Plant trees, plant hope for the future
Arbor day tree plantings add trees at local schools
American holidays honor the past, but Arbor Day honors the future. Trees planted each Arbor Day mature in 10 to 15 years to provide shade and habitat for wildlife, help cool the area around them, absorb pollutants from the air and give off oxygen. Future generations will
reap the benefits of trees planted today.
On April 21, both Pecan Grove Elementary School and G. W. Carver Elementary School held Arbor Day celebrations where students planted trees sponsored by Arizona Public Service, Bose, 1st Bank Yuma, Pat Walker Construction, Yuma Southwest Contractors Association, Yuma
Proving Ground, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Arbor-Tech Tree Service, AllStar Tree Service, C-A-L Ranch Stores, Yuma Nursery Supply, Jay’s Party Shop, Moon Valley Nurseries Arizona, Yuma Orchid & African Violet Society, Yuma Garden Club, MGM Garden Club, Machele and Gary Headington, Carol and Jerry Headington, DeNise Builders, Rock Fire Systems, David .Hooker, JSA Company, Brandy and TJ Wright and Yuma County Public Health Services District.
Thirty-one trees were planted at Carver Elementary School and 37 at Pecan Grove Elementary School. Employees from the City of Yuma and Yuma District One were on hand to help students plant the trees, which included mesquite, ficus, tipu, acacia, pecan and jacaranda. Once the trees were placed in the ground, students were instructed about the proper steps for planting a tree before they began the work of filling in around each tree with soil. Working in small teams, the job was quickly finished.
“Carver School is grateful to have such a nice variety of trees donated and planted on our playground,” said Matt Buckley, principal. “The trees will help delineate various play areas and provide much-needed shade once they mature. Students can come back as adults and point out to
their children which trees they helped plant.”
The Southern Forestry Division of APS was directly involved with the event. Mark Headington, APS Southern Division Pre-Inspector Forestry, Fire and Resource Management, coordinated the event with Yuma Elementary School District 1.
“I have been planning Arbor Day tree plantings in Yuma for around 20 years, and I am thankful for the strong support I always receive from the community when I ask for donations to purchase trees,” said Headington. “Our community is very caring, and we are lucky to have so
many sponsors happy to donate funds to make each Arbor Day successful.
“Last year, we planted seventy trees at Gila Vista and McGraw School. This year, we planted 68 trees at Carver and Pecan Grove School. The trees not only beautify the schools but also provide much-needed shade for the kids when they are outdoors.”
Robert Garcia, forestry pre-inspector with APS, stated that APS is actively involved in community education, and the tree plantings in Yuma were one way APS could help local schools.
Serafin Perez, manager
of District 1 maintenance facility, said: “This is a great opportunity for kids to learn the correct method of planting a tree. They will appreciate these trees because theyhe lped plant them and will be proud of their accomplishments. My team was very happy to be
part of this year’s Arbor Day celebration.”
Frank Saldana, owner of Arbor Tech Tree & Landscaping Service and a sponsor of the event, helped students plant at Carver School.
“The event helps students learn the importance
and value of trees. By being part of the planting process, they have ownership of the trees and will be excited to see them grow and mature as they pass through the grades at Carver,” said Saldana.
Members of Yuma Orchid and African Violet
Society and MGM Garden Club were sponsors of trees and were on hand at Carver Elem. School.
“The more children understand the importance trees and plants have on the health of our environment, the better,” said