6th Graders Lead the Way: Plant a Free Tree and Make a Difference

Want to join 6th-grade CEL students in engaging with the question, "How can we collaborate to build a world in which we minimize our impact on the planet around us?" One strategy: plant a FREE tree!

The fall cohort of Social Impact students recently welcomed environmental consultant and former Springside teacher Mary Ann Boyer to talk about strategies for building sustainable cities and communities. Boyer talked about the host of reasons to increase tree cover in urban environments—controlling heat islands (temperatures in Philadelphia can vary by 20 degrees, depending on tree cover), providing habitats, and stemming erosion and flooding, to name just a few—via the entry point of Philly's Tree Plan. Boyer also shared information about PHS's Tree Tenders program, in which area residents can request a street tree.

Last weekend—as part of their fall planting—Boyer and the Tree Tenders team planted a pair of Ohio Buckeyes alongside one 6th-grade family's home. Sixth graders have also produced fliers and marketing materials to raise community awareness about this opportunity to increase our city's canopy.

The deadline for requesting free street trees from PHS for the spring planting is November 28. The application process takes less than five minutes, and an experienced team of horticulturalists and arborists will spearhead the planting.