Ceremony slated for tree-planting event at Hope school

HOPE, Ark. — Clinton Primary School will inaugurate the Shade Trees on Playgrounds program by planting five trees of differing varieties on their playground at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Five kinds of trees — bald cypress, Natchez crape myrtle, red maple, shumard oak and yellow poplar — will be planted at the CPS playground on the north side of the campus during the ceremony Thursday at 10 a.m.

The STOP program is part of a 2002 initiative of an Arkansas Department of Agriculture Forestry Division program dedicated to providing shade to students and helping limit the later risk of adult skin cancer. In addition to providing the trees, it also provides the mulch, watering supplies, planting guidelines and training for each school campus selected for the program.

Also, periodic site visits by Forestry Division representatives provide tree growth and health assessment.

The trees were selected by the ADA Forestry Division program; CPS administrators; and Renee Sells, Hope Public Schools’ district nurse.

Sells said the trees go a long way toward creating a healthy and safe environment for students while they’re on the playground.

“The playground provides ample space and fresh air for many outside activities.” Sells said. “It also provides the sun an opportunity to cause sunburns and exposes students to damaging UV rays.”

A contest among the classes at CPS will determine names for each tree with winning classes from each grade participating in the planting ceremony for their named tree.

“As the trees grow that they planted, I feel the students would take pride in knowing they have contributed to their own future health and welfare,” Sells said. “These shade trees would be a testimony for generations to come.”

Students from the agricultural sciences class taught by Michael Henagan at Hope High School will participate in site preparation and tree planting, and Terri James, Hempstead County Agricultural Extension Office chair, will provide educational materials for each grade.

James will also represent the Hempstead County Master Gardeners at the event.