Poplar Bridge Tree Planting Project Event
Saturday, December 6, 2025
2:30pm-4:00pm
Poplar Bridge Elementary
We had a great snowy afternoon at Poplar Bridge Elementary School! Students were greeted at a Welcome Station with warm cider and music, and given a card with a map of the various stations to visit. At each station, students learned about different positive attributes of trees through fun activities, and voted on their favorite trees. After getting a stamp at each station, students returned the cards to the principal for a special prize!
Station posters
Student card and map
Activity Station #1
Tree Benefit: Trees provide us with the oxygen to breathe
Description: In this movement-based station, kids learn that trees take in the carbon dioxide we breathe out and give us back oxygen — the air our bodies need to live, move, and grow. Through a series of simple standing yoga poses inspired by animals and nature, students practice deep breathing while experiencing how people and trees share the air. The activity reinforces the idea that every breath we take is a gift from trees.
Activity Station #2
Tree Benefit: Trees encourage physical activity and spending time outdoors
Description: Help kids see that trees make outdoor spaces fun, relaxing, and healthy — encouraging play, movement, and time in nature.
Activity Station #3
Tree Benefit: Trees benefit wildlife
Description: Students will observe and participate in the many benefits of trees for wildlife. They will see and build different types of nests/homes, see and identify different food trees provide, and think and talk about the other benefits of trees for wildlife (e.g. trees provide safety, shade, oxygen, play/exercise, warmth, and shelter). Students will have the opportunity to turn branches and leaves into nests and shelters for wildlife. Students will have the opportunity to check out different food that trees provide to wildlife.
Activity Station #4
Tree Benefit: Trees help reduce the effects of climate change
Description: Help kids understand that trees “cool” the planet — by taking in carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), providing shade, and keeping Earth’s temperature balanced.
Activity Station #5
Tree Benefit: Trees help clean drinking water
Description: Teach kids that trees and their roots act like natural filters — cleaning rainwater before it reaches our rivers, lakes, and drinking water.
Activity Station #6 (with fire pit)
Tree Benefit: Trees clean the air
Description: Trees help clean our air in numerous ways. In addition to taking in carbon dioxide and putting out oxygen, they remove gaseous pollutants including ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide through small pores in their leaves called stomata. Trees also capture solid particles of dust, smoke, ash, and other irritants on their leaves, branches, and trunks. Rain then washes these to the ground. In this activity, students will explore how “planting” more trees helps remove more pollutants and irritants out of the air. Starting with one magnet (a tree), students will tilt the board to send the ball bearings (pollutants) toward the other end. The tree(s) will capture them as they hit them or pass close by. Students will continue to add “trees” and repeat the process to see how more trees capture more pollutants and irritants to further clean the air.