PHS, Widener Students Lead Greening of Chester High School

CHESTER – The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society coordinated a tree-planting at Chester High School on April 26 at with the help of students from the high school and Widener University.

The students planted 35 trees around the school grounds, 200 West Ninth Street, thanks to funding provided by PHS through a University Tree Tenders grant from the National Urban and Community Forestry Council, administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The funding also provided supplies, technical support and PHS coordination of the plantings.

About 40 Chester High School students participated, under the guidance of environmental science teacher Robert Downs, who has completed PHS’s Tree Tenders training course. A group of 50 students from Chester Education Foundation’s Reconnecting Youth program joined the effort. Ten Widener students, a majority of whom are members of the university’s Presidential Service Corps/Bonner Leader Program, helped train the students and assisted in the work.

The City of Chester Streets Department dug the planting holes, and Chester-Upland School District’s Maintenance Department prepared the site for planting and picked up the trees from the PHS tree distribution center.  The Chester Water Authority provided drinking water for all the workers.  Following the planting, student volunteers enjoyed hoagies and fruit donated by Wawa, Inc.
Julianne Schieffer, Penn State Extension Urban Forester, provided technical assistance by recommending tree species and designing the planting plan in cooperation with Chester-Upland School District Maintenance Director Kenneth Caulk.  The trees were planted on the school grounds, surrounding the building on all sides.  Species ranged from stately dawn redwoods and other shade trees, such as sugar maples, to flowering ornamentals, such as serviceberry and cherry.  One of the trees was dedicated to three Chester High School teachers who passed away in 2009.

The tree planting at Chester High School was part of the regional effort by PHS to assist in the environmental and economic development of urban communities.   Philadelphia Green, the PHS urban revitalization program, serves as a model for cities throughout the U.S. PHS’s University Tree Tenders program works to connect universities with their surrounding communities through tree planting and care.  Widener University was chosen to pilot the University Tree Tenders program because of the city’s recent strategic initiative along the Delaware River.  Tree Tenders training was conducted in fall 2009 at Widener University, resulting in the formation of two Tree Tenders groups: Chester Tree Tenders and Widener Tree Tenders.  Members of both groups were involved in the planning and implementation of the Chester High tree planting.

 

 

For more information Contact:
Alan Jaffe at 215-988-8833
Laura Hoover at 215-988-8836