TREE STEWARDS
PERFORM TOPPING PLAY
Five Tree Stewards from the Front Royal/Warren County
chapter performed April 12th a play on topping trees for 200 students in
the second and third grades at Ressie Jeffries Elementary School in Front
Royal.
The play focuses on the ill effects of topping trees and the benefits of
proper pruning and was written and narrated by Trees Virginia Board member
Mike Kenyon. “Stopping homeowners from topping trees is difficult,” Kenyon
said, “but by talking to young students in a way they can understand,
maybe we can get the message home.” Students were given copies of a poem
on “What a Tree Needs” and the Trees Virginia brochure “Experts Agree
Don’t Top Your Tree” to take home to parents.
Tree Steward President Herb Rinehart who played the topped tree in the
play said that he was pleasantly surprised at how involved the students were
in the outcome of the play. Rinehart said when he asked a second grader what
he had learned, the student said “I learned it hurts a tree when it is
topped and I am going to tell my parents.”
In addition to Kenyon and Rinehart, the other Tree Stewards performing
were Kaycee Lichlites, June Rinehart and Ramona Stickley. Using a Trees
Virginia poster showing a topped tree, the Tree Stewards completed their
program by discussing the benefits of trees and reminded students of Arbor
Day activities planned for the next day.
Production of the play and program activities were supported in part with
funding from the National Tree Trust.
- Tree topping brochures and posters are available from
Trees Virginia at
1-866-VATREES
or info@TreesVirginia.org
900 Natural Resources Drive, Ste 800