The display in the auditorium said it all, “Working together to make a difference”, succinctly summarizing the tree planting project completed on February 16 at the Ute Perkins Elementary School in Moapa.
It all started one hot day last August when Ute Perkins Principal Ken Paul saw an email advertising a grant to get free trees. Paul had long felt that the school needed more trees, more shade. But the school had no money to purchase trees. Then this email caught his eye.
If he could just find a non-profit or someone to help him write this grant. Happily, Sandy Frederick, Office Manager, knew that Partners In Conservation (PIC) had done similar projects. A quick phone call set the wheels in motion.
“We were pleased to help out,” said PIC Administrator Elise McAllister. “The grant process was streamlined and the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) personnel were so helpful. Adria DeCorte and the staff at the nursery truly went the extra mile to make this project a success. Also, Jesse Baeza, groundskeeper for Perkins Elementary is another reason why this project was so easy.
With a couple of helpers, the group had 25 trees planted at the school in no time! Each of the classes came out and helped plant ‘their’ tree.
“With Jesse’s green thumb and his happy devotion to nurturing trees—these trees are in good hands and the school will have some much needed shade in just a few years,” McAllister added.
“The trees and the Nursery Greening Project were funded through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),” stated Adria Decorte, who administers NDF’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. “We are so happy to help Perkins Elementary get these trees; the 25 trees are Fan-Tex Ash. They grow quickly and produce a thick canopy of leaves, ideal for shade, in just a few short years.”
