Missouri fourth-graders will carry on a 114-year tradition that has made the state a lot greener.
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On April 7, Missouri fourth-graders will carry on a 114-year tradition that has made the state a lot greener. The students will plant trees in celebration of Arbor Day.
For the past 20 years the Missouri Department of Conservation has provided seedlings to help children throughout Missouri commemorate Arbor Day. This year it will distribute 120,000 river birch, deciduous holly or smoke tree seedlings along with care and planting instructions to help those trees prosper.
The trees and instructions apparently are being put to good use. A Conservation Department survey found that three-quarters of students who receive seedlings plant them. Many end up in the students’ back yards. About one-third of the trees survive to add beauty and help clean the air and water in our communities.
In addition to giving trees to students, the Conservation Department teaches children about the importance of trees. MDC provides each fourth-grade teacher with an activity booklet and other materials that provide hands-on lessons about trees. The lesson plan outlines a week’s worth of activities to teach children how trees grow and benefit people. At the conclusion of the week, students know the parts of a tree, its life cycle and how trees generate the oxygen we breathe, help the environment and provide forest products that help the economy.
Arbor week activities also include information on the history of Missouri’s forests and the origins of the state and national Arbor Day celebrations.
Missourians have celebrated Arbor Day since 1886, when the Legislature declared the day should be set aside for the appreciation and planting of trees. Arbor Day is officially observed the first Friday in April in Missouri, but celebrations are planned throughout the month.