The 5th grade class at Ponderosa Elementary School learned about the origins of Arbor Day and the importance of trees to our high desert ecosystem this month and prepared to select a tree to plant on the school grounds.
BANA member Joette Storm supported Ms. Lauren Romney, a new teacher at Ponderosa this semester, by presenting materials on Arbor Day and the role of trees in various ecosystems.
This semester, students have been studying trees in the school yard, of which there are many. They learned which trees grow in the high desert ecosystem. Based upon their studies and the presentation, the students chose a dwarf Liberty apple tree for a site outside their classroom window. The tree was purchased with private funds at Eastside Gardens in Bend.