Coshocton 6th-Graders Plant Linden Tree

05-04-2016

Joe Williams, Reporter6:06 p.m. EDT April 29, 2016

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COSHOCTON – Coshocton Elementary sixth-grader Isaac Shook said planting trees helps make the environment and the world “better for our families and kids.”

Shook lives on a farm outside West Lafayette and has helped his family plant pine and oak trees. Friday morning, he joined classmates Keeley Murray, Mitchell Nelson and Alec Laaper in planting a linden tree alongside their elementary school in celebration of Arbor Day. All four 12-year-olds serve on the Student Council and represented their classmates, who stood by to watch the planting and learn about the importance of trees.

The Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District and the Coshocton Tree Commission donated the linden and 150 Norway spruce seedlings so all of the school’s sixth-graders can plant a tree at home with their parents’ permission, said Deb Bigelow, soil and water district administrator.

“This little tree could be 5 feet tall in three to five years,” Bigelow said, holding a foot-long seedling.

In response to Bigelow’s questions, the students acknowledged trees provide oxygen, food and wildlife habitat, while cleaning pollution from the air and absorbing water runoff. They also are good for firewood and as a building resource.

Bigelow told the students “don’t get excited” should they receive a tiny seedling.

“If you put it in the ground, it’s still going to grow," she said.

With help from the students, Bigelow told listeners the seedlings should be planted “deep enough for the roots to go into the ground straight,” at least 10 feet away from anything else, away from power and phone lines and in a spot with plenty of sunlight. Each young tree should be well-marked, perhaps with a bright ribbon, to prevent someone from mowing it down in its early stages of growth, she said.

Even after students eventually move away from their home and leave the tree behind, Bigelow said, “Just remember, it’ll always be there for someone to enjoy.”

This is the second consecutive year the tree commission and soil and water district have provided a tree and seedlings for the school. They plan to add a third linden next year to create a small grove alongside the school, Chairman Steve Fox said.

“We’re trying to make the urban forest in Coshocton healthier and more welcoming,” commission member Tom Heading told students.

Fox and Coshocton School Board member Steve Clark dug the hole for the linden and set it for the students to finish the job. They hit plenty of Ohio flint during their digging, Heading said.

Friday’s tree-planting ceremony also marked National Soil and Water Stewardship Week, which this year runs April 24 through May 1.

jwilliams6@gannett.com

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