Students, faculty and staff at Buchanan Elementary School celebrated Arbor Day and Earth Day with several activities.

On Wednesday, April 25, Principal Debbie Garrett led students through a program to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. The program highlighted ways students could encourage their own families to help the planet, and, highlighted the school’s HOPE (Help Our Planet Earth) Club which is led by sponsors Heather Williams and Barbara Tames.

Guest speaker Catherine Carter spoke about ways students can recycle at home, including how to reduce waste, recycle materials such as plastic, paper and aluminum, and creative ways to reuse everyday materials for new uses. Garrett read two books to the students: one about the life cycle of a mighty oak tree from an acorn and a second accompanied by Louis Armstrong’s 1968 version of “What a Wonderful World.”

The morning’s activities culminated with students, teachers and staff proceeding outdoors to the track area where they planted a Yoshino Cherry Tree with Downtown Revitalization Program Manager Harry Gleason. The cherry tree was purchased with funds donated by the nonprofit organization Valley Beautiful. Valley Beautiful gave the town a grant of $1,600, which was used to purchase and plant trees on the Town Park and at the elementary school.

– Submitted by Harry Gleason, with photos submitted by Kathleen Sloan of Buchanan Elementary