Arbor Day Continues at UCF Arboretum
Story by Mark Schlueb, UCF Today
Thirty students from Oak Ridge High School – a Title I school that serves an economically disadvantaged population – visited the UCF Arboretum on Friday, April 8 to learn about the value of urban trees and conservation.
Representatives of the university’s Arboretum and Department of Landscape and Natural Resources taught them how to plant native trees during a hands-on demonstration. They planted three oaks in the Arboretum, and were lead on a guided hike through the campus’ natural lands to learn about the value of urban trees and conservation.
The event celebrated upcoming Arbor Day, and was funded through a “megabus.com Tree Campus USA” award by the Arbor Day Foundation. Megabus.com has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation and Tree Campus USA to plant 10,000 trees along megabus.com routes and on college campuses.
Oak Ridge High School has an AmeriCorps team on campus that supports at-risk students with tutoring and mentoring. The school also has a Recycling Club, but lacks support to meet the needs of the students, especially when it comes to environmental education and awareness. The Oak Ridge High School Recycling Club and the AmeriCorps team had the opportunity to engage and collaborate with UCF’s Arboretum for this Arbor Day Celebration. This was an enriching experience for all students involved.