NEWS RELEASE

A Big Lesson From Little Trees

(Monday, May 25, 2009) - A group of Dartmouth preschoolers are too young to remember Hurricane Juan but they will do their part on Tuesday, May 26, to replace trees lost to the September 2003 storm.

When Dartmouth Pre-School recently received a donation of white spruce seedlings, director Pat Hogan and her staff quickly turned their minds to how their young charges could learn a lesson about the environment by making connections with the wee trees.

Area Councillor Gloria McCluskey put them in touch with parks employees who had no trouble coming up with a location in Shubie Park that could benefit from new trees. On Tuesday morning, a group from the preschool will plant 20 to 30 seedlings with some help from their teachers and Halifax Regional Municipality Parks and Open Spaces workers.

Already, the seedlings have become an important teaching tool at the pre-school where the children have talked about the benefits of trees, how they provide homes to animals and help clean the air we breathe, Hogan said.

“They understand that they share the woods and the world with other people,” she said.

The planting will take place at 9:30 a.m. in the park in the vicinity of 1018 Waverley Road. Media are welcome to attend. Look for the pedestrian bridge leading into the park from Waverley Road.

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Contact:

Shaune MacKinlay
Manager, Public Affairs
(902) 490-6531

Constantinos Liolis
Urban Forestry Work Supervisor
(902) 490-2494
(902) 476-2817 (cell)