Tree City USA leaves mark on area first-graders
Tree City USA of Millersburg committee members Brent Schrock, left, and Kim Kellogg addressed the Millersburg Elementary first-graders during Tree City’s Arbor Day visit to the school on Friday, April 28.
Tree City USA of Millersburg committee members addressed a group of Millersburg Elementary first-graders during Tree City’s Arbor Day visit to the school on Friday, April 28.
While rainy weather prevented them from getting outside to help plant a tree, which has been the case for most of the past decade, that didn’t stop the Tree City committee members from sharing information with the students.
“What’s Arbor Day about?” Kim Kellogg, member of Tree City USA of Millersburg, asked the students, who responded with “trees.”
“And why are trees good?” Kellogg asked the kids.
The response was a cacophony of answers, to which Kellogg responded, “I think that was right.”
Kellogg and the other Tree City members then settled in and spoke about the role trees play in the world and the importance of planting trees during the Arbor Day celebration.
This marks the ninth year for Tree City USA of Millersburg’s existence, and the group has visited Millersburg Elementary every year.
Prior to meeting with the students, Kellogg planted a tree on the hillside on the north side of the school property because they realized it was going to be a rainy day when they gathered with the students. Like the other numerous trees they’ve planted in and around the school property, there will eventually be a small plaque that reads “2023 Arbor Day Tree.”
The discussion centered around all of the roles trees play, and topics included protection for animals, food for animals and people, the provision of shade, keeping houses cool, and providing oxygen.
Brent Hofstetter, president of Tree City USA of Millersburg, said this event serves to educate young people in hopes they will learn more and pass along the information to their friends, family and future generations.
“It’s always fun to see the excitement in the kids,” Hofstetter said. “Sometimes you lose that as an adult, and the kids are so excited about it. It’s a fun day to come here and spend some time with the kids.”
On Tree City’s objective when it comes to promoting Arbor Day, Hofstetter said, “It’s not just planting trees; it’s removal and maintenance and pruning them, things we’re involved with too. We take care of a lot of different stages of the trees.”
“We’re doing our best to help the village of Millersburg become more tree friendly,” Kellogg said.
Brent Schrock, member of International Society of Arborists, Tree City committee member and employee for Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, talked about how the kids should plant the oak trees they were given after the event. As a member of Tree City USA, he also understands the importance of planting trees correctly and shared that with the students.
Schrock has a vast knowledge of where trees need to be planted and the dangers they can create when planted too close to power lines.
“You’ve got to plant them at just the right height,” Schrock said. “The root flair is crucial. There’s a saying, ‘Plant them low, slow to grow; plant them high, sure to die.’ That’s why planting them correctly to make sure they’ll be healthy is so important.”
“You want to plant them right where the root flair starts,” Kellogg said. “And you don’t want to cover them with too much mulch either. Make sure you use just a little mulch and don’t go up the trunk at all.”
Schrock said while wildlife thrives in trees and needs them for both food and shelter, planting a tree too close to a power line can be dangerous for both animals and people.
“Plant your tree back away from a power line to be safe,” Schrock said.
The Tree City members handed out small oak tree saplings to each student for them to take home and plant, in hopes those trees and the one they planted at school would serve as a reminder to each youngster of the important role trees play in the world.
Tree City USA of Millersburg committee member Megan Stryker said her son walks past the tree his class planted several years ago and says, “That’s our tree.”
“Someday years from now, you can come back to school and tell your children and grandchildren that the tree we planted is your Arbor Day tree,” Kellogg said.
Tree City has now planted more than 200 trees throughout Millersburg and continues to play a vital role in the beautification of Millersburg. It has taken a leading role in providing trees that serve various roles in benefiting the Earth and conservation practices.
To top off the event, the students got an additional treat — one of the sweet variety — with Tree City member Arlie Rodhe bringing ice cream for the students.