2022, Arlington, VA, USA

5th graders at Barrett Elementary School launched a campaign to expand their community’s tree canopy and raise awareness of how to keep trees healthy to improve their watershed.

The students led by example and participated throughout the whole process of planting trees. Despite hot weather, they dug holes, hauled mulch, and planted the trees. They collaborated with John Stewart, a special education teacher, who donated his time to purchase the trees from a local nursery. 

Students are planning to continue to work to keep them strong and healthy as they grow by mulching and rewatering as needed. The students have launched an awareness campaign with their peers around how to keep our plants healthy and plan to create posters about the benefits of trees and why we shouldn’t climb, or pick leaves off when they are young. By raising awareness about how to protect life on land, they aim to change resident practices to create a lasting impact on their watershed.

SDG: 15: Life on Land

Targets: 15.1