CONCORD, N.H.---Students at seven New Hampshire schools will plant 500 trees for wildlife during the first two weeks of May 2000.
"By planting these trees, students are learning about wildlife and habitat, but they're also working with their communities and are providing food and cover for a variety of species," said Marilyn Wyzga, director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Project HOME, which is coordinating the plantings.
Project HOME obtained the trees through the Community Tree Planting Program of the National Tree Trust (www.nationaltreetrust.org), which provides tree seedlings to groups to be planted on public property. The schools---Newmarket Middle School, Deerfield Community School, Lancaster School, Lyme School, Sanbornton Elementary School, McDonough School in Manchester, and The Children's Workshop in Barrington---participate in Project HOME, a program for habitat enhancement on school grounds administered by Fish and Game. Teachers and community members attended training workshops to learn how to work with their students to map, inventory, and design enhancement projects on their grounds.
The native tree species were selected for their wildlife food and cover value. White pine provides good winter cover and songbird nesting, as well as winter food. Acorns of red and white oaks are also an excellent winter food, enjoyed by wild turkey, deer, and bear. The fall fruit of flowering dogwood is preferred by many birds including flickers and woodpeckers. Sugar maples make good nest sites for orioles and goldfinches.
This year marks the 10th anniversary for the National Tree Trust (NTT). Since 1990, the NTT has facilitated the planting of over 7.2 million trees across the nation with the assistance of dedicated volunteers. Community Tree Planting is one of the four programs offered by the NTT.
Through the Community Tree Planting program, the NTT increases volunteerism and citizen's awareness about the value of trees. To date, over 328,000 volunteers have participation in the program through a multitude of different organizations, coming together to meet a common goal: to plant America's future. Trees for the NTT's projects are grown at the nurseries of 11 forest product industry companies who have partnered with the NTT since 1992. They include: Champion International, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, International Paper, Mead Corporation, Mill Creek Farm, Simpson Timber Company, Temple-Inland, U.S. Alliance Coosa Pines Corporation, Westvaco, and Weyerhauser Company.
For more information about the planting dates and the programs, contact Marilyn Wyzga at 603-271-3211 or mwyzga@wildlife.state.nh.us.
