First grade students from the Toll Gate Grammar School gained an education on trees when the Pennington Shade Tree Committee served as the host to Pennington Borough’s annual Arbor Day celebration.
According to Arbor Day Foundation, the day is a celebration of the importance of trees and encourages people and communities to plant trees on the day.
On April 26, officials from Pennington Borough taught the Toll Gate students about the value of trees and how to take care of them, as the students gathered around a young hornbeam tree about to be planted on Curlis Ave, according to committee officials.
First grade students also read their original poems about trees.
For 31 years, Pennington Borough has been recognized as a Tree City. Tree City USA is a program of the Arbor Day Foundation that honors communities across the country with a demonstrated commitment to maintaining their trees and forests, according to officials
“We gather here today, on Arbor Day, to celebrate trees and the good they bring to our lives and our community. From providing shade on sidewalks to helping in the fight against climate change, each tree we plant and care for is an investment in the quality of life of future generations,” said Pennington Borough Mayor Joe Lawver.
Gabe Rosko, the Chair of the Pennington Shade Tree Committee, announced at the celebration it is important for children to learn from a young age about what makes trees so special, what kinds of trees grow well in the Pennington region, and how to plant and care for them.
“I always enjoy hearing the Toll Gate first graders share their poems about their experiences with trees on Arbor Day,” he said.
Jane-Ellen Lennon, Principal of Toll Gate Grammar School, said that the Arbor Day
celebration presents a great learning opportunity for the students.
“First, they connect to trees through poetry and art, and then they get to learn about and participate in the planting of a tree by our school grounds. It is a badge of honor for Toll Gate students to watch the tree that they planted on Arbor Day in first grade grow over years,” she said.
Borough Officials said Pennington has been able to achieve and maintain its Tree City status thanks to the work of the Pennington Shade Tree Committee, a seven-member citizen board that provides strategic direction on how to maintain a healthy canopy of shade trees throughout Pennington Borough.
