Tree planting can be an excellent and memorable camp activity for children of almost any age. Even very young children who can’t yet handle a shovel can still help bury the roots of a newly planted tree and will walk away from the experience with a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of connection to the land.

First, make sure the landowners have given permission for the tree planting and have specified the desired location for the new tree or trees. After all, a new tree is ideally a permanent alteration of the landscape.

Second, research native tree species that are likely to thrive under the conditions of the chosen location. Is the soil wet or dry? Well or poorly drained? Clay-like or sandy?

When procuring the new saplings, choose the healthiest specimens available. If you aren’t sure what a healthy hornbeam or silver maple sapling looks like, seek the assistance of an agricultural extension agent or tree specialist.

On the day of the planting, make sure all children have access to work gloves. Follow the planting instructions for your specific tree species carefully. For almost all tree species, err on the side of shallow rather than deep planting– It is better to leave a few roots exposed then subject the trunk to rot by burying too deeply.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Camp Activities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.