Greene County eighth grade science classes left their mark on N. Maple St Tuesday, helping the Jefferson tree committee plant 40 trees that were purchased by the committee through Alliant Energy’s Branching Out program.
Bailey Monthei (in Iowa shirt) exclaimed, “It’s so cute. It’s just a baby tree” as she and classmate Nick Weber (left), with the help of teacher Gerry Stein (kneeling) and Brad Riphagen (standing), planted a Kentucky coffee tree. “When I’m old and I have kids I’ll drive them past that tree and say, ‘I planted it!’” she added.
Stein has partnered with Brad Riphagen, Trees Forever field coordinator, for the past 11 years on the planting project. Riphagen demonstrates the correct way to plant a tree, and then the students are turned loose in small groups to plant trees themselves.
This year the tree committee garnered $5,000 from the Branching Out program and was able to obtain more trees than most years. Working with adult tree committee volunteers, the students on Tuesday planted a total of 15 American linden, 15 Kentucky coffee trees, and 10 hackberry trees on Maple St.
Over the years, eighth grade students have planted hundreds of trees at locations including both cemeteries, Daubendiek Park, the county fairgrounds, along the Raccoon River Valley Trail, along Doreen Wilber Drive near Highway 30, at Paul Nally Park on N. Olive St, and on N. Vine St north of the Highway 4 overpass.
Next Tuesday high school students of Cortney Schmidt will help the tree committee plant 23 trees at Daubendiek Park. Funding for that project came in part from a $1,000 anonymous donor who walks often at the park. The donor was disappointed to see young saplings vandalized there, and made the donation to help replace them.
Destined for Daubendiek Park are Chinkapin oaks, red oaks, swamp white oaks, sycamores and river birch trees.
