LINCOLN, NE – The Nebraska Forest Service has recognized Northeast Community College for its hands-on work with young children that allows them to discover the importance of trees. Representatives of the College were presented with the agency’s Educator Award during its annual Nebraska Community Forestry and Tree City, Campus and Line USA Recognition Day. It was one of eleven awards presented during the event held earlier this month in Lincoln.
The Educator Award is presented to an individual or school that educate the youth of Nebraska about the importance of trees and the history of Arbor Day. Extracurricular activities, special programs, or any other program or event the educator/school performs above and beyond the normal education process qualifies.
Northeast was recognized for its Arbor Day celebration at the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex that features college horticulture and early childhood education students working with area kindergartners. The event, which observed its tenth year in 2016, began with the idea that Arbor Day should involve more than simply planting trees, but learning about them, too.
In addition to a demonstration on proper planting techniques, the kindergarteners are taken to different “stations” in Northeast’s Arby Day observance where they learn how trees grow; work through an obstacle course made from tree materials; visit “Wormsey’s World,” which demonstrates tree roots underground; taste goodies that come from trees and watch a ceremonial tree planting that showcases proper tree planting.
Steve Rasmussen, district forester with the Nebraska Forest Service, nominated Northeast for the award.
“Northeast Community College has landscape staff, horticulture and early childhood education students participate in the day and help with the stations and getting students to the different stations. This creates a great interaction between kindergartners and college students,” he said.
Since 2006, over 900 students, adult sponsors and teachers have participated in Northeast’s Arbor Day event. Northeast employees have an option for a payroll deduction that contributes funding for the program. Kindergarteners are given colorful t-shirts with an Arbor Day theme.
In addition to the Nebraska Forest Service, other partners with the program include the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
The Northeast Community College Arboretum is an affiliate of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The grounds crew has worked in recent years to beautify the Norfolk campus with additional landscaping. This includes the planting of 30 new trees in 2016. With recent construction, the grounds crew also relocated an additional 13 large Oak trees on the Norfolk campus.
Northeast was also a participant in the City of Norfolk’s campaign to plant 150 trees in the community in 2016 as part of the City of Norfolk’s Sesquicentennial Celebration; and in October 2015, Northeast Community College was recognized with the City of Norfolk’s “Green Leaf” Award for outstanding landscaping work. The award is sponsored by the city’s Tree Advisory Board.
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PHOTO CUTLINE
Representatives of Northeast Community College were presented with the Nebraska Forest Services’ Educator Award for the College’s work on educating young people on the importance of trees. Pictured (from left) are Lynne Koski, vice president of administrative services at Northeast, Graham Herbst, eastern community forestry specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service, Brandon McLean, executive director of physical plant at Northeast, and Shawn Sayers, associate director of grounds at Northeast. (Courtesy Nebraska Forest Service)