Countywide : Arbor Day: Gift of Trees Spurs Pupils

At Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Anaheim, children gathered Thursday morning to watch the planting of a 10-foot evergreen elm in honor of Arbor Day.

As a sixth-grade class performed a skit about trees, a strong gust of wind toppled the newly planted elm, eliciting squeals from the assembled children. The tree was quickly set upright by city park workers.

“This is intended to stimulate young minds, show them the importance of the environment. If they get involved, maybe they’ll take care of it,” said Ron Kinney, an alumnus of the school and Orange County board member of the California Nurserymen’s Assn., which organized the event.

The children said they know that trees do more than just look pretty.

Noel Torres, 8, said he likes trees because “they give more shade and more homes for the animals.” He read a brief statement in which he urged his classmates to try to save trees.

After the assembly, a furry kangaroo named Bonnie Bloomer, the association’s mascot, gave each of the school’s third-graders a Norfolk star pine seedling and a coloring book to take home.

Arbor Day was started more than 100 years ago in Nebraska as a way to help replace trees that had been cleared for farming, home building and firewood. It has been celebrated in California every March 7 since 1909.

In the Orange Unified School District, all elementary children were given trees ranging in height from 6 inches to 2 feet. In addition, an orange tree was planted in front of district headquarters and a full-size holly oak was planted at each of the district’s secondary schools.