Oroville celebrates with planting, education event
OROVILLE >> On Friday, Oroville Botanic Gardens and Education Center President Susan Sims, volunteer members of the center and students of Poplar Avenue Elementary School began planting trees around the newlypaved parking lot at Poplar Avenue Elementary School in Oroville. Students from different elementary classes helped out volunteers back-fill holes of the trees while learning about the three different varieties of trees planted.
The planting and education workshop was part of the 2021 Arbor Day Celebration in Oroville. It is the 41st year Oroville was named a “Tree City USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
The Oroville Botanic Gardens and Education Center received funds through the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018 to help plant trees around the City of Oroville. In fall 2020, funds became available after planning was submitted to the California Department of Forestry as well as Cal Fire.
The Botanic Garden and Education Center received a grant, now known as the CA-ReLeaf Grant. The grant is being administered and managed by California Relief, though the Botanic Garden is the recipient.
Botanical Gardens member, President of the Oroville Chamber of Commerce and Oroville City Councilor Eric Smith, a former horticulture major in college, said that he has been
working to improve the community’s engagement in Arbor Day since 2018. Before COVID-19 Smith was attempting to reach out to children in schools through assemblies and other events. In 2021 Smith has been doing live videos in the council chambers to help promote the day.
“If you get community buy-in I just think that’s a huge value to where they grow up as adults when they cherish the treasures we have here,” Smith said.
Drew Koster, director of maintenance, operations and transportation for Thermolito Union Elementary School District, said the trees planted are part of a modernization project, which will also feature a remodeled cafeteria and new amphitheater.
Koster said that 109 trees will be planted district-wide at Nelson Avenue Middle School, Plumas Avenue Elementary, Sierra Avenue Elementary and Poplar Avenue Elementary. The Oroville Botanic Garden will be using money from the grant to plant trees at other Oroville locations as well including Dunston Memorial Hall, the African American Family and Cultural Center, Ehman Home, Feather River Trails, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Riverbend Park, Southside Community Center, Veterans of Foreign Wars as well as the school district.
“Just as our children grow and go through their school life they get to watch the trees grow with them. And when they continue that on to the middle school those trees will be growing still too,” Koster said. “Its a huge learning lesson for the students, proper care and planting as well as bringing better oxygen and better air quality into our community.”
The trees will help provide shade as well as beautification to the campus, while helping students learn the sciences behind tree growth. Reports about how much growing space there is, the tree status, the distance to a building as well as the carbon sequestration amounts were necessary when attempting to receive the grant, Sims said. However, in the process students were able to be involved, and learning to take ownership of something that could be around for thousands of years.
“Trees are good,” Sims said when asked about what she hoped students would learn Friday. “How to plant them and the importance. It’s not just dig a hole and stick them in the ground. There’s more too it. They’re living beings that have to be cared for and hopefully they take some ownership. We want them to think ‘I helped plant that tree.’”