Central Middle Students Plant 187 Trees on Campus

Approximately 370 eighth-grade students planted 187 trees last week to take part in an environmental literacy project.

Students, with the help of faculty, planted trees and shrubs native to the coastal plain of Maryland in an area between Central Middle and that was previously turf grass.

“This is an important Environmental Literacy model. Planting trees is the single most important action to help our watershed. Students studied about the needs and benefits of trees in the classroom and then got to follow through with authentic action outdoors,” said Stephen Barry, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) coordinator of outdoor/environmental education.

Lara Mulvaney, who works at the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in Millersville, participated in the tree-planting event as part of the Chesapeake Connections Program.

“We planted white oaks, northern red oaks, red maples, eastern red buds and shrubs such as sumac, red chokeberry, inkberry and arrowwood viburnum,” Mulvaney said.

The trees planted in the space between the schools not only increased the students’ experience with the environment, they serve a real purpose.

“These trees and shrubs will provide wildlife habitat, as well as soak up stormwater that would otherwise run into the storm drains and discharge into Glebe Creek, part of the South River watershed,” Mulvaney said. “Kids inventoried the existing trees on the campus and selected the trees to be planted.”

Barry said he hopes the experience will spill over into the everyday lives of the students.

“True stewardship will be when students plant trees at home or in their communities,” Barry said.