Kids Plant Trees and Roots of Community Pride in Sartell

SARTELL (WJON News) -- A new forest is taking root in an area community. Over 300 students from Riverview Intermediate School in Sartell planted the first twelve trees for the City of Sartell's new "Fourth Grade Forest" at Pinecone Central Park on Friday. The "Fourth Grade Forest" is a joint project between the city and the school.

Sartell-St. Stephen Schools' Superintendent Michael Rivard says the project has the potential for lifelong learning for students:

"What I find remarkable for us is this is not a one-day event. It will continue to grow over time as the students can return and see the impact of their work. Whether that's within the next year or maybe within the next ten to twenty years."

Rivard says for the students, the project helps build ownership in the community, pride, and a strong connection to what happens in Sartell and St. Stephen. It is the first year of the project to help students to study ecosystems, conservationism, and then plant and care for trees.

The students also raised over $7,000 in just over five days for the forest.

Rivard says the city will guide the way in the future for what the needs of the forest are:

"They lead the way in that partnership. Our job is to make sure the kids have an opportunity to learn from those experiences, not only just the science part of the learning, but also just the importance of being active members of their community."

He says a big benefit of the project is that the students are able to see the planning and maintenance of the forest in real life.

READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT