GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Friday, the Delta Conservation District planted new greenery in Van Cleve Park with the help of nearly 300 Gladstone Schools students.
Throughout the day, the district forester and other staff members taught fifth- through eighth-grade students how to properly dig a hole, prepare the dirt, and establish a tree in the ground. The groups planted ten trees, including Prairiefire crabapples and a white pine, as well as ornamental bushes.
“In the fall, the crabapples are going to be this amazing orange, red, yellow,” said Conservation District Forester Ben Marchant. “It’ll pretty much look like they’re on fire. It’s going to look like a cool mosaic of all these fall colors.”
In addition to being a fun field trip, the tree planting was an educational experience for students. Marchant shared some tree biology facts with them as they worked.
“Kids are like the future stewards of the land, right?” he said. “It’s to instill that kind of ethic with them and give them a real understanding of the value of trees. You know, it’s not just something pretty to look at. It’s also got all these ecosystem services that a lot of people overlook, from water and air quality to providing food and shelter.”
Marchant expects the trees to begin flowering by June.
