Grade 8 Students from Central Public School in Grimsby Celebrate Their Graduation by Planting Trees, with Help from the Trees Ontario Foundation

“The graduating class of 2007 at Central Public School has an extraordinary number of academic and community leaders,” says Stephanie Minor, who teaches math, science and geography at the Grade 8 level. “Students watched Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ as part of their geography curriculum and participated in an environmental conference on Earth Day. This led them to think about their impact on the world, and one student, Danielle DaCosta, came up with the idea to commemorate the graduating class of 2007 as well as Central School’s 100th anniversary. Her idea was met with enthusiasm by her peers and our Principal, Norrine Hardyman.”

When students contacted the Trees Ontario Foundation, Michael Scott, the President and CEO, agreed his organization would donate and deliver the potted trees – European larch, two to three feet high – and help teach the students how best to plant the trees. The European larch is closely related to North America’s Tamarack and grows to a height of 70-90 feet.

“We are delighted to participate,” says Michael Scott. “Our mandate is to increase and promote the management of the forest landscape on Ontario’s private and public lands. This is a terrific idea by the Grimsby students and it’s an inspired way of celebrating their graduation. We’re impressed with their initiative and we look forward to seeing these trees flourish in the years and decades to come.”

For information on the Grimsby students, contact Stephanie Minor at stephanie.minor@dsbn.edu.on.ca or call 905-945-5459.

For information on Trees Ontario Foundation, contact Michael Scott, President and CEO, at mscott@treesontario.on.ca or call 416-646-1193.