Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe Friday 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, through which students plant a variety of tree seedlings at home, on school grounds or in their communities.

"Seedlings for Schools has become a great way to get Pennsylvania's youth interested or more engaged in doing something beneficial for wildlife and the environment," Roe noted. "We're grateful to our program business partners who cover the cost of shipping seedlings and to the growing number of schools that are getting involved with this important program. Every time a tree seedling gets planted, wildlife and the environment win.

"In 2012, we shipped seedlings to 569 schools.  More than 100,000 students participated.  The number of seedlings shipped to schools totaled 124,375."

Orders will be accepted from February 25 to March 29.

There is no charge to schools participating in this project, as the seedlings are provided by the Game Commission's Howard Nursery. The cost of shipping seedlings is covered through the generous donations of Waste Management, Mealey's Furniture, Wildlife for Everyone Endowment Foundation, Kohl's of State College and Best Buy Mobile of Nittany Mall.

The program provides two levels of involvement based on the grade levels: 

-- Seedlings for Your Class is primarily for preK and 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 spruce, and a teacher's guide comes with the seedlings and can be accessed through the website.

-- 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."

This year, all orders must be submitted online. The site will be available starting on February 25.  To learn more about the program and to access the order forms visit the Game Commission's Seedlings for Schools webpage.

 A teachers' guide and student sheet also will be available on webpage.

2/25/2013