Fulton Middle School students planted a young Willow Prairie Cascade tree Thursday after the Fulton Garden Club donated the tree in honor of Arbor Day, which will be on April 25. A couple of students took turns cutting the roots, which allows the roots to spread further in the ground, therefore giving the willow a better likelihood to be large and strong.
Truescape, a Fulton-based landscaping and gardening company, gave the garden club a discounted price on the tree. Fulton resident Josh Stevens, of Stevens Sustainable Forestry, LLC, gave students from teacher Linda Baysinger's environmental sciences class tips on tree maintenance, planting and digging a hole.
Carolyn Flynn, Fulton Garden Club vice-president, and garden club members helped students separate grass from dirt, teaching the students what was still good for use. Flynn said the garden club has worked with Fulton Public Schools for eight years, and hopes the experience will encourage students to be tree enthusiasts because the important role trees play in the ecosystem.
"Without trees, we would be lost," Flynn said.