Fostering Outdoor Stewards through Streamside Trees in the Classroom

May 17, 2023

Thanks to the Every Kids Outdoors Small Grants program from the National Park Trust, nearly 50 trees were planted along Boaz Creek in Stoneville, NC.  The Dan River Basin Association and the US Army Corps of Engineers partnered to pilot the Streamside Trees in the Classroom (STIC) program in NC this spring. 

The STIC program was provided to three schools in Rockingham County.  The schools, Dillard Academy, Huntsville Elementary, and Stoneville Elementary, are all within a 15-minute drive of Stoneville Memorial Park, where the trees were planted.

“It was great to work with our partners, Dan River Basin Association, to expand the STIC program into North Carolina. I love to see these local kids enjoying the outdoors, while learning how to be good stewards at the same time. The students also got federal recreation passes through the Every Kid Outdoors program, to enjoy the outdoors with their whole family through the summer. I like the direction our partnership is heading. The community involvement, and the growth we are experiencing together is truly something to be proud of,” says Dillon Brown, Interpretive Park Ranger at Philpott Lake.

Over 180 fourth grade students participated in the STIC program by rooting native black willow trees in the classroom.  The tree stakes were delivered to the classrooms in April where they rooted over the next four weeks. 

Students journaled the changes of the trees by recording growth of the roots and the leaves.  They also created tree models to enhance their learning about tree parts.  Finally, on their planting day in May, students took a field trip to the nearby park to plant them along the stream.

In the classroom, students also learned about the effects of pollution on waterways and how human impacts cause issues such as erosion.  The STIC program is a hands-on environmental education program that educates students on the importance of streamside vegetation, referred to as a riparian buffer, primarily for the positive impact it has on water quality.

“Riparian buffers keep our rivers and streams healthy by reducing runoff and bank erosion and they also provide habitat for wildlife. Streamside vegetation not only benefits water quality and wildlife, but also people,” says Krista Hodges, DRBA’s Education Outreach Manager.   “Streamside Trees in the Classroom encourages each of us to become better stewards of our most valuable resource, water, starting by planting trees along streams.”

During the Planting Day, students took an all-day field trip to Stoneville Park where they rotated through environmental learning activities and planting their trees.  Natural resource partners from around the basin joined in on providing hands-on learning for the young students.

The stations included the Dan River Basin Association, Dan River Keeper, US Army Corps of Engineers, The Museum and Archives of Rockingham County, Agricultural Extension Agent for Rockingham County, Mayo River State Park, and Stormwater SMART.  Debbie’s Catering in Stoneville provided a discounted picnic style lunch for all volunteers. 

Teachers that participated in the program said the students enjoyed Planting Day and that their favorite part was planting the trees.  One parent of a fourth grade, Steven Pulliam, also the Dan River Keeper, said “My son planted a tree at the park that day and showed the entire family on Mother’s Day when we had a picnic in the park.  He will remember that forever.” 

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

For over a decade, National Park Trust has been a leader in youth outdoor programming and has been actively addressing the lack of transportation to outdoor spaces – one of the most significant barriers to kids getting outside and experiencing nature. This grant supports the Every Kid Outdoors program, a federal youth initiative designed to provide every 4th grader in the United States the opportunity to visit public lands and waters for free with their families. The great outdoors is an excellent classroom, and the Park Trust and the USDA Forest Service are partnering to provide the experiences that will help kids establish lifelong connections with nature and become the next generation of park stewards.

The Dan River Basin Association’s mission is to preserve and promote the natural and cultural resources of the Dan River watershed through recreation, education, and stewardship.  To learn more about DRBA, visit the website at www.danriver.org.