CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Some area kids rolled up their sleeves on Friday. Just a day before Earth Day.
Gloria Hicks Elementary School teamed up with the South Texas Botanical Garden to teach the students how to properly plant trees.
The executive director of the South Texas Botanical Garden of Nature Center, Michael Womack gave the students a lesson on how to plant and properly care for their trees.
"We are hoping that them planting these trees and taking them to their home they'll watch them grow through the years and they'll get excited about saving the environment and everyone can do their part," Womack said.
The students planted 600 oak trees in a pot to take home in hopes that in the next six months, they will be able to plant the tree in their very own backyard.
Womack said that the planting that the students did will increase the urban forest with new trees by next fall.
Fourth grader Natalye said that trees help with shade and are important in the Coastal Bend.
“I'm going to care of it (tree). I'm going to show it, love, every day and I'm going to do everything I can to make it a better place,” Natalye said.
Alan Torres, a fifth grader, said that trees are very important to our ecosystem because they provide many things such as wood, paper and oxygen.
"I'm planting a tree and I planning to take it home and water it and feed it very good," he said.
Womack said that is a blessing to be able to have the chance to share some of his love of nature with the students.
He added that it’s also a blessing for the teachers and staff to be able to see the smile on the kids faces.
The organizers hope the lessons that took root in this event will last a lifetime.
