Community plants trees for Arbor Day

Chloe, Age 12

Planting trees is easy, right? You dig a hole, put a tree in it, and cover it up. Simple, right? Wrong. On Saturday, April 27, the Cub Reporters of the Cook Arts Center went to Riverside Park to get dirty and have some fun too!

There were about 100 people at Riverside Park teaming up to help the environment with around two or three people to a tree. All together, everyone managed to plant about 50 trees.

The trees are being planted because they are very important to our environment and when there are extreme weather events like we’ve been having. There needs to be something to absorb the water; trees are the most natural thing for the job, having leaves to disperse and catch the water instead of it going straight down and the roots absorb water. Photosynthesis is also a big factor in why this is happening. All of the carbon is stored in the trees to help us breathe. Over 40 years, one tree can store 40 metric tons of carbon! Trees really do help us breathe!

Most people are feeling really good (and a bit sore) about planting the trees because nature always wins and helps us so we should give back and help!

The goal for the project is to plant about 500 trees in a two year period in Riverside Park. Over time they want to have 40% canopy in Grand Rapids. That’s about 120,000 trees that need to be planted!

Planting trees was great. Teamwork and putting forth effort is what is needed when planting trees. It’s not so easy as you think!

Samaria, Age 11

On Saturday, April 27, Press Club went to Riverside Park and planted trees. First we had to fill out an information form. Next we planted with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. We dug a big round hole, then we put the tree in the hole and made sure it was straight. When we found a worm it felt slimy. Then we had to put the dirt back in to the hole. Two members of the Press Club put the balls of dirt and grass [around the tree] and then put wood chips over it.

That day we planted 30 trees in one day. It is important to plant trees because 1000 trees are going to be cut down because they have disease and the park was flooded. Andy they keep oxygen good and healthy!

Lanasia, Age 9

On Saturday, April 27 the Press Club went to Riverside Park to plant trees with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. First we dug a mid-size hole until we saw water. Next we all rolled the tree into the hole. Following that, two members from the Press Club found worms. They were big, squishy and squirmy. This was a very important experience because it was fun, exciting and helpful too. Trees are very helpful to the world because it helps the flood stop and it gives oxygen to Mother Nature.

Dominic, Age 11

On Saturday, April 27, the Press Club went to plant trees with the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. They had 250 volunteers in two days for planting trees. The reason why we went is because it stops flooding and filters out pollution in the Grand River. It helps control climate change and absorbs water in the canopy. Another reason we planted trees is because it helps the earth so we can breathe.

Jazmin, Age 12

On the day of Saturday, April 27, the Cub Reporters went to a trip to Riverside Park to help plant trees, because of the chaotic overflow that destroyed many people’s homes and left them homeless. What the Cub Reporters did was to help the people that were already planting trees, so that they would have less work to do. The things that the cub reporters did were to dig, help put the tree into the hole, get wood chips to help keep the tree real pretty and alive, and help put grass and dirt around the wood chips. That was what the cub reporters did on the day they went to go help plant trees at Riverside Park!