HCS staff and students engage with community partners to plant native trees

Hampton City Schools (HCS) students and staff took a page from Dr. Seuss’s 1971 classic, The Lorax, and “spoke for the trees.” Between November 15 and November 23, 127 Hampton City Schools students, teachers, administrators, and community partners came together to plant 126 native trees and shrubs at Asbury Elementary School, Burbank Elementary School, Jones Magnet Middle School, and Machen Elementary School. This environmental initiative, spearheaded by Kati Grigsby, Hampton Roads restoration specialist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), was made possible through partnerships with Enterprise Mobility, the Arbor Day Foundation, and the city of Hampton. Together, they aim to foster the development of environmentally literate citizens while making a positive impact on the environment.

The project kicked off on Friday, November 15, when volunteers from Enterprise Mobility planted 49 trees at Machen Elementary. Classes touring the site were excited to see the beginnings of their orchard and the new forest area. The excitement grew even more when students learned they would get to help plant trees themselves the following week. On November 20, 19 current and former students of Missy Powell-Reidl, along with principal Dr. Heidi Brezinski and assistant principal Dr. Rasan Holmes, planted 10 trees and shrubs along the edges of Burbank Elementary’s retention ponds. The K-5 students eagerly explained the environmental benefits of trees, highlighting their role in reducing water and air pollution, mitigating flooding, and lowering energy costs.

Braving cold winds on November 21, 12 members of the Jaguar National Junior Honor Society and science teacher Sheryl McLaughlin planted five native trees near the front of Jones Magnet Middle School. The students named their trees and proudly showed them off to classmates at dismissal. On November 22, 56 fifth-grade students from Asbury Elementary, led by teacher assistant Crystal Britt-Smith, teachers Jennifer Price and Randolph Watson, and principal Liz Franks, planted seven trees. They also participated in a hands-on activity to understand the interdependence of trees within ecosystems.

The final planting event took place on Saturday, November 23, when dedicated Machen staff, students, families, and community members planted 51 trees and understory shrubs. Among the participants were teachers Dawn Somerset, Hannah Massie, Alixzandra Brown, Emman Davis, EIRA Emma Ryder, principal Mario Barkley, and assistant principal Sandra Taylor. In addition, community members, including fifth grader Kyle Whiting and his father, Kraft teacher Irma Paris and great niece and Mustang first grader Malia Figueroa, Aberdeen literacy support specialist Aimee Ryder, as well as longtime HCS partners and Shored Up owners Claire Neubert and Linda Hamm, enthusiastically joined the effort.

The initiative, eight months in the making, began after HCS STEM teacher specialist Betsy McAllister completed a five-week CBF VoiCeS (Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards) course. Seeking a meaningful, real-world project that would bring science to life for HCS students, McAllister collaborated with Kati Grigsby. Inspiration struck during a conversation at the March 22 science fair with Machen fifth graders Josiah Hancock, Teriq Johnson, Gabriel Maxim, Isaiah Riggins, Pharaoh Edwards, Lomasi Dailey, teacher Dawn Somerset, and family engagement specialist Taneeka Moore. The students won first place in the Earth Science Division for their project studying erosion on the school grounds. Their findings sparked the idea of addressing environmental concerns through tree planting.

After surveying the school grounds with administrators and staff, Grigsby developed a tailored planting plan for each school. The plan received approval from HCS chief operations officer Dr. Daniel Bowling, paving the way for the project’s launch.

The Arbor Day Foundation and Enterprise Mobility’s Urban Tree Initiative provided crucial funding. The Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to planting trees, focuses on bringing tree benefits to communities in need. Since 2018, Enterprise Mobility’s initiative has supported urban forestry projects across North America and Europe, planting over 36,000 trees.

Beyond the environmental benefits, research shows that trees enhance mental and physical health, reducing stress and anxiety while improving mood. Studies also indicate a positive link between tree canopy coverage and student academic achievement. Through this project, HCS students developed the characteristics of the HCS Portrait of a Graduate and heeded the timeless advice from The Lorax: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Photos courtesy of Maurice Rogers and Sue Mangan Photography.