Tippy Valley Students, Staff Plant Trees
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Tippy Valley Students, Staff Plant Trees
By David [email protected]
About 2,600 pine and hardwood trees were planted. The hardwood trees included black cherry, black walnut, red oak, tulip and white oak.
The tree planting took place on more than 2 acres of property adjacent to the TVSC forest on the campus of Tippecanoe Valley High School and Middle School.[[In-content Ad]]According to information provided by Superintendent Brett Boggs, the tree planting was the first step in a multi-year process to expand the forest. The project is being done in partnership with Pike Lumber Co., who recently entered a forest management agreement with TVSC.
The trees will grow 50 to 60 feet tall, depending on what type of tree they are, according to a Pike Lumber employee. By the time the students are grandparents, he said the trees will be ready to be harvested - in 75 years.
Senior Aaron Peters and junior Zeke McSherry were two of the FFA members assisting with the project.
"It's a little hectic, but it's a good project for all the kids to do," said Peters.
"We're basically just supporting the kids and doing everything that needs to be done," McSherry said of how the FFA was involved. "I hope the rain holds out."
Peters said because the trees take so long to grow and because of their location, they would probably never seen the trees again.
But McSherry said the benefits of planting the trees will be worth it. "It'll be good for the environment," he said.
"It's a lot of work to plant trees," said Peters.
FFA advisor Lisa Paxton said the rows of trees were being planted 8 feet apart, and the trees were 5 feet apart from each other. She said the FFA came out previously and grided where the rows would be. They also put a fence around the location and did other prep work. Volunteers helped dig the holes, and J.D. Parker and Chuck Rockhill provided machinery to help dig them.
Between the rows of hardwood are rows of pine. Paxton said the pines were planted in between the hardwood to force the hardwoods to grow and reach the sky. The pine trees give the hardwood trees competition for sunlight, forcing them to grow taller.
The benefits to planting trees are numerous, Paxton said. Any forest will help cut down on erosion. Ecologically, it's very sound for the environment. "Any time you can plant a tree," Paxton said, "you're saving the soil."
The project has been a great leadership opportunity for the FFA students, she said. Not only do they get to work with students from 7 to 18 years old, they also get to talk to the students about the ecology and the environment.
"FFA does plenty of community service events, and this is a bonus," Paxton said.
FFA is about leadership and giving back to the community, and about being positive role models, she said.
"It's been exciting," she said.
Junior Tyler Boganwright is the FFA president. He said, "I think it's a good thing. It teaches kids that planting trees makes it better for the environment."
It has required more work than they thought, he said, but it's been alright. "We've got it under control," he said.
Boganwright said that before the other TVSC students came out, Paxton gave the FFA students a lesson in planting trees.
He said it will be really cool to know the trees are there when they come back to their class reunions. When the trees are harvested down the road, Boganwright said, more trees will be replanted, keeping the cycle going.
"We thank the community for digging the holes. That was the biggest job. I thank the FFA for getting it ready and working," Boganwright said. "We thank the school administration for giving this project a go."
About 2,600 pine and hardwood trees were planted. The hardwood trees included black cherry, black walnut, red oak, tulip and white oak.
The tree planting took place on more than 2 acres of property adjacent to the TVSC forest on the campus of Tippecanoe Valley High School and Middle School.[[In-content Ad]]According to information provided by Superintendent Brett Boggs, the tree planting was the first step in a multi-year process to expand the forest. The project is being done in partnership with Pike Lumber Co., who recently entered a forest management agreement with TVSC.
The trees will grow 50 to 60 feet tall, depending on what type of tree they are, according to a Pike Lumber employee. By the time the students are grandparents, he said the trees will be ready to be harvested - in 75 years.
Senior Aaron Peters and junior Zeke McSherry were two of the FFA members assisting with the project.
"It's a little hectic, but it's a good project for all the kids to do," said Peters.
"We're basically just supporting the kids and doing everything that needs to be done," McSherry said of how the FFA was involved. "I hope the rain holds out."
Peters said because the trees take so long to grow and because of their location, they would probably never seen the trees again.
But McSherry said the benefits of planting the trees will be worth it. "It'll be good for the environment," he said.
"It's a lot of work to plant trees," said Peters.
FFA advisor Lisa Paxton said the rows of trees were being planted 8 feet apart, and the trees were 5 feet apart from each other. She said the FFA came out previously and grided where the rows would be. They also put a fence around the location and did other prep work. Volunteers helped dig the holes, and J.D. Parker and Chuck Rockhill provided machinery to help dig them.
Between the rows of hardwood are rows of pine. Paxton said the pines were planted in between the hardwood to force the hardwoods to grow and reach the sky. The pine trees give the hardwood trees competition for sunlight, forcing them to grow taller.
The benefits to planting trees are numerous, Paxton said. Any forest will help cut down on erosion. Ecologically, it's very sound for the environment. "Any time you can plant a tree," Paxton said, "you're saving the soil."
The project has been a great leadership opportunity for the FFA students, she said. Not only do they get to work with students from 7 to 18 years old, they also get to talk to the students about the ecology and the environment.
"FFA does plenty of community service events, and this is a bonus," Paxton said.
FFA is about leadership and giving back to the community, and about being positive role models, she said.
"It's been exciting," she said.
Junior Tyler Boganwright is the FFA president. He said, "I think it's a good thing. It teaches kids that planting trees makes it better for the environment."
It has required more work than they thought, he said, but it's been alright. "We've got it under control," he said.
Boganwright said that before the other TVSC students came out, Paxton gave the FFA students a lesson in planting trees.
He said it will be really cool to know the trees are there when they come back to their class reunions. When the trees are harvested down the road, Boganwright said, more trees will be replanted, keeping the cycle going.
"We thank the community for digging the holes. That was the biggest job. I thank the FFA for getting it ready and working," Boganwright said. "We thank the school administration for giving this project a go."
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