Pear trees help school celebrate LA Arbor Month | Community Spirit

A Northwest Louisiana elementary school will soon see a growth spurt - not from its students, but from a couple of pear trees recently planted outside the school.

The trees were a gift from the City of Natchitoches and the LSU AgCenter to L.P. Vaughn Elementary as part of Louisiana Arbor Month. The trees will continue to promote the school's gardening initiative, which is run through Northwestern State University's College of Education and Human Development.

“The fruit trees are a great addition to our school garden program and lessons about nutrition awareness,” said Dr. Michelle Morris, an assistant professor and a Master Gardener.   “The Master Gardeners in Natchitoches arelooking forward to teaching the children how to care for the trees. We hope the children can enjoy fresh fruit from the trees for years to come.”

Morris began the school garden project more than a year ago as a way to connect university students and faculty with at-riskyoungsters in an endeavor that combines elements of teaching, learning and volunteerism.  Creating a school garden lends itself to hands-on instruction in several academic disciplines, as well as nutrition and healthy eating habits, she said.  The initiatives align with Northwestern State’s commitment to service-learning and community volunteerism.

“Last year, the Louisiana Learn and Serve Commission provided start-up funds for a school garden and campus beautification activities,” Morris said. “ This spring, Youth Serve America and UnitedHealth worked together to provide funding to expand the service-learning activities.”

Morris and Dr. Terrie Poehl, assistant professor, are leading a project called Portion Distortion, which focuses on nutrition awareness and exercise. First grade students in Martha Fontcuberta and Alexandra Antwine’s classes at L. P. Vaughn are learning how to eat well-balanced meals with correct portion sizes. For the service activity, students will teach other classes in their school about healthy foods and will continue working in the garden and improving the school grounds for exercise. They are currently growing cabbage plants as part of a cabbage patch trail in schools across the state, a gardening program coordinated by the LSU AgCenter, Morris said.

“In the yearly CalorieLab obesity study Louisiana ranked fifth in the Fattest State Ranking,” Poehl said.  “Doctors have linked obesity to increased risks of a variety of conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and heart disease. Children need to know the amount and type of foods to eat to remain healthy. This begins with students in this class learning about the types of food to eat and the difference between a serving and a portion.”

Poehl said Portion Distortion helps children learn the best foods to eat and proper quantities.

“The goal is to help all develop good, lifelong eating habits,” Poehl said.  “The nutrition knowledge could influence the children's decision of the items to plant in their garden.”

Steve Roberts, Natchitoches Parish extension agent with the LSU AgCenter, distributed printed materials about trees to the classes and brought along Taylor Roberts, a Green Ambassador, to help plant the pear trees.

“They love the garden project,” Antwine said.  “In the last two years, we have touched on every single concept we’re supposed to teach – science, social studies and English/language arts -- with hands-on learning.”

“The service aspect teaches them that they can make a difference in their community,” Fontcuberta added.

Earlier this month, in preparation for the tree planting, the elementary students learned about different types of trees, bark, leaves and seeds and how to read the growth rings of a tree to determine its age.  Planting fruit trees donated by the City enhances their service project by helping the environment and improving their school grounds, Morris said.

"The City of Natchitoches and Keep Natchitoches Beautiful are proud to partner with Northwestern State University, L.P. Vaughn Elementary, the LSU Ag Center and other local groups to celebrate Arbor Month in Natchitoches,” said Courtney Hornsby, Natchitoches director of Programming and Promotions.  “The City has been recognized for more than a decade as a Tree City USA and we take great pride in the care of our trees.Planting trees at L.P. Vaughn helps compliment ongoing efforts to educate our young people about the importance of protecting the environment."