Northwood News ♦ October 2009

Our Local Elementary School is Calling for Volunteers to Help in Onsite Reforesting Project

By Clare Nielsen Neal

Do you love kids?  How about nature?  Landscaping, maybe?  Then we have the perfect volunteer opportunity for you this fall at Forest Knolls Elementary School!

Our “tree” project — “Kids (Re)Foresting Forest Knolls” — is off and running.  After planting two trees last spring, we’re mobilizing to plant 20 more this fall.  These native trees — dogwoods, hollies, redbuds, magnolias, and more — will beautiful our school and create a great learning opportunity for our kids.  Plus, we will be helping the planet!

Other aspects of this project are:  creating a nature trail through the trees, producing signage for the trees so they can be used by teachers, and printing a self-guided trail booklet.

Every Forest Knolls class will be part of this effort, and we are hoping for lots of parent and community support.  Here are some of the volunteer roles we hope to fill.  Maybe one is right for you?

We need:

• People with landscaping skills and resources (for donating mulch/woodchips; helping to create a walking path through trees; and removing dead trees or trimming existing trees).
• Parents in each grade level (including all classrooms) who can help oversee planting of trees, which is scheduled for Wednesday, 18 November (rain date is Friday, 20 Nov.).
• People with ability/contacts in sign-making (to create a large wooden title sign to be placed in front of the school).

If you can lend a hand, contact Clare Nielsen Neal at [contact details redacted].   ■