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May 26, 2021
Spring planting spree provides trees for school forests
Ten schools across Michigan are planting 110,000 trees in their school forests to protect water quality, enhance diversity and produce future income for the schools. The two-year project is funded by the U.S. Forest Service and Arbor Day Foundation through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Planting trees helps protect water quality because Michigan’s urban and rural forests reduce pollution and provide clean water.
All 10 schools have forest stewardship plans to manage, protect and help students enjoy their school forests. The school forests are designated as “Certified Family Forests” through the American Tree Farm System. The designation shows the schools’ commitment to transparent and sustainable management of these public forests. Several schools also recently conducted timber harvests to improve the woods and earn income. Most of the schools are working this spring to prepare their sites for planting trees this fall or spring 2022.
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Frankfort-Elberta district's 40-acre forest was first to start planting
Frankfort-Elberta Area School in Benzie County was the first of the 10 schools to start planting trees this spring, and there were several preliminary steps. The school hired Borealis Botanical Consulting of Traverse City to develop a forest stewardship plan for its 40-acre school forest in summer 2020. The school began to implement its plan last fall by hiring Wildlife & Wetland Solutions of South Boardman to remove invasive species such as autumn olive and honeysuckle. Over the winter, Biewer Lumber in Lake City harvested most of the 60-year old red pine plantation and the school earned $47,000 from the timber sale. On the day before Arbor Day (always the last Friday in April), four buses brought 70 middle school and high school students to their school forest to plant the first 300 tree seedlings. Benzie Conservation District hosted an open house later that afternoon for the community, and 20 people visited the school forest and planted another 100 trees.
One teacher said this was the first time in her 25-year career that she had visited their school forest, just a few miles east of town along M-115. Grant funds will be used to hire Ironway Outdoors of Maple City to plant the remaining 5,000 trees and 1,100 shrubs in the school forest. The school is trying to adapt its forest to a changing climate by increasing diversity and planting oak, hickory, sassafras and tulip poplar underneath the remaining mature red pine. The school and its partners will provide follow-up care to ensure the little seedlings become the next generation of trees growing in the school forest.
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Nine other schools also are working with foresters
The other schools are also moving ahead with their consulting foresters on similar steps. The schools are using the GLRI grant to hire local companies to remove invasive species or other competing weeds, then plant a variety of tree species in their school forests. All of the trees are purchased from seedling nurseries here in Michigan. Here’s what they’re doing:
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Holman Elementary School in Houghton County is planting 6,300 trees with Green Timber Consulting Foresters.
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Chassell Township School in Houghton County is planting 1,900 trees with Green Timber Consulting Foresters.
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Forest Park Schools in Iron County is planting 13,500 trees with VanOss Forestry Service.
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North Dickinson County School in Dickinson County is planting 13,500 trees with VanOss Forestry Service.
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Tahquamenon Area Schools in Luce County is planting 4,500 trees with Grossman Forestry.
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Vanderbilt Area Schools in Otsego County is planting 9,900 trees with Huron Pines.
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Reed City Area Schools in Osceola County is planting 22,500 trees with Lake States Forestry.
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St. Louis Public Schools in Gratiot County is planting 15,000 trees with Natural Capital Forestry.
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Knabusch Math & Science Center in Monroe County is planting 11,500 trees with Natural Capital Forestry.
Arbor Day Foundation, USFS helped foot the bill
The Arbor Day Foundation provided $50,000 to buy 110,000 trees, matching $254,000 from the U.S. Forest Service to cover other project costs. All 10 schools will be able to apply for Tree Campus K-12 certification after they plant their trees, celebrate Arbor Day and establish Tree Campus teams to implement their school forest education plans. Their forest stewardship plans were funded by an earlier Landscape Scale Restoration grant from the U.S. Forest Service through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“We are proud to be a partner in these efforts of active forest stewardship in Michigan,” said Bob Lueckel, U.S. Forest Service deputy regional forester. “Through our grant programs, we provide funding for states and others who are working on local, effective forest restoration projects. This project is doing that, and also teaching the next generation of forest stewards.”
Dan Lambe, president of Arbor Day Foundation, said, “At the Arbor Day Foundation, we aim to inspire the next generation of tree planters. A lifelong passion for the environment and nature starts from a young age, and these 10 schools in Michigan are ensuring just that. We applaud the steps taken by these schools along with the Michigan DNR to cultivate and educate the next generation of tree planters.”
Resources for schools
Tree Campus K-12 provides a simple framework for schools to use their forests for outdoor education.
Project Learning Tree provides curricula and training for classroom teachers and outdoor educators.
The DNR provides educational resources for students, teachers and parents to explore Michigan’s outdoors.
Wheels to Woods offers transportation grants for educational field trips to visit any forest (not just a school forest) or forest products company.
American Tree Farm System is a community of forest owners that provides recognition of excellent forest management and helps people share their woodland legacy with their family and community.
The Forest Stewardship Program connects family forest owners and local schools with foresters to help them develop plans to manage, protect and enjoy their woods. The Forest Stewardship Program is funded nationally by the USDA Forest Service and administered in Michigan by the DNR, an equal opportunity provider and employer. For more information, contact Mike Smalligan, 517-449-5666.
You also can find advice and information about creating and managing school forests in the Michigan School Resource Guide.
Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available for download. Caption information follows.
Tree planters: Kids from the Frankfort-Elberta school district worked together this spring to plant trees in their school forest.
Class works together: Students from the Frankfort-Elberta school district pose for a celebratory photo after planting trees in their school forest.
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