Tree Campus K–12

By partnering with their city forestry program, Edmond North High School students gained real-world learning about tasks and tools used by urban foresters. A student-led campus tree inventory followed by an i-Tree study of the projected benefits of their 77 campus trees blended career exposure and technology.

Following is a breakdown of how the school approached each of the four program goals.

• Goal: Tree Campus Team

  Edmond North High School’s SUN (Students United for Nature) Club members and officers were joined by two teachers, the school principal, and Edmond’s city forester to form the Tree Campus Team. The group met multiple times throughout the year to plan and organize events.

• Goal: Education Plan

  A variety of tree-related coursework is covered in Edmond North High School’s environmental science classes, with focus on topics like biodiversity, biomes, forestry and agriculture, carbon sequestration and climate change, the effect of human population and urbanization, and renewable energy and biomass. The classes also partnered with the City of Edmond to learn about the importance of trees, proper tree selection, and invasive species management.

• Goal: Hands-On Experience

  

  Carrying learning from environmental science classes outside of the classroom, students learned proper tree planting and mulching techniques from representatives of the City of Edmond’s forestry program. Then, environmental science students completed a campus tree inventory with the help of i-Tree software to calculate tree benefits, uncovering a projected $30,857 in benefits provided by 77 campus trees over the next 20 years. These students and members of the SUN club then coordinated with school operations staff to plan service projects involving the restoration of these valuable trees. These students plan to implement a Standards of Care plan to guide the nurturing of campus trees.

• Goal: Arbor Day Observance

  At Edmond North High School, Arbor Day is an opportunity to get off campus and support the City of Edmond’s community tree canopy in a variety of ways. Events this year included students and staff mulching trees in Edmond’s public spaces, helping the city hand out free tree seedlings to community members, and planting trees in a city park.

We would like to enhance our tree canopy for various reasons. The aesthetics, reducing our carbon footprint, shade to offset some sun, increase our soil quality and water quality, assist in improving air quality, and last but not least, to educate our school about the important ecosystem services trees provide for us.”

Gloria Vass, Environmental Science Teacher