Planting with Schools:
Megan O.
This photo, taken in early April 2019, displays one of the trees planted on Flagg Street School's driveway.
The Absence of Trees
Approximately eight years ago, Flagg Street Elementary School planted 20 trees along the school's driveway. The project was prompted by a parent whose child attended the school.
Megan, a resident of Worcester, took initiative to begin the planting process after noticing the absence of trees in the field commonly used for recess and athletic practices. This, of course, raised concerns since the absence of trees likely meant adequate shade was not available during the warm, summer days. Megan was determined to find a solution.
Around this time, students of Worcester’s Flagg Street Elementary School frequently took field trips to Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. Broad Meadow Brook is noted as New England’s largest urban wildlife sancturary. The sanctuary hosts year round educational programs that (1) focus on nature/wildlife, (2) align with the Massachusetts Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks and (3) cater to all ages. To learn more about Mass Audubon, click here!
Such trips, in conjunction with classroom study of environmental science, gave students a better understanding of natural landscapes. Megan believed that planting trees at the elementary school would enable students to combine their trip-based and classroom learning with an impactful project in their immediate environment.
THE PROJECT
Familiar with the growing presence of the Worcester Tree Initiative (WTI) in the city, Megan reached out to the organization to explore the planning and planting of trees at the school. Faculty at Flagg Street Elementary School encouraged the proposal and WTI was more than willing to donate trees to the school. The tree-planting brought together members of the community, teachers and students to plant 20 trees along the school's driveway.
The tree-planting created a domino-effect between members of the community who desired to plant their own trees. In fact, with the help of the WTI, Megan was able to plant additional trees in her backyard. Although a few years have passed, Megan remains in contact with the organization and hopes to plant more trees in her backyard in the near future.
Taken in early spring of 2019, the photographs below display some of the trees planted in the school's driveway.
Tree Profile & Care
After planting was completed, students partook in caring for their trees by frequently watering and monitoring their progress. Their involvement reflected what Megan had hoped - the students expanded their knowledge of classroom and trip-based learning with a project that benefited (1) their school's landscape and (2) members of their community. Excited about the future of Flagg Street’s trees, Megan is proud the school’s landscape now provides adequate shade for activities such as recess and sports practices.
The trees chosen for this project differ in variety, though the majority are oak trees. Out of the 20 planted, 17 trees survived - an impressive number considering the toughness of New England winters. Megan frequently checks on the trees, although maintenance is rarely needed.
When spring arrives, the trees create a lively backdrop for school activities. The image below, provided by the Worcester Public Schools website, showcases the trees in full bloom!
To learn more about WTI, visit http://www.treeworcester.org