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WHSS Wolverines transplant 80 red pine trees on school grounds

October 27, 2021

Last week at Wellington Heights Secondary School (WHSS) in Mount Forest, students and staff transplanted approximately 80 red pine trees onto the perimeter of the school property.

The project was initiated two years ago, when community member, Daphne Rappard, contacted WHSS Community Environment Leadership Program (CELP) teacher, Jen Cork, regarding trees on a vacant lot close to the school. Rappard had noticed that the lot was going to be developed, and wondered if the school’s CELP students might be able to do something to save some of the trees.  Due to impending excavation on the lot, the trees were set to be destroyed.  Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the project was put on hold.

This fall, Cork and Rappard connected once again to pursue the project, as the site still had not been developed and the trees had continued to flourish on the vacant lot, owned by Wilson Developments. Cork contacted Brad Wilson, from Wilson Developments, who was very co-operative and assisted Cork with gaining permission to dig up the trees and transplant them onto the school grounds.

Last week, WHSS teacher, Ken Kivell, along with his Grade 9 Geography classes, and Cork, along with her Grade 9 Science class, participated in the transplanting of the 80 red pine trees.  Most of the trees were tagged by students, and the goals are that students will monitor the growth of their trees over the course of their four years at Wellington Heights, and will develop pride in caring for their trees.

The decision to include the Grade 9 Science and Geography students to participate in the project linked to the direct connections to the ecology unit in Grade 9 Science and to much of the curriculum in the Grade 9 Geography class.  Additional advantages to the experiential learning opportunity for students, included the opportunities to get outside, to learn how to transplant trees, and to develop some appreciation for the natural environment.  It gave students first-hand experience of the impact that humans can have on our environment – both negative and positive.

WHSS students posed for a photo after planting tress on the school grounds.

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