The Seedlings for Schools Program marked its 10th year anniversary with record number participation. A total of 160,276 students across Pennsylvania were presented with a seedling from the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery in central Pennsylvania to plant and watch it grow.
That amounts to nearly 65,000 more children – a 68 percent increase over last year.
This experience offers benefits far beyond adding a tree to the planet. In today’s world of over-extended children who prefer an electronic device to fresh air, this program connects children to the outdoors by emphasizing their role in the conservation of our natural resources.
Designed to educate youth about the importance of trees in the environment, especially their role in providing food and habitat for wildlife, the Seedlings for Schools program provides every teacher with a resource guide to educate youth about the various trees: how to identify and care for them and determine their value in terms of habitat for wildlife.
“Through this experience, we hope that youth begin to understand the role that trees play in the environment and the importance of conservation. We’re pleased that so many children were able to make a connection to nature through this program,” comments Jerry Regan, president of the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation.
The Wildlife for Everyone Foundation partners with the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery to provide this program free to youth in the Commonwealth. Beginning in February any teacher in Pennsylvania may place an order for seedlings for her students.
They arrive by the end of May, ready for planting. Seedlings may be planted at the school or in the surrounding community, but most elementary students take their seedling home to plant with an adult.
This program would not be possible without the support of sponsors who have made it possible to extend the program’s reach into underserved areas, purchase seed, subsidize the cost of shipping and handling, and enhance our communication to schools.
They include: EQT Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, First National Bank, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Janet and Jim Nyce, The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation, Jennifer Speers, and an anonymous foundation.
All who agree with the Seedings for Schools’ overarching goal of shaping environmentally thoughtful youth are asked to contact their state Senator or Representative to show their support for the program.
Click Here for a full report on the 2018 program.
More information on the program is available at the Game Commission’s Seedlings for Schools webpage.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation website.
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