Restore: Forestry
Want to learn more? Check out our forestry resources!
- ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE PLANTING TREES ANNUALLY AND MAINTAINING ALL TREES ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. Trees provide shade, energy conservation, erosion control, wind breaks, wildlife habitat and beauty. See the SC Forestry Commission’s South Carolina Urban Tree Care Guide for information on caring for the trees on your school grounds.
- Consider planting a well chosen tree on your school property or in your community each December to celebrate Arbor Day. In South Carolina, Arbor Day falls on the first Friday in December.
- To qualify for a Restore: Forestry Green Step, a school must document planting a tree every year on their school grounds or in their community and then build a forestry lesson into their curriculum to educate the school family about the value of the trees they are planting. A Green Steps mentor can help the school make this fun and effective.
- Consider having students do a tree census on the number and species of trees on the school property and then to write a report recommending a new tree to plant at school or in their community. Some things they may want to consider include:
- common and botanical names for the tree
- whether the tree is a native plant
- tree size full grown and the number of years to reach maturity
- tree needs (soil type, amount of space, light, and water)
- tree value (beauty, habitat, wind break, erosion control, shade, food source)
- In addition, students could participate in a contest to design recycled-content markers or signs to identify the trees for people who visit their school.
Model Restore: Forestry Projects
- Forest Heights Elementary School in Richland District One has been working several years to replant a clear-cut area on their school site.
- Cross Roads Middle School in Lexington/Richland District Five plants two trees each year in honor of their “Teacher of the Year” and “Support Staff Member of the Year.”
Want to learn more? Check out our forestry resources!
