Earth Day was transformative at Pottstown High School this year, writes Evan Brandt for the Pottstwon Mercury.
In one of the largest school-based tree planting efforts in Pennsylvania history, the Pottstown School District added 434 new trees across nine sites. The Department of Conservation supported the project with a $550,000 initiative.
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited the school to honor the project. She said the project embodies the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson’s vision for Earth Day: educating young people about the value of natural resources.
With 22 native species selected for resilience and impact, the project helps combat Pottstown’s urban heat and stormwater challenges. Roughly 38% of the borough is paved over, creating flooding risks and intensifying summer heat.
“This is not just about trees. It’s about community,” said Dunn.
Funded in part by Save Our Land, Save Our Towns and Simone Collins Landscape Architecture, students took part in six hands-on planting days. They now serve as “tree tenders” for the new canopy.
Pottstown Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez called the project “historic” and “life-sustaining.”
“As a student I love looking out at the trees both old and new as they not only beautify our campus but also strengthen our environment,” said student board member Tahj Phillips.
Read more about Pottstown High School’s fruitful Earth Day in the Pottstown Mercury.
