Sustainability at LPS

Calvert Elementary Students Plant 50 Trees

Henry Park is now home to a collective 50 new trees thanks to a group of budding arborists at Calvert Elementary School. Fourth graders teamed up with Lincoln Parks and Recreation, the Arbor Day Foundation, and our very own sustainability team to plant trees around neighboring Henry Park on October 12th. 

Planting Steps

Check out each of the steps to planting a tree that the students at Calvert took part in!

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Learn How to Plant

Before students began planting, they learned the steps to properly plant a tree from Lincoln Parks and Recreation staff.

Prepare the Tree

Students then worked with volunteers to plant the tree. Before actually planting, the tree needed to be prepped for planting. Students broke up the root ball surrounding the tree to prepare it for the soil.

Plant the Tree

Students worked with volunteers to plant the trees all across the park. 

Mulch Around the Tree

Students then poured mulch around the base of the tree to protect the tree, prevent weeds, and prevent over-mowing.

Celebrate!

After planting, students named their trees a variety of fun and unique names like Gecko the Ginkgo, Autumn Love, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Wirt Olive, and Little Bobby. After planting the students celebrated with popsicles!

The budding Arborists at Calvert also participated in additional steps to aide in the planting process, including packing down mulch and driving the tree-holding stakes into the ground. Students also planted an additional tree on their school campus.

Each of these new plantings will contribute to the growing number of trees in the Lincoln tree canopy. The tree canopy provides students with places to sit, beautiful scenery, and a healthier environment.

LPS couldn’t be more grateful for all of the hard work of the Calvert Elementary students and staff, and the amazing volunteers and community partners– like The Arbor Day Foundation that provided gloves for each student–who made this planting possible. 

A man and two children stake a young tree in a sunny park, while another person watches; the outdoor planting scene feels collaborative and educational.
Children and adults plant a young tree in a sunny park, guiding it into freshly dug soil; their teamwork and smiles convey care for nature.
Two children plant a young tree in a sunny park, pressing soil around its roots; the hands-on teamwork feels joyful and hopeful for the environment.
Calvert Tree Photos Vertical (3)
A smiling child in red pants raises her arms beside a newly planted sapling as other children help in the sunny park, conveying joyful teamwork.
Children play on a sunny suburban lawn around a freshly dug hole; one boy jumps over it as friends watch, creating a playful, adventurous mood.
Two young people dig and loosen garden soil beneath leafy trees, working with shovels in warm sunlight; their focused teamwork feels energetic and purposeful.
A girl grips a metal tree-planting tool while a man in a teal shirt steadies it in a sunny park, helping her plant a young tree.