A University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer returned to his hometown to help local students plant trees for Arbor Day, according to an April 28 announcement. John Nordlund, who attended elementary school in Gibbon, joined third-grade classes at the new GFW Elementary School building serving Fairfax, Winthrop and Gibbon.
The event aimed to teach students about conservation and give them hands-on experience planting trees. Jennifer Thompson, principal for elementary grades at GFW Schools, said, “It is so wonderful to give kids the chance to plant trees at our new school. I hope these kids will come by when they are grown up, remember today and say, ‘Hey, I helped plant those trees.’”
Nordlund worked alongside Dee Balough from Sibley County as well as teachers and students. Bailey Nurseries donated a linden tree that Nordlund explained could grow as tall as the school in two decades. The City of Columbia Heights Parks provided a hawthorn tree for the planting project. Students participated by digging holes, placing the trees in position, adding mulch and watering them.
The activity also included a student reading about Arbor Day’s origins in Nebraska in 1872 and its global significance today. Nordlund told students that although the newly planted trees appeared small now due to winter dormancy, they would soon show signs of growth with warmer weather and proper care.
University of Minnesota Extension contributes public service through research-driven strategies that address community issues according to its official website. The organization is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and operates within cooperative extension and land-grant education according to its official website. Extension provides evidence-based approaches involving residents statewide through county offices according to its official website.
Looking ahead, University of Minnesota Extension continues offering research-backed solutions across Minnesota communities according to its official website.
