some indigenous clay was handy for sculpting. A spontaneous tree worshipping took place at one year's Shorewood Hills Arbor Day festivities. Shorewood Hills student Sumin Yang's winning Arbor Day poster in 2009 City Trees