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Kids learn about the benefits of trees during Arbor Day celebration

You might not realize it, but trees and electricity have a special relationship. It can be a good one or a bad one.

Omaha Public Power District joined in a special celebration at Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens recently to teach our youngest generation how to help ensure we get the benefits of trees, without the drawbacks.

The TREEmendous Arbor Day celebration was held April 23, drawing some 2,000 students from across our area. The event was three days ahead of the official holiday, which was born here in Nebraska in 1872, when lawmakers adopted J. Sterling Morton’s resolution to set aside this one day a year to encourage tree planting.

OPPD foresters and other staff hosted a booth providing education about trees and our environment, and helped children create pinecone birdfeeders to take home. They also enlisted the help of sixth graders from Fort Calhoun Elementary School to plant a tree in Lauritzen’s festival garden.

Planting a tree properly

“What we’re planting today yellowwood,” Senior Utility Forester Mike Norris told the class. “And it’s a tree that’s native to around here and Kentucky, and Tennessee and Southern Missouri. It will grow to be about 35 to 50 feet tall, about 25 feet wide. Pretty white flowers in spring.”

He and Forestry Supervisor Aaron Holloway lined the students up, handing them a shovel, one by one, to carefully place a scoop of dirt at the tree’s base.

“If you’re at home or you’re planting anywhere and you dig a hole, we want to make sure that you call 811 first to make sure you locate any underground power or cable or gas lines,” Holloway told them. “And you want to look above to make sure you don’t have power lines above you. Just make sure you put the right tree in the right place.”

He explained how improperly planted trees can interfere with power lines and knock out your electric service.

Arbor Day lessons to take home

Ella Doorak and Lucy Billesbach were among the students who took part in the planting.

“I’ve never planted a tree before,” Doorak said. “It was fun.”

Fun, and also educational, for Billesbach, who was paying attention to the OPPD foresters.

“You have to make sure you plant the right one in the right place so that it doesn’t grow into a power line or anything else that’s important – underneath or up top,” she said.

Hyrum Webber, another student who picked up a shovel, said trees bring benefits to our environment.

“They provide oxygen.”

And they even provide energy savings when planted properly, with the potential to provide shade on a home in the hot summer months and a wind break in the cold winter months. OPPD has more information on “planting the right tree in the right place” at OPPD.com/trees.

Doorak said this ranks among her favorite field trips, one that will leave a lasting impression in more than one way.

“It’s like kind of crazy. Like, we’re not going to be here forever, but that tree might.”