TREES NEW YORK FALL HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
YELP: Youth Environmental Literacy Program
Program Objective:
Trees New York’s Youth Environmental Literacy Program (YELP) aims to raise youth awareness of current environmental issues, and New York City urban forest, through engaging lessons and activities that will advance their reading, language, and investigative skills.
*We aim to teach all lessons outside, weather permitting, within a one block radius of your school. Please arrange for permission slips accordingly.
Lessons:
Benefits and Challenges of the Urban Forest: Tree Health Surveying
Objectives:
- Students will define and explore the NYC Urban Forest
- Students will identify benefits of trees (environmental, social, and economic)
- Students will examine tree beds and identify urban environmental challenges
- Students will investigate human impact and interdependent relationships in urban ecosystems
Program Summary:
In this lesson, students learn about and define an urban forest and specifically, the New York City Urban Forest (yes, we live in a forest!). We will begin with a brief overview of street tree benefits. Students will then learn about challenges street trees face through surveying street tree beds around their school. Using the “Tree Health Survey” worksheet, students evaluate the environmental and human impact on street trees. The lesson will then close by discussing the importance of keeping street trees healthy and overall survey observations.
Tree Identification & Adaptation Exploration Walk:
Objectives:
- Students will identify leaf arrangement, leaf form, and tree species
- Students will observe biodiversity of tree species in their neighborhood
- Students will investigate tree species adaptation and resilience to the urban environment
Program Summary:
In this outdoor lesson, students go on a short walk and learn how to identify 4 different trees around their school building using NYC Parks Tree ID Guides. Students are provided with a worksheet where they will be asked to draw the tree, identify leaf arrangement, leaf form, and note one adaptation to the urban environment. We will then close with a reflection on their observations from the walk!
Community Tree Stewardship:
Objectives:
- Students will engage in urban tree care practices
- Students will identify ways to improve neighborhood tree health
- Students will understand the importance of community-based stewardship and how to be a steward
Program Summary:
In this outdoor lesson, students can partake in tree stewardship and care for trees around their school. Students assist in decreasing soil compaction through cultivating soil, removing weeds, and adding mulch. Students also assist in watering trees permitting proximity to an uncapped hydrant. There will also be general stewardship opportunities such as removing litter. Trees New York provides all necessary materials to complete the activity (i.e. gloves, cultivators, trowels, mulch, and buckets).
*1:10 adult to student ratio required. Trees NY staff may be able to help meet ratio requirements and will inform the school during the scheduling process.
**Mulch will be delivered to school 1-2 business days in advance. Please provide a dolly or other method to move mulch.
Demonstration Tree Planting:
Objectives:
- Students will discuss ways trees enrich our communities and mitigate climate change
- Students will learn about and partake in the tree planting process
Summary:
In this lesson, students observe and participate in street tree or lawn tree planting with instruction by a Trees New York educator. During this roughly 45-minute session, students will hear narrative instruction expressing the various aspects of tree care and the challenges NYC trees face while they observe the proper planting techniques demonstrated by a professional tree planting contractor. Students can participate in the planting at every stage by removing twine, cultivating the soil, moving and siting the tree, backfilling the tree bed, laying mulch and/or planting flowers.
* A site visit and in-depth discussion are required to ensure that a tree can be provided on or near your school property and that it will be properly maintained for future generations.
**Media Release Forms or permission slips may be required if the tree site location is off campus.
FruiTrees Program:
Program Objective:
FruiTrees is an afterschool program focused on food justice. Students will learn about fresh food access and sources and the benefits of growing your own. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to plant or preserve existing fruit trees and brambles. Additional supporting lessons include tree planting, pruning, and pollination.
If you are interested in becoming a new FruiTrees partner school, please indicate your interest on the registration form. During the fall, your school will be evaluated for its capacity to host the program. If approved, all programming will take place during the spring.
Note: Our FruiTrees New York program is an 8–10-hour commitment, which is estimated to be 4-5 sessions over a period of programming seasons.
Customized Lesson:
See a way that Trees New York can help enhance your students learning? Describe the program you are envisioning on the registration form, and we will let you know if it is a possibility!