THE LEAFLET

Last Wednesday, Casey Trees held a very special school tree planting on the campus of Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES), a place where deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through 8th grade learn and grow. KDES, operated by the Clerc Center at Gallaudet University, offers students a customized education and unique opportunities to connect with university students and researchers, benefiting from cutting-edge educational theories.

Heidi Burns (red hat) preparing students to plant trees.

Over the past five years, Casey Trees has partnered with the dedicated team at Gallaudet University, adding more than 100 trees to their campus. In 2019, we recognized our long-time Team Leader, Heidi Burns, with a Canopy Award for her commitment to education at KDES. Heidi’s passion for both tree planting and education led her to seamlessly integrate school plantings into our broader efforts to restore the canopy at Gallaudet. Her work has engaged students in the process, inspiring a new generation of stewards for Kendall, Gallaudet, and the DC community at large.

The planting event was a joyful occasion, with eager young students gathering on their playground for our safety demonstration—an essential first step to ensure safe and effective tree planting. Thanks to skilled interpreters and dedicated teachers, even the youngest participants were fully engaged and focused on learning how to properly handle the tools and plant the trees.

With new skills in hand, the students teamed up to add 22 new trees to their playground. They enthusiastically embraced the experience—learning facts about the trees, discovering worms in the soil, hugging their trees, and even giving each one a special name.

This planting holds special significance for several reasons. As with all school plantings, adding trees to a school campus or playground is crucial for children’s development. Trees and green spaces in these environments aren’t just about beautification; they’re vital for the health and well-being of our youngest citizens. A well-canopied play space offers numerous benefits, from improving air quality to providing a calming environment for children to learn and play. By involving the students in the greening of their school grounds, we also foster a sense of ownership and commitment to long-term care of these spaces.

Heidi shared another reason this planting is so meaningful: most of these students will spend the majority of their academic lives on the Gallaudet campus. They attend KDES from birth through 8th grade, then transition to the Model Secondary School for the Deaf, which is located on the same grounds. Many will go on to pursue their college education at Gallaudet University. This continuity means that a student planting a tree at age 5 or 6 will have the chance to return to that same tree as an adult, sitting under its shade and enjoying the canopy they helped create.

We are honored to continue our partnership with Gallaudet University, with plans to return in the fall to add trees to the secondary school’s campus. Until then, enjoy these snapshots of our future environmental stewards—children whose enthusiasm and hard work are making a lasting impact. The trees they planted will stand as a testament to their efforts, providing shade, beauty, and a legacy for generations to come.