Campuses across Savannah celebrate Georgia Arbor Day

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTGS) — Both Georgia Southern University Armstrong and Windsor Forest Elementary hosted tree planting events to celebrate Georgia Arbor Day.

Grounds Superintendent for GSU Armstrong, Philip Schretter, said the event is the first Arbor Day celebration on the Armstrong Campus, and he is glad students can take part in the activity.

"We've planted trees on campus for a long time, but it's always really been, it's always just been done through our department through the Grounds Operations Department, so being able to involve students and to have an event like this is great," Schretter said.

The national holiday is in April, but Georgia celebrates its Arbor Day in February because temperatures in Georgia are not suitable for planting trees in April.

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At Windsor Forest Elementary, students read poems they wrote about their favorite kind of tree.

The principal of Windsor Forest, Brandi Brown, said the event was an opportunity for kids to see the community come together for a good cause.

Brown added that the tree planting coincides perfectly with the theme for the school year.

"Our theme for the school year is 'good to grow,' so for them to be involved in a project such as this helps them to see how seeds are planted and how they are growing," Brown said. "It also gets them involved in the community to know that arbor day is a celebration, and we see how trees help to benefit us and those around us."

Through events like these, Brown said children could take away a better understanding of a tree's life cycle, and the skills they learn will help them both in and outside the classroom.

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"For them to participate in an activity such as this, it only makes their futures brighter," Brown said.

Both schools said they look to continue their Arbor Day celebrations in years to come.