In partnership with Gregory Forrest Lester, Inc., students planted new trees along the Promise Pathway, wrapping their unit on habitats while learning more about the ecosystem in their own backyard.
Jennifer Cooke, Content Strategy & Communications Manager
On April 23, first grade students at CHCA’s Edyth B. Lindner Campus put down the pencils and picked up the soil.
In partnership with local tree health and landscaping professionals Gregory Forrest Lester, Inc., students became honorary arborists for Earth Day, planting new trees along the Promise Pathway between EBL and Founders’ Campus.
The day was a culmination of the grade’s unit on habitats.
“In our Habitats: Near & Far unit, students embark on a journey to discover the amazing places where plants and animals live—both close to home and far across the world. They explore the rainforest and our local habitats, investigating how living things get what they need to survive and thrive,” shares Mrs. Laura Anderson, First Grade Teacher. “Through hands-on activities and thoughtful discussions, students begin to understand ecology and the importance of caring for the world God created even in their own backyard.”
While planting trees may be a first for the first graders, the arborists at Gregory Forrest Lester, Inc., have been caring for the tristate’s verdant landscape for more than 50 years—and are no strangers to CHCA. Kevin and Casey Lester are current CHCA parents and have used their knowledge of plants and trees (he’s an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® and she’s an ISA Certified Arborist®) to beautify the EBL Campus once before.
“Our girls have such pride in our family business,” says Casey. “We were honored a few years ago when the science teacher asked us the first time to partner with her and CHCA to increase the variety of trees for the students to study. With Sydney now in first grade, when Laura suggested we plant again, we were excited.”
Planting day began with all three first grade classes gathered for a “tree talk” by Kevin, where he expanded on their newfound ecological knowledge, connected it to Cincinnati’s forests, and presented the types of trees students would be planting: peach, plum, fruiting pear, and Forest Pansy Redbud.
“The fruiting trees will produce fruit maybe as early as this year. Spring flowers will add color and contrast to the path. They also will be a nice support to the native pollinator population with their spring blooms,” Kevin says. “We expect these trees to grow one-to-two feet each year with the excellent location in full sun.”
“The Forest Pansy Redbud is a great addition because it will have vibrant flowers in the spring, red heart shaped leaves that shift to green in the summer, then yellow in the fall,” adds Casey. “This tree also is a good understory tree, tying into the rainforest theme, so we planted that near existing mature trees.”
Matching shirts on and shovels in hand, students got to work breaking up the soil and spreading the dirt and mulch to support their newly planted trees.
For Mrs. Anderson and the Lesters, giving students the opportunity to plant trees is about more than making memories—it’s a tangible experience that illustrates stewardship in action.
“Partnering with the Lesters to plant trees was a natural way to bring this learning to life, allowing [the students] to actively take part in caring for God’s world,” Mrs. Anderson says. “When students do the physical work, their own hands are making a difference. Ecology isn’t just something they learn about—it’s something they can do.”
“When children plant a tree, they get to see firsthand the roots, soil, and even insects that all play a role in a healthy ecosystem,” says Kevin. “It helps them appreciate the work that goes into planting, while also showing them that it’s something they can do themselves.”
The overwhelming success of the Earth Day planting—measured by the continued excitement of the first grade students in the days following the dig—has planted a seed of opportunity both Mrs. Anderson and the Lesters hope to multiply in the years to come.
“The location of the trees is special,” shares Casey, “because during the Pathways tradition from third grade to fourth grade, those trees will be there along their path as a symbol of their growth.”
Check out more photos from the Earth Day planting in our photo gallery.
Photos courtesy of Tammy Rosenfeldt and Laura Anderson.
