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Game Commission Offers Seedlings For Schools Program

Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe Tuesday announced the agency again will be helping Commonwealth school students learn about the vital role of trees in the environment through its “Seedlings for Schools” program, in which students will be able to plant a variety of tree seedlings at home, on school grounds or in their communities.
           Orders will be accepted from February 27 to April 1 only through the agency’s website.
            “There is no charge to schools participating in this project, as the seedlings are provided by the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery,” Roe said. “The cost of shipping seedlings is covered through the generous donations of Waste Management, Mealey’s Furniture, Wildlife for Everyone Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Partners for Wildlife."
            The program provides two levels of involvement based on the grade level, and the agency has been working with the state Department of Education to get the word out about the availability of seedlings.
            “Seedlings for Your Class” is primarily for elementary students.  As part of this program, the Game Commission provides a classroom or one grade level with enough seedlings for each student to take a seedling home to plant.  Seedling choices are silky dogwood or white pine, and a teacher’s guide comes with the seedlings.
            “Seedlings to Develop Habitats” is primarily for middle and high school students.  As part of this program, the Game Commission provides a variety of seedlings to students interested in planting seedlings on school or community grounds to improve habitat, plant along a stream, develop a tree nursery, or create an environmental area.
            “Seedlings come in bundles of 25, and will be shipped directly to schools by UPS toward the end of April, depending on order receipt and weather,” said Annetta Ayers, superintendent of the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery.  “Once seedlings arrive, it is important to keep them moist.  Hand out seedlings with roots in plastic bags with moist shredded newspaper or plant them in juice/milk cartons for transplanting at home. ‘How to plant’ information and educational materials will be provided with seedlings.”
            A teachers' guide and student sheet also will be available on the Seedlings for Schools webpage.


2/27/2012

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